Culver City Observer -

As the Ocean League champion, Culver City High will begin the CIF baseball playoffs in a home game Friday at 3 pm.

The Centaurs will host an opponent to be determined following a wild card round earlier in the week.

By defeating defending champion Santa Monica, 7-6 and 1-0 last week the Centaurs completed a 10-0 league season. It’s the first time in school history Culver City has gone undefeated in the league.

In the final league game Jay Steiner pitched the shutout. Culver had six hits, including two each by Brian Ibarra and Jon Kocker.

Culver is 19-8 overall.

What a rivalry these teams have. Both were also 8-0 in the league a year ago when they entered the final week. That time Santa Monica won both games.

But it was Culver City which advanced further in the playoffs, boosting the league’s prestige by winning three playoff games, including two in Orange County.

The Ocean League is annually granted three automatic playoff berths. This season the league was awarded four berths with Hawthorne and Beverly Hills also being chosen.

In softball, Culver City finished second in the Ocean League and earned a playoff berth. The Centaurs’ schedule was not available at press time.

Culver clinched second place with an 18-4 win over Beverly Hills after splitting two games with Hawthorne.

Santa Monica was the league champion for the 12^th straight year.