Vikings Earn No. 5 Seed, Set to Host 3C2A Regional Playoffs
Long Beach is headed back to the postseason and will host Chaffey in the first round.
The Long Beach City College softball team is headed back to the postseason and will once again host the opening round of the 3C2A Southern Regional Playoffs at the KLAC Softball Complex.
The Vikings (29-9-1, 15-6 South Coast Conference) secured the No. 5 seed in the Southern Region and will host No. 12 Chaffey College (29-11, 14-1) in a best-of-three series beginning Friday.
Long Beach will open the series on Friday, May 1 at 2 p.m., followed by Game 2 on Saturday, May 2 at 12 p.m. A third game, if necessary, will follow at 2 p.m.
The Vikings earned their hosting position after another strong season in conference play, finishing second in the South Coast Conference and positioning themselves among the top teams in the region. Chaffey enters the postseason as the Inland Empire Conference champion, setting up a competitive opening-round matchup.
Long Beach enters the postseason as one of the top offensive teams in South Coast Conference play as well as the state statistical rankings, finishing in the top 10 in hits, RBIs, triples, home runs, and extra-base hits, while ranking second in both batting average and on-base percentage and fourth in slugging percentage. In the circle, the Vikings were just as strong, posting the fifth-best ERA in the state. Zara Mineo ranked third in California in batting average.
A total of 34 teams across the state qualified for postseason play, with 18 teams competing in the Southern Region for a chance to advance. The winners of this weekend's series will move on to the next round, continuing the path toward the 3C2A State Championships at Bakersfield College, scheduled for May 14–17.
With home-field advantage and momentum on their side, the Vikings will look to make a postseason run in front of their home crowd.
Go Vikings!