Central Section baseball and softball previews, plus list of titles won and schedule
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Clovis North and Buchanan will meet for the Division I softball title at 7 p.m.
- Barnett says Buchanan won three section titles in 2021 and in 2024 and 2025.
- Central Section schedule lists baseball and softball championship games by division.
It will be an all-Tri-River Athletic Conference final for the Central Section Division I championship as top-seeded Clovis North takes on No. 7 Buchanan - again.
The game will be played at Margie Wright Diamond in Fresno, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
The two schools are no strangers to competing for section championships. In fact, both programs have built championship pedigrees, and played last season when the Broncos won 6-2.
According to section historian Bob Barnett, the Broncos won three section titles in 2021 and captured back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025 under head coach Courtney Dale.
The Bears have also enjoyed plenty of success.
Buchanan has won five section titles overall and claimed the championship trophy three times under head coach Dean Gregory. Since 2004, Gregory has compiled an impressive 541-190-7 record along with three section championships.
Saturday’s matchup should be an intriguing one. Throw out the seeds, because these teams know each other well.
Clovis North is 2-0 against Buchanan this season, winning both meetings convincingly, 7-3 and 6-0.
Here are the remaining championship games, along with the number of section titles for each program, as provided by Barnett.
Division II
Garces (4): 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008
Redwood (2): 2014, 2018
Division III
Chowchilla (2): 1994, 2011
Hanford West (6): 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014
Division IV
South (1): 2023
Mission Prep (1): 2024
Division V
Woodlake (5): 1983, 1989, 1990, 2024, 2025
California City: None
Division VI
Avenal: None
Minarets: None
Number of baseball championships
Division I
Bullard (7): 1977, 1980, 1988. 1989. 1993, 1999. 2012
Liberty (2): 2003, 2024
Division II
Bakersfield Christian (3) 2011, 2021, 2024
Arroyo Grande: None
Division III
Central Valley Christian: None
Garza: None
Division IV
Monache (1): 1993
Immanuel (5): 1993, 1995, 2002, 2005, 2016
Division V
Shafter (1): 2024
Minarets (1): 2014
Division VI
Roosevelt (9): 1933, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1954, 1955, 1962, 1963, 1965
Corcoran (3): .2011, 2012, 2025
Schedules
Baseball
Central Section championships
At Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia
Wednesday
Division IV
No. 1 Monache vs. No. 3 Immanuel, 6 p.m.
Thursday
Division III
No. 7 Garza vs. No. 9 Central Valley Christian, 6 p.m.
Friday
Division V
No. 1 Shafter vs. No. 2 Minarets, 4 p.m.
Division II
No. 1 Bakersfield Christian vs. No. 3 Arroyo Grande, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Division VI
No. 1 Corcoran vs. No. 2 Roosevelt, 1 p.m.
Division I
No. 2 Bullard vs. No. 4 Liberty-Bakersfield, 6 p.m.
Softball
Central Section championships
At Margie Wright Diamond, Fresno State
Thursday
Division VI
No. 1 Minarets vs. No. 3 Avenal, 4:30 p.m.
Division III
No. 1 Chowchilla vs. No. 3 Hanford West, 7 p.m.
Friday
Division V
No. 1 Woodlake vs. No. 10 California City, 4:30 p.m.
Division II
No. 1 Garces vs. No. 3 Redwood, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Division IV
No. 3 Mission Prep vs. No. 4 South, 4:30 p.m.
Division I
No. 1 Clovis North vs. No. 7 Buchanan, 7 p.m.
