Norco leads six Inland baseball teams in new-look CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs
The CIF Southern Section surprised many Friday afternoon by releasing the 2026 baseball playoff pairings a day earlier than expected.
The Division 1 playoffs feature a new look this season. Instead of bracket play from start to finish, the 16 teams selected to compete in the division have been placed in four pools based on their final power rankings. The top two teams in each pool will advance to bracket play, starting with the quarterfinals.
All opening games are Tuesday.
Norco finished atop the rankings and earned the No. 1 seed for the Division 1 playoffs. The Cougars host No. 16 seed Maranatha.
Five other Inland baseball teams are in Division 1: Corona (No. 5 seed), Temecula Valley (No. 7), Ayala (No. 9), Etiwanda (No. 12) and Santiago (No. 13).
Corona hosts Etiwanda, while Temecula Valley hosts No. 10-seeded Huntington Beach. Ayala makes the journey to No. 8-seeded Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, while Santiago plays at No. 4-seeded Orange Lutheran.
The teams in the other eight playoff divisions will compete in a traditional, single-elimination bracket with first-round games scheduled for May 14 and 15.
Two additional Inland teams earned a top-four seeding in their respective playoff divisions. Citrus Valley is the No. 1 seed in Division 5 and opens at home Friday, May 15 against Paloma Valley. Hemet is the No. 3 seed in Division 7 and hosts Riverside Notre Dame in a first-round game Friday.
A total of 69 Inland teams qualified for this year’s playoffs, either with an automatic berth from their respective leagues or by receiving an at-large berth.
This year’s championship baseball games will be hosted by Cal State Fullerton and Morongo Field in Rancho Cucamonga on May 29 and 30.
CIF-SS BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
(Games schedule for 3:15 p.m.)
Division 1
Tuesday’s Pool-Play Games
Maranatha at Norco
Ayala at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Etiwanda at Corona
Santiago at Orange Lutheran
Huntington Beach at Temecula Valley
Division 2
Thursday’s First-Round Games
Elsinore at Villa Park
Santa Margarita at Rancho Christian
Ganesha at Linfield Christian
Valley View at Great Oak
Dana Hills at Aquinas
Vista Murrieta at Foothill
Yucaipa at Paraclete
Alta Loma at Westlake
Division 3
Friday’s First-Round Games
Arlington at Mira Costa
Edison at Damien
San Dimas at Cajon
Garden Grove Pacifica at Chino Hills
Summit at La Canada
Division 4
Thursday’s First-Round Games
Claremont at La Salle
Riverside Poly at Upland
Grand Terrace at San Marcos
Chino at Woodbridge
Division 5
Friday’s First-Round Games
Paloma Valley at Citrus Valley
Moreno Valley at Irvine
Cathedral at Calvary Baptist
Tahquitz at Quartz Hill
Kaiser at Oak Hills
Jurupa Hills at Santa Fe
Temescal Canyon at Arrowhead Christian Academy
Rancho Verde at St. Bernard
Division 6
Thursday’s First-Round Games
Ontario at California
Bloomington at Foothill Tech
Ramona at Canyon Springs
Western Christian at Cantwell Sacred Heart
Don Lugo at Savanna
Hillcrest at Muir
Division 7
Friday’s First-Round Games
Milken Community at Fontana
Patriot at Viewpoint
Notre Dame at Hemet
Jurupa Valley at Campbell Hall
Arroyo at Miller
Carter at Adelanto
San Jacinto Valley Academy at Norwalk
Division 8
Thursday’s First-Round Games
Colton at Edgewood
Marshall at Santa Rosa Academy
Cornerstone Christian at Compton
Nuview Bridge at Burbank Providence
Magnolia at Indian Springs
Banning at Artesia
Division 9
Friday’s First-Round Games
Redlands Adventist Academy at Dunn
Downey Calvary Chapel at Crossroads Christian
Mesa Grande Academy at San Bernardino
Loma Linda Academy at Webb
United Christian Academy at Ambassador Christian
Bethel Christian at Desert Hot Springs
Hamilton at Westminster
Pomona at Temecula Prep
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 9:10 PM.