CIF-SS champion Pacifica among OC softball teams opting out of SoCal region – Orange County Register

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

CIF-SS Division 1 champion Pacifica is among the Orange County softball teams that withdrew from the upcoming CIF SoCal Regional, Mariners coach Tony Arduino said Monday after a meeting with the players.

“We decided not to do it,” he said. “It was a team decision.”

Pacifica (27-2), which won its second straight Division 1 crown Friday, joins automatic qualifiers Orange Lutheran and JSerra as OC teams to decline offers to play in the region.

The Lancers finished second in Division 1 and the Lions lost in the Division 1 semifinals.

Canyon and Huntington Beach, which both fell in the Division 1 quarterfinals, received invitations to play in the regional championship but also declined, their coaches confirmed Monday.

Mater Dei, an automatic qualifier as a Division 2 semifinalist, and Oxford Academy, a Division 7 runner-up, said they would play in the region.

The tournament is scheduled for May 28, May 30 and June 1. The pairs are expected to be released on Sunday.

Arduino said there were several factors behind his team’s decision, including the lack of a true state tournament.

The SoCal champion, for example, does not advance to face the NorCal champion.

“Honestly, I think our players would be more receptive to this,” Arduino said.

There are plans to propose state softball and baseball tournaments in the 2026-27 school year, said Rebecca Brutlag, a spokeswoman for the CIF state office. The proposal would be introduced in the 2025-26 school year, she added.