Defending City Section champion San Fernando will open the 2012 Division I baseball playoffs at home on Tuesday, May 22.

The Tigers (26-5), champions of the Valley Mission League, received the third seed the City's committee in charge filling out the playoff brackets on Wednesday, May 16. They will face the winner of the Los Angeles Hamilton-Granada Hills Wild Card game on Friday, May 18. Granada Hills (16-16) is the 14th seed, and Hamilton (18-4) is the 19th seed.

"I don't think we should have been a '3,' but last year we were a '6' and ran with it," San Fernando Coach Armando Gomez said. "So now we have to take care of business.

"We stepping up the intensity in practice, but we're also loose. We'll be ready."

El Camino Real (18-12) and Chatsworth (25-4-1) shared the West Valley League. But the Conquistadors won the coin flip between the teams to earn the higher playoff seed.

That turned into the top seed overall for El Camino Real, who awaits the winner of the Wild Card game between 16th seed Wilmington Banning (13-18), and 17th seed Los Angeles Marshall (19-13).

"I knew we'd be '1' or a '2.' We beat San Pedro (the fourth seed) and San Fernando's strength of schedule was going to be a factor in my opinion," ECR Coach Josh Lienhard said.

"But this also means we have to work that much harder. The playoff road is tough enough as it is, and now being No.1 means we must work harder than we have been."

The Chancellors, who were the top seeded team the past two years, were awarded the second seed. They will host the Wild Card winner between Sylmar (14-13), the 15th seed, and Bell (19-10), the 18th seed.

"That (seeding) is fine," said Chatsworth Coach Tom Meusborn. "Being the No.1 seed is nice, but once you start playing those things go out the window. I know we'll be facing a good team either way; Sylmar is coming off big win (against San Fernando), and Bell is a good team."

Verdugo Hills (20-10) won the East Valley League. That didn't get the Dons much love from the committee; they were seeded eighth. But they still have a first round home game against Los Angeles Roosevelt (19-11), the ninth seed.

Kennedy (16-8), seeded fifth, will host Cleveland (16-15-1), seeded 12th. "I thought we'd be about there, but it's all about the matchups anyway," Cougars Coach Manny Alvarado said.

In other first round games involving Valley area teams, Taft (15-15), seeded seventh, will host Harbor City Narbonne (14-15), seeded 10th; and Birmingham (14-15), the 11th seed, will travel to Pacific Palisades (19-9), seeded sixth.

All May 22 first round games, and May 24 quarterfinal games, will be played at the home field of the higher seeded team. The semifinal games will be played at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on May 31, at USC's Dedeaux Field.

The Division I championship game will play played at Dodger Stadium on June 2, at 1 p.m.

The 2012 City Section baseball playoffs will begin Friday, May 18, with Wild Card games in Divisions I and II, and first round games in Division III.

The Division I and II first round begin Tuesday, May 22.

The following is a breakdown of the playoff schedules in all three divisions.

DIVISION I

Wild Card Games

No.17 Marshall at No.16 Bell; No.20 Arleta at No.13 Garfield; No.19 Hamilton at No. 14 Granada Hills; No.18 Bell at No.15 Sylmar.

First Round

Marshall-Banning winner at No.1 El Camino Real; No.9 Roosevelt at No.8 Verdugo Hills; No.12 Cleveland at No.5 Kennedy; Garfield-Arleta winner at No.4 San Pedro; Hamilton-Granada Hills winner at No.3 San Fernando; No.11 Birmingham at No.6 Palisades; No.10 Narbonne at No.7 Taft; Sylmar-Bell winner at No.2 Chatsworth.

All first round and May 24 quarterfinal games are at 3 p.m., and played on the home field of the higher seeded team. The May 31 semifinal games are at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., at USC’s Dedeaux Field. The championship game is 1 p.m., June 2, at Dodger Stadium.

DIVISION II

Wild Card Games

No.17 Reseda at No.16 King-Drew; No.20 R. F. Kennedy at No.13 Torres; No.19 Hollywood at No.14 Franklin; No.18 Crenshaw at No.15 Los Angeles.

First Round

Reseda/King-Drew winner at No.1 South Gate; No.9 Wilson at No.8 Huntington Park; No.12 Locke at No.5 Maywood; Torres-RF Kennedy winner at No.4 Gardena; Hollywood-Franklin winner at No.3 North Hollywood; No.11 Fremont at No.6 Lincoln; No.10 Van Nuys at No.7 Dorsey; Los Angeles-Crenshaw winner at No.2 University.

All first round and May 24 quarterfinal games are at 3 p.m., and played on the home field of the higher seeded team. The May 30 semifinal games are at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., at Birmingham High. The championship game is 10 a.m., June 2, and Dodger Stadium.

DIVISION III

First Round

No.9 Los Angeles CES at No.8 Animo Jackie Robinson; No.12 Central City Value at No.5 Port Of Los Angeles; No.11 Fulton College Prep at No.6 Rancho Dominguez; No.10 East Valley at No.7 Elizabeth Learning Center. Top four seeds Community Harvest, Northridge Academy, Animo Venice, and Sherman Oaks CES have byes into the quarterfinals.

The first round, May 22 quarterfinal and May 24 semifinal games are at 3 p.m., and played on the home or designated field of the higher seeded team. The championship game is at 4 p.m., May 29, at USC.

– Mike Terry