Damien and Bishop Amat baseball are two of the biggest disappointments in the CIF-Southern Section this season. The Spartans, 11-9 overall and 4-6 in the Sierra League, boast UCLA bound pitchers Grant Hockin and Jonathan Olsen, but may miss the playoffs entirely. If the Spartans, ranked 9th in the CIF-SS preseason Division 2 poll, fall again to South Hills on Thursday, not only will their playoff hopes be on life support, they could find themselves finishing last if they continue to free fall. This is a team that was so highly thought of, online’s Perfect Game ranked Damien No. 23 in its preseason NATIONAL rankings. I can hear the conspiracy theorists now. Is Damien throwing in the towel to prove it should remain in the Sierra League. Of course not, but it would help with their position while they fight the move to an all private school league. Bishop Amat, ranked fourth in the preseason Division 4 poll and ranked fifth in the L.A. Times’ preseason Southern California Rankings, climbed over .500 to 11-10 with a 7-3 victory over La Salle on Tuesday. The Lancers are fighting St. Paul for third-place and the final playoff spot in the Del Rey. What happened to our private school baseball giants that have a combined record of 22-19? And what does this say to all the public school complainers that private school’s have an advantage that public school’s don’t? What it tells me is a free education is a pretty strong advantage as well.