Prep talk: Previewing top Southern Section

The Southern Section will maintain 9 baseball championship video games this weekend, led by the Division 1 ultimate at 7 p.m. Friday at Cal State Fullerton between St. John Bosco and Norco.

Here’s a look at top matchups:

FRIDAY

Division 1: St. John Bosco vs. Norco at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m. Both faculties can have their top pitchers prepared to go, which suggests runs might be at a premium. Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco was in the dugout last season when the Braves received the title but couldn’t play as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgical procedure. He’s come back with a flourish, going 8-1 with a 0.88 ERA. All the Braves’ key pitchers can be found, including closers Jack Champlin and Brayden Krakowski. Norco will start Jordan Ayala, who shut out Orange Lutheran in the quarterfinals. It’s going to come down to protection and somebody getting a clutch hit against excellent pitching.

SATURDAY

Division 2: Ganesha vs. Loyola at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 5:30 p.m.: Likely first-round draft choose Logan Schmidt might be on the mound for Ganesha, offering a big problem for the Cubs. He’s also the staff’s top hitter. Loyola has confronted top pitching all season in the Mission League and can have rising freshman Sheriff Hall on the mound. The Cubs also have gamers who can hit home runs, such as Jack Murray and Luca Marucci.

Division 3: Mira Costa vs. Agoura at Cal State Fullerton, 4 p.m.. Both faculties have promenade in the night, so watch for gamers speeding to automobiles after the sport. Mira Costa has by some means made it to the ultimate despite dropping its No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers to injury. Others have stepped ahead, and the hitting assault has been good in the playoffs. Austin Olness hit a two-run home run in a 12-0 semifinal win over St. Francis. Agoura, under first-year coach Adam Goldstein, is another overachiever. Senior Tyler Starling hits and pitches with the best, but it’s been underclassmen pushing the Chargers toward a title.

Division 4: Glendora vs. Laguna Beach at Cal State Fullerton, 7:30 p.m. Senior Tanner Grable leads Glendora with 36 hits and 4 home runs and also can pitch. Junior Dylan Yencho is having a big season for Laguna Beach, batting .455 with 50 hits and an 0.94 ERA as a nearer.

Division 5: Kaiser vs. Culver City at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 11 a.m. Senior Tino Cuellar is Kaiser’s leadoff hitter with 34 hits. Culver City completed second to Santa Monica in the Ocean League and has a productive freshman in Matthew Riesenberg, who has 36 hits, a .431 batting average and 29 RBIs.

Division 6: Brentwood vs. Covina at Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m. The Eagles received’t have ace Jack Kaplan obtainable after he threw a shutout in the semifinals, but there’s a lot of sizzling hitters, including junior Hudson Chase, who has 42 hits and seven home runs. Covina, which knocked out Lakewood and longtime coach Spud O’Neil in the semifinals, was second in the Valle Vista League to Charter Oak. Senior Lucas Thorpe has been offering key hits all season, including 4 in the semifinals.

This is a daily look at the optimistic happenings in high college sports activities. To submit any news, please e mail eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.