Commentary: A sleeping giant has awakened for the Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoffs

""The little bump in the road was our last opportunities to get guys in there for non-Trinity League games to see what they could do," coach Andy Rojo said. The computer rankings didn't appreciate St. John Bosco's experimentation. The Braves closed the regular season with 11 straight wins and a Trinity League title, but were punished when the Southern Section Division 1 playoff pairings came out Friday. Orange Lutheran, second place to the Braves, was given a No. 4 seed ahead of No. 6 St. John Bosco."

""It's another lesson in this new era of relying on computer algorithms for playoff pairings. The people running the computers won't release their secrets about how teams are really ranked. It's locked up like the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Two things are certain for all computer rankings: Head-to-head matchups are really not important and league finish doesn't matter. Those are two criteria that used to be among the most important in the days when humans put together pairings, so you can understand why old-timers are having a hard time adjusting.""

""We feel good," Rojo said. And he should. For Southern Section Division 1 baseball, it really doesn't matter where you are ranked. The 16 teams are so good that everyone is set to go through a gauntlet and may the best team rise to the top. St. John Bosco finished the regular season 22-5 and 14-1 in the Trinity League."

"St. John Bosco opens the playoffs on Tuesday in pool C facing probably the best opening opponent in Crestview League champion Cypress. St. John Bosco has ace Julian Garcia ready to go, but Cypress has multiple pitchers ready to compete. Sierra Canyon is the highest seed in pool C and opens at home against Oaks C"

St. John Bosco entered the season ranked No. 1 but suffered unexpected losses during the National High School Invitational and Boras Classic, including a three-game losing streak. The team used non-Trinity League opportunities to evaluate players, but computer rankings did not reflect the Braves’ overall strength. Orange Lutheran received a higher seed than St. John Bosco when Southern Section Division 1 playoff pairings were released, despite St. John Bosco’s regular-season success. The Braves finished 22-5 overall and 14-1 in the Trinity League, then won 11 straight to claim the league title. The playoff format is expected to be a gauntlet where seeding matters less than performance. St. John Bosco begins pool C against Cypress with ace Julian Garcia ready, while Sierra Canyon opens at home against Oaks C.

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