BIG DAY FOR THE BIG MAN—Thousand Oaks High senior Cody Thomson put the Lancers on his back during Tuesday’s CIFSouthern Section Division 1 wild-card playoff win over Saugus. Thomson hit two home runs and pitched a seven-inning shutout as TOHS prevailed, 3-0. The Lancers play Lakewood today. JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers This is where high school legends are made.

The CIF-Southern Section baseball playoffs are in full swing this week as local ballclubs begin the tedious trek toward hardball immortality.

In the Division 1 bracket, Marmonte League title winner Royal High is joined by Moorpark, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo—the Pacific View League’s top squad—in today’s first-round action.

Royal, Moorpark and Camarillo all play at home, while Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks are on the road.

During Tuesday’s Division 1 wild-card games, TOHS defeated Saugus, 3-0, while Westlake dropped an 11-inning marathon at El Dorado, 7-6.

In the Lancers’ game, played at TOHS, senior Cody Thomson hit a pair of home runs and pitched a four-hit shutout.

Newbury Park head coach Matt Goldfield, who takes his Panthers (19-9) to Mater Dei in Round 1, is confident that NPHS has a pitching staff that’s capable of making an extended postseason run in the section’s toughest division.

Senior flamethrower Jimmie Sherfy, a University of Oregon commit, opens the playoffs on the bump for Newbury Park.

“With Sherfy on the mound,” Goldfield said, “I tell you what, I wouldn’t want to play us.”

A four-year varsity member, Sherfy has plenty of big-game experience. He’ll be flanked in the Panther bullpen by talented seniors Jordan Brower and Kevin Brown.

Brower, who has ace stuff as a starter, will be locked and loaded if his number is called at any point for relief work.

“If we need to, we’ll go to Brower right away,” Goldfield said. “In the playoffs, you go to win every game and worry about the next game when it comes up.”

With four sophomores in the starting lineup, Newbury Park’s offense has vacillated like beach tides during a full moon—one minute they’re up, and the next they’re down.

A few hot days at the plate in late May, however, can quickly turn an uneven season at the dish into something special.

“It’s a new season,” Goldfield said. “If these guys underachieved at little bit, now’s their chance at redemption. It’s not very often that you get a second chance in baseball.”

In other Division 1 action this afternoon, Royal (22-6) takes on Corona; Moorpark (21-8) battles St. John Bosco; Thousand Oaks (16-13) travels to Blair Field in Long Beach to face Lakewood; and Camarillo (22-4) matches up with Newport Harbor.

Tri-Valley League champion Oaks Christian opens the Division 4 tournament Friday at home against Temple City.

Oak Park, a third-place finisher in the TVL, lost its wildcard game, 4-2, Tuesday afternoon at Patriot.

The Eagles, with eight underclassmen on their roster, finished the year 9-16 overall.

The Lions (20-7) capped an undefeated Tri-Valley campaign by sweeping second-place St. Bonaventure last week.

Junior starting pitcher Travis Radke takes an 8-1 record and 2.49 earned-run average into the playoff tilt versus Temple City. Radke has been dominant this season, tossing no-hitters against Fillmore and Carpinteria during the past month.

“I expect (Radke) to do what he’s been doing all year,” OCHS head coach Tim Penprase said. “He’s been going right after guys.”

Penprase said Radke often feels more comfortable pitching against opponents he hasn’t faced before, which, considering the teams-from-everywhere format, makes him a valuable postseason asset.

“He tends to think less about the hitters because he knows less about them,” the coach said.

“He focuses on what he needs to do, like hitting his spots and making his pitches. Travis will be locked in. He’s been waiting for this.”

Oaks Christian has three starters that finished the regular season with batting averages at or above .400—shortstop Drew Hacker (.459), center fielder Evan Ocello (.421) and catcher Sam Wales (.400).

Three others hit above .300, including slugging first baseman Trevor Gretzky (.341), who helped clinch the league title with a home run in the top of the eighth inning against St. Bonaventure on May 11.

Also on Friday, Viewpoint (16-5), co-champions of the Liberty League, faces Crossroads in a Division 6 showdown at Clover Park.

Grace Brethren of Simi Valley (21-4), the second seed in Division 6, will also be in action at home against Avalon.

If you love the speed game, you’ll love Viewpoint.

Boasting a team batting average of .349 in 601 regular-season at-bats—and they don’t even have a diamond on campus, only a hitting facility—the Patriots are a squad that likes to get on, get over and get in.

Viewpoint averages 10.8 runs per game despite hitting only five home runs. Instead of playing power ball, the Patriots run teams out of the ballpark, as evidenced by VHS converting 83 of 90 stolen base attempts.

“We go, you know,” Viewpoint head coach Frank Pontello said.

“We do a variety of things. Since we don’t have a field, we break things down quite a bit and talk about . . . small ball. We do a lot of small-ball stuff, and we’ll take advantage if a team’s defense isn’t very good. If someone has weaknesses, we’ll try to attack them.”

Sophomore Tyler Sprague has been a stud for Viewpoint.

A corner infielder who also pitches—tendonitis has limited his availability to throw from the mound late in the season— Sprague leads the Patriots in batting average (.464), hits (32) and runs batted in (35). He’s also tied for the team lead in runs scored (28), doubles (seven) and triples (three).

“The school record (for RBI) is 40 in a season,” Pontello said. “We’re hoping he can make our record board. He’ll have to have a couple of good games.”

Shortstop Alex Pachino (.417 average, 20 RBI), center fielder Ryan Nelson (.411, two home runs), second baseman Andrew Leon (.385, 20 steals), first baseman Gil Brozki (.339, 15 steals), outfielder Adam Markun (.325) and left fielder Blake Pontello (.317) help make Viewpoint an offensive juggernaut.

Playoff games are scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m. Because start times sometimes change, check www.cifss.org for up-todate information.