May 25, 2006

 

For the fourth consecutive year, and the sixth time since 1999, the top-seeded Chancellors are vying for the Los Angeles City Section baseball title, this time facing No. 3 Kennedy on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.

 

Senior right-hander Josh Ravin (6-1) is expected to be on the mound for the Chancellors (30-2) and senior left-hander Fabian Williamson (6-3) is expected to get the call for the Golden Cougars (25-10). It will be Ravin's second consecutive start in a City final.

 

The Chancellors have been designated as the home team for the game.

 

Chancellors: They are on a 12-game winning streak and are coming off a 14-0 victory over No. 12 San Fernando in the semifinals Tuesday... The Chancellors won the West Valley League title with a 14-1 record, their fourth in a row and 25th overall... Chatsworth brings a school-record 13 shutouts to the game and 46 home runs, three shy of the school record set in 2004... A victory would equal the record by the 2001 team. The school's best record in a season is 35-0 in 2004... Coach Tom Meusborn's playoff record is 46-11... It is the 10th time the Chancellors have reached the City final since Meusborn took over the program in 1990... By playing in Saturday's game, Chatsworth will become the only school to appear in four consecutive City title games since it was first contested in 1939... From 2000 to the present, the Chancellors have won 21 Championship Division playoff games, more than any other team. El Camino Real is second with 13 and Kennedy is third with 12.

 

Kennedy: The Golden Cougars are coming off a 3-2 victory over No. 2 El Camino Real in the semifinals... They beat No. 14 Bell, 4-3, in the first round and No. 6 Cleveland, 5-1, in the quarterfinals... The Golden Cougars won the Valley Mission League with a 13-2 record.

 

Series with Kennedy (since 1980): The Chancellors lead, 23-16-1, and have won the last eight meetings between the teams... Chatsworth and Kennedy have never met in a City final... It is the 32nd meeting between Chatsworth's Meusborn and Kennedy Coach Manny Alvarado.

 

Common opponents: The Chancellors and Kennedy played four common opponents this year, Centennial of Bakersfield, Cleveland, El Camino Real and San Fernando... Chatsworth beat Centennial of Bakersfield, 12-4 and 13-3; swept Cleveland, 5-3, 5-2 and 6-3; lost to El Camino Real, 4-1, then won, 9-5 (8 innings) and 8-7; beat San Fernando, 14-0... Kennedy lost to Centennial of Bakersfield, 10-4; beat Cleveland, 5-1; lost to El Camino Real, 6-1, then won, 3-2; beat San Fernando, 5-1, then lost, 4-3, then won, 5-4.

 

TV: The title game between the Chancellors and Golden Cougars will be broadcast on LA36 at 9 p.m. Saturday. Randy Rosenbloom will do the play by play, Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times will handle the color commentary and Deborah O'Mearly will do field reporting.

 

Is it in the numbers? The last three winning pitchers for the Chancellors in City title games wore sequential odd-numbered uniforms -- Joe Guntz (23) in 2001, Justin Cassel (25) in 2003 and Jason Dominguez (27) in 2004. What's the number of Ravin, this year's Chatsworth starter? That'll be 29.

 

Encore: Chatsworth's senior second baseman Oscar Gutierrez and senior left fielder Oliver Padre are making their fourth trip to a City final. Senior pitchers Jonathan O'Leary and Ravin are making their third, and so are junior third baseman Matt Dominguez and junior shortstop Mike Moustakas.

 

Tidbits about title games at Dodger Stadium: This will be the second time since the City Section final was first held at Dodger Stadium in 1969 that the game will be played in the afternoon. It was played at night every year through the 2004 game... The Chancellors and Golden Cougars each have won six City titles, one fewer than all-time leader Fremont. Meusborn has won five City titles and is tied for second place with former Granada Hills coach Darryl Stroh on the all-time list behind leader Les Haserot, who won six with Fremont between 1939 and 1948. Alvarado has won four City titles... There have been 16 home runs hit at Dodger Stadium in Championship and Invitational title games or in third-place games under the previous format. The first came June 4, 1975, by Bob Grant of Westchester against future major league pitcher Dave Schmidt of Granada Hills, in the first inning... Five of the homers came May 28, the most on any date. None has been hit May 27, this year's date for the championship game... Two Chatsworth players have hit one homer each, junior left fielder Bryan Petersen in 2003, a two-run shot to right-center field in the bottom of the sixth inning and sophomore third baseman Matt Dominguez, a solo drive in the top of the first inning in 2005... Two Kennedy players have hit one each, Kevin Farlow in 1985 and Kevin Serr in 1995... John Dolak of Palisades hit two against Venice in the 3-A title game in 1985.

 

Chatsworth all-time playoff results (championship years in bold): 1963-68 -- did not qualify; 1969 -- Roosevelt W 10-0, Lincoln L 5-4; 1970-71 -- dnq; 1972 -- Carson W 10-3, Manual Arts W 7-3, Venice L 2-1; 1973 -- dnq; 1974 -- Carson L 6-4; 1975-78 -- dnq; 1979 -- Banning W 3-0, Crenshaw L 11-3; 1980 -- dnq; 1981 -- Huntington Park W 10-2, Grant W 6-3, Banning L 5-1, Sylmar L 1-0 (third-place game); 1982 -- Fremont W 4-1, Franklin W 13-0, Palisades L 9-7, Banning W 5-3 (third place game); 1983 -- Fairfax W 9-0, San Pedro W 7-0, Granada Hills W 7-2, Sylmar W 8-7 (final); 1984 -- San Pedro W 19-5, Banning L 3-0; 1985 -- Gardena W 4-3, North Hollywood W 4-1, Kennedy L 4-2; 1986 -- Sylmar W 8-5, San Fernando L 10-4; 1987 -- North Hollywood W 16-5, Kennedy W 5-1, Poly L 6-4; 1988 -- Gardena W 28-5, Sylmar W 7-3, San Fernando L 5-2; 1989 -- Gardena W 9-1, Grant W 11-6, Palisades L 9-8; 1990 -- Carson W 6-1, Palisades W 11-0, Taft W 6-1, El Camino Real W 3-2; 1991 -- Carson W 11-0, Poly L 17-1; 1992 -- Sylmar W 4-2, Venice W 7-4, Poly L 3-2; 1993 -- Venice W 10-0, Sylmar W 4-1, Taft W 17-1, El Camino Real L 7-6 (final); 1994 -- Grant W 3-0, Birmingham W 11-10, Taft W 5-0, El Camino Real L 7-6 (9) (final); 1995 -- San Pedro W 4-1, Banning L 6-3; 1996 -- University W 6-5, Carson W 6-4, Poly L 6-4; 1997 -- Reseda W 16-9, Cleveland W 9-5, El Camino Real L 9-6; 1998 -- Van Nuys W 8-0, Monroe W 9-7, Kennedy W 5-2, El Camino Real L 5-2 (final); 1999 -- San Pedro W 13-1, Roosevelt W 5-4, South Gate W 12-2, Poly W 17-7 (final); 2000 -- Grant W 4-2, Kennedy L 11-4; 2001 -- University W 4-0, Narbonne W 2-1, Banning W 4-0, Roosevelt W 2-1 (final); 2002 -- Kennedy W 2-1, El Camino Real W 13-6, Cleveland L 4-0; 2003 -- Fremont W 12-0, Kennedy W 2-0, Banning W 4-3, Carson W 3-0 (final); 2004 -- Narbonne W 7-3, Sylmar W 6-4, Kennedy W 10-7, San Pedro W 7-1 (final); 2005 -- Fremont W 11-0, Palisades W 5-4, South Gate W 15-5, El Camino Real L 5-1 (final); 2006 - Verdugo Hills W 7-0, Banning W 11-1, San Fernando W 14-0.

 

Top photo: Josh Ravin, delivering for the Chancellors in an 11-1 victory over Banning in the quarterfinals of the City Section Championship Division playoffs, is making his second consecutive start in a City final.

 

Middle photo: Outfielder Oliver Padre, running the bases after hitting a home run against Granada Hills in a West Valley League game, is making his fourth appearance with the Chancellors in a City final and his third start.

 

Bottom photo: Second baseman Oscar Gutierrez, rounding the bases after a crucial home run against El Camino Real during West Valley League play, is making his fourth trip with the Chancellors to a City final and his second start.