Viewpoint Readies for Baseball Playoffs

With 12 wins over the past 13 games, baseball team has plenty of momentum for the  playoffs.

The Patriots play Thursday at Franklin Field in Encino against the Rio Hondo Prep-St. Margarets wild-card winner in a Southern Section Division VI first-round matchup. Among the compelling issues figures to be Viewpoint’s continued adjustment to playing in a bigger divison. After winning the Division VII title in 2008, the Patriots were moved up but have not won a playoff game since.

“I think we’ve changed. We’re much better this year,” ace pitcher Tyler Sprague said. “We have a lot of experience and good leadership.”

The second round is next Tuesday, and Viewpoint is hoping to still be around, taking it game by game instead of looking at the big picture – an imperative for a team trying to break through against tougher postseason competition.

“We’re going to take things one game at a time and try to take care of business on Thursday to make it to the second round, then go from there,” Sprague said.

Viewpoint is coming off an 8-7 win Friday over Buckley to clinch the Liberty League championship. Thomas Sprague was 1 for 3 with three RBIs, Ryan Nelson was 3 for 4 with two runs and Tyler Zimmet had a two-run single. Alex Pachino pitched a complete game to earn the win, as Viewpoint improved to 19-5.

The plan is to see if Rio Hondo Prep survives the wild-card round because that could determine who pitches for Viewpoint.

“We played them earlier, and Alex Pachino pitched really well against them, so he might pitch Thursday, and I would pitch the next game,” Tyler Sprague said.

VIEWPOINT VOLLEYBALL ON BRINK OF TITLE APPEARANCE

Viewpoint’s boys volleyball team has a tough one tonight, as the Patriots take on top-seeded Chadwick in a Division V semifinal at 7 p.m. at home.

In the playoffs, Viewpoint (15-5) has eliminated Mary Star, Summit and Ontario Christian – part of streak that has seen the Patriots win 14 in a row.

“If we handle free balls on our side of the net and put pressure on Chadwick from the end line serving, we should win,” coach Byron Goff said. “I think my team is peaking, and we have come together like I have not seen before since playoffs first started. All the chips have fallen into place. We have a semifinal match at home, and you can't ask for much more.”

The championship is scheduled for Saturday at Cypress College against the Pasadena Poly-Vista Del Mar winner.

CALABASAS HOOPS KEEPS ON GOING

Calabasas’ basketball team is getting ready to wrap up its spring-league schedule after splitting two games Saturday at Santa Monica City College, losing to Palisades by one point at the buzzer, then defeating Crossroads by 25 points.

“Because some of the kids play on different club teams, it’s a different group every Saturday, but I think we’ve been playing well,” coach Jon Palarz said. “Jeremy Lieberman and Spencer Levy have both been playing well for us, and they’re playing well for their club teams, too.

The final session is Saturday, and Calabasas plays Peninsula and Hawthorne at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m, respectively.

“We’re trying to get some kids to move up to the varsity level, and we’re trying to get some others who didn’t play too much, we’re trying to get them some varsity experience.”

VIEWPOINT’S ANGARD OUT

The golf season is over for Viewpoint boys standout Alex Angard. He did not make the cut Monday at the Southern Section Northern Division Regionals at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo, scoring a 79.