Championship week: Northview at San Dimas

This daily countdown is on, tomorrow we begin with the biggest baseball game of the season to date.
Tuesday: Baseball, Northview at San Dimas
Wednesday: Baseball, Bonita at Charter Oak
Thursday: Softball, Los Altos at Bonita; Baseball: San Dimas at Northview
Friday: Baseball, Charter Oak at Bonita

Division IV
No. 2 Northivew at No. 3 San Dimas, 3:15 p.m.
San Dimas, 15-3, 9-0: Notable wins: Northview (9-6), Nogales (9-2), St. Francis (8-6). Notable losses: Chino HIlls (15-2), Bonita (6-2), Glendora (8-7).
Northview 13-4, 7-1: Notable wins: Bonita (4-3), Mamoreneck, NY (7-3), Jesuit (7-5). Notable losses: San Dimas (9-6), Claremont (10-7), Archbishop Mitty (8-7).
Runs scored/Against: Northview 147/66; San Dimas 188-62
The skinny: If San Dimas wins, they all but wrap up the Valle Vista League title, regardless of what happens when they meet again on Thursday at Northview. The Vikings have to sweep this week to have a realistic chance of defending their title.
Prediction: When you start looking at this close, you realize that other than beating Northview, the Saints haven’t had another huge win. They beat Nogales without Melchor pitching, which isn’t like beating Nogales. They beat St. Francis, but so did Nogales and Glendora. The Vikings proved themselves by going 2-2 in the National Classic and beat Bonita early in the year, but they’re not the same Vikings that won a championship last year. Their pitching isn’t as deep, and they miss the leadership of their big three, Aaron Elias, Robert Williams and Marc Andrade. Regardless of who pitches, I don’t see anyone dominating the other, I’m thinking a 4-3, 5-4 game is what we’re going to get. If San Dimas loses Tuesday, they will lose again at DustView on Thursday. But it’s not going to happen. The Saints are hungrier, a closer group, and at home, will never have a better opportunity than this. The Pick: San Dimas.

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