La Mirada

Jason Hitchens makes his coaching playoff debut in his first year at Corona del Mar High tonight. On paper, the No. 2-seeded Sea Kings (8-2) open with a first-round game, just as the rest of the schools in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs. Hitchens said the game against La Mirada (4-6) at Newport Harbor High at 7 p.m. feels more like a quarterfinal game. “You kind of need to get past the formula and look at the team itself,” said Hitchens, referring to La Mirada earning the Suburban League’s third playoff entry despite sharing second place with two others teams.

Down the stretch, Sage Hill School rested, whereas Costa Mesa was restless. These two are the only local high school baseball teams making the playoffs. But they’re also entering on losing streaks. The Lightning aren’t as concerned. They wrapped up their first league championship in school history before closing out the regular season with back-to-back Academy League losses. As for the Mustangs, they should be worried. They lost out in claiming their first league title in 31 years by dropping three in a row in the Orange Coast League.

Irwin Putnam McElroy, born June 27th 1919 in Moscow, Idaho. Passed away Sunday January 13th 2008 at 88 Years old with Son's Richard, Donald & Kenneth by his side. Heart failure was the main cause of death, he passed away at Kaiser Hospital Woodland Hills, Ca. at 3:20 pm   Irwin served in the 93rd Infantry in 1945, eventually reaching the rank of Supply Sergent, was stationed in the Alution Islands in Alaska and post war Japan for 6 months. Irwin was honorably disharged.

FULLERTON — The trains, running nearby and parallel to the right-field line, deafened the crowd, the chatter between baseball players. The latter is the last thing Costa Mesa Manager Kirk Stone wanted during an elimination game against La Mirada Friday night at Amerige Park. Costa Mesa needed to communicate. He's seen his all-star team fall apart before in the 13-year-old Pony District Tournament in Fullerton. Not again he said to himself. Stone figured the trains weren't going to derail, but what about his players?

BASEBALL UC Irvine 15, Houston 6 HOUTSON ? The Anteaters erased a 6-4 deficit with a four-run seventh and continued to pull away with a 17-hit attack Saturday in the second game of a three-game nonconference road series with the Cougars. Senior outfielder Matt Morris went five for five with an RBI, while junior outfielder Taylor Holiday went three for five with a home run and a double, to drive in four runs for the winners. Senior Cody Cipriano, who also homered, and junior Taylor Vaughn had two hits and three RBIs apiece for the Anteaters (5-2-1)

JOSH GEORGE Hometown: La Mirada Born: Dec. 26, 1989 Height: 5-foot-6 1/2 Weight: 133 pounds Sport: Wrestling Weight class: 135 Coach: Dominic Bulone Favorite food: Sushi Favorite movie: "Pirates of the Caribbean" Favorite athletic moment: Beating three seniors at the CIF Southern Section individual tournament, where he placed sixth as a...

BASEBALL Section Tournament The Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Mustang All-Star team was eliminated on July 16 in Section Tournament play, falling to Fountain Valley Red, 16-6. Newport Harbor had beaten Fountain Valley Blue, 9-8, earlier in the day and went 2-2 in Section Tournament Play. The Mustang All-Stars played in five postseason all-star tournaments, advancing to the championship game in the first three and taking second place each time before advancing in the District Tournament.

GARDEN GROVE ? The Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Pinto A All-Stars had just suffered their third loss by two or fewer runs in four games. Thursday was the most crushing of the four, a 4-3 loss to La Mirada in seven innings at Walton Field. But not even the ketchup on their faces nor the hot dogs in their mouths could cover up the happiness, because there would be more baseball for this team. "They get over it pretty quickly," Manager Jeff Mitchell said. "They're having a good time."