Prep playoffs: MCAL champions get seeded in Division I for NCS
The San Marin High softball team and the Redwood High baseball team both celebrated MCAL title victories on Thursday and Friday, respectively. In both cases, the reward for that success was entry into the North Coast Section Division I playoffs when brackets were unveiled on Sunday.
The champions were the only two Marin teams selected for the top tournament in each sport with San Marin (18-6) seeded ninth in softball and Redwood (18-8-1) seeded 11th in baseball.
As designated league champions, both will host higher seeds. San Marin faces No. 8 Vintage (18-7) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Redwood hosts No. 6 Benicia (16-8) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
The San Marin baseball and San Rafael softball teams are considered the most likely to win section titles based on their seeding. Both enter their respective tournaments as the No. 3 seeds.
The San Marin baseball team also features in the only all-Marin matchup of the first round. The Mustangs host crosstown rival Novato on Wednesday and the winner of that game could see Tam in the quarterfinals.
The NCS has nine entries into the NorCal playoffs for both baseball and softball. All six division champions are guaranteed a spot in NorCals. The second-place teams in D-I and D-II also advance. There will be a third-place game in D-I only and the winner of that game claims the final spot in NorCals.
Softball
The other three MCAL semifinalists aside from San Marin were all bunched together in D-II. MCAL runner-up Marin Catholic (16-7) drew the No. 4 seed and hosts No. 13 Petaluma (16-8) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Novato High.
Redwood (15-10) is seeded ninth and hits the road to face No. 8 Newark Memorial (17-4) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Archie Williams (18-8), the fourth-place team in the MCAL, is slotted directly behind Redwood as the No. 10 seed and hits the road to face No. 7 College Park (10-11-1) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
San Rafael and Tam both had some good fortune, not only drawing high seeds in D-IV but also receiving first-round byes into the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs (12-12) are the No. 3 seed while Tam (12-9) is the No. 4 seed.
Terra Linda is the only Marin team in the D-V bracket. The Trojans (8-14) are seeded seventh and host No. 10 Healdsburg (13-12) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
San Domenico, fresh off a victory in the BCL West title game, is the No. 10 seed in Division VI and travels to face No. 7 Hoopa Valley at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Baseball
All three Marin teams in the D-II field are concentrated in the bottom quadrant of the bracket. No. 3 San Marin (16-10) hosts No. 14 Novato (16-9) at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. No. 6 Tam (17-8) faces No. 11 University (23-1) at Paul Goode Field in San Francisco at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
If the Red-tailed Hawks win their first-round game, they would face either San Marin or Novato — meaning a Marin team would be guaranteed to make the D-II semifinals at that point.
A trio of MCAL teams were selected into the D-III bracket, led by No. 6 Marin Catholic (13-12). The Wildcats hit the road to face No. 11 Analy (17-9) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
No. 13 San Rafael (13-13) also starts on the road against No. 4 El Cerrito (19-7) at 5 p.m. Tuesday. No. 15 Archie Williams (12-12) travels to face No. 2 Piedmont (15-9) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Branson (9-15) is the No. 7 seed in D-V and hosts No. 10 De Anza (5-15-1) at College of Marin for a 5 p.m. game on Tuesday.
Tomales (10-9) secured the No. 14 seed in D-VI and opens against No. 3 Sonoma Academy (13-6) at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Doyle Park in Santa Rosa.
Boys volleyball
Redwood qualified for NorCals after making it to the NCS D-II title game on Thursday. The Giants (26-8) were selected as the No. 6 seed in D-III and hit the road to face No. 3 Monta Vista (24-13) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.