PVP-PANORAMA No. 298 • 03/11/23

PANORAMA PANORAMA

HILL SPRINGS INTO ACTION

Spring Sports

• Wind, rain, and snow are no match for Peninsula sports teams during the spring months.

Peninsula baseball leagues held Opening Day ceremonies and have begun their spring sports season while the Palos Verdes Youth Basketball League held its final championship games to finish the winter sports season

High school sports have started league play with spring rivalry games a few weeks away. The next Panorama will be out with more sunshine.

Opening Smiles . . . The baseball season cannot begin without Opening Day ceremonies and parade.

Outfielders Ready To Play . . . Peninsula outfields may be a little wet and soggy, but that’s not slowing down great outfield play.

Parade Season . . . The streets of Valmonte were full of local Royalty for Opening Day.

Basketball Gold . . . PVYBL championship games finish the Peninsula winter sports season.

PVYBL

PV Fury Set For Western Championships

Palos Verdes AYSO Team On Way To Western State Championships

.

.

. The AYSO Extra girls’

13U Palos Verdes Fury defeated Corona, 2-0, at the Redlands Soccer Complex to advance through Sectionals and to next weekend’s prestigious AYSO Western States Championships to be held in Moorpark. Due to last minute unavailability of various players, the PV Fury fielded only 9 players against a regular full squad of 11 - but still held out for the win. The team expects to be back at full strength for the championships. Coached by Ron Light , the PV Fury pictured from the

left: Pressley Light , Sadie Chalfin, Sybilla McFerson, Violet Chessmore, Stella Veldhuizen, Kate Beuerlein, Kara LaMori, Charlise Caoile and Audrey Chang.

World Baseball Classic Opens With Major League Competition

World Baseball Classic looks at soccer’s World Cup for international competition model.

By Timothy Niemann

This past winter, the world’s mostwatched sporting event, the FIFA World Cup, took center stage. As winter turns into spring, America’s national pastime, baseball, will now take center stage worldwide in the fifth World Baseball Classic.

The United States, who won its first WBC title in 2017, seeks to defend its crown for the first time. Fittingly, the Americans will open up the WBC on March 11 against the age-old rivals of Great Britain.

This year’s version of the World Baseball Classic comes two years after it was initially scheduled to be played. Typically, the WBC occurs every four years, just like

its soccer counterpart.

This meant that the fifth World Baseball Classic was initially supposed to be played in March of 2021.

However, COVID-19 threw those plans into a whirlwind. Due to ongoing complications with foreign travel, the WBC was pushed back from 2021 to 2023.

The first-ever World Baseball Classic was played in March of 2006. The event was proposed by Major League Baseball in response to baseball being removed as an Olympic sport in 2005 (although baseball has since been reinstated to the Olympics). Japan won the inaugural WBC in 2006.

The first two Classics were played three years apart. Then, the Classic was played every four years until COVID disrupted the schedule. It took until the fourth playing of the WBC in 2017 for the United States to finally win its first title.

World Baseball Classic play began on

March 8, Wednesday. However, the United States will open with its first game on March 11, Saturday. The 20-nation field is divided into four pods of five teams each.

Each pod has its own city for the group stage of the tournament, with pods spread out around the world. The United States will play the group stage in Phoenix. If the US advances out of the group stage to the quarterfinals, all games from therein will be played in Miami.

The championship game will be played there on March 21.

The United States and the Dominican Republic are the two teams favored to win the Classic. Both countries boast impressive lineups stacked with top Major Leaguers.

The United States roster includes some of the best players in the Major Leagues, including Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Paul Goldschmidt

On StaffTimothy Niemann Sammy Funk

Publisher/Editor: Tom Combs

Copy Editors: Sue Demerjian, Winton Combs

Cartoonist: Jack Dickason

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DEADLINES

Modern Upgrades . . . Rolling Hills Little League has almost completed its foundation upgrades with flat cement surrounding the new grandstands and snack-shack area.

On the Week of Publication: Editorial & Advertising Space: Tuesday, 12 midnight localnews@pvppanorama adsales@pvppanorama.com

In Memory of Jolene Combs Jesse Lou Givens

Peninsula Boy & Girl Scouts

l ocalnews@ pvppanorama.com

Softball Sounding A Midseason Pitch

Middle School

• The Palos Verdes Peninsula Girls’ Softball League is deep into its competitive schedule and is getting ready for a midseason break.

The Freeze and Trash Pandas have yet to take a loss this season in the 12U Division while the Peacocks and Bulldogs are taking over the 10U Division.

The 14U PV Aces will host San Pedro today at Cornerstone School while the Vicious Vikings and Red Onions host teams from North Torrance in the 12U Division.

Watch

For

The Music Conductors . . . The Lavender Lions (above) and the Heartbreakers (below) are in top vocal form to support their teammates with songs and dances.

Out

Flying Bats And BigYellow Balls . . . The Wildcats and Peacocks battle in 10U Division action at Cornestone School last week.

Drive For The Win . . . The Purple Gorillas’ Miles Baranick splits the defense and goes for a layup during the Imperial Conference championship game.

Take The Lead . . . Blue Whales’ Kai Byrne help lead a furious comeback in the Blue Championship game.

Dragons Run On The Grass . . . The Dragons’ Noah Pyun takes a shot during the Grass Conference championship game in the Green Division.

Basketball Marks Its Champions

PVYBL

• The Palos Verdes Youth Basketball League held its final championship games to cap off the winter sports season.

More than 1,500 boys and girls participated in youth basketball this past season, playing games mostly at Montemalaga School, Peninsula High and the Miraleste gym.

The final championship games were spread out through the last three weekends beginning with Magic defeating Fire And Ice to win the upper division Black Division championship.

The Panthers won the girls’ upper division championship by defeating the Astro-Ballers Dahlia Division final game.

The surprise of the season were the Blue Titans finishing the regular season in last place, but winning the Blue Division championship game.

Championship Competition . . . The Green Goblins and Dragons battle in the Green Division championship game at the Peninsula High gym.

Return Of The Titans . . . The Blue Titans finished the regular season in last place, but then had a great playoff run finishing the season winning the final championship game.

On The Move . . . Blue Titans guard Tyler Nguyen takes the lead on a fast break during championship action.

Up For The Shot . . . The Ultra Violets’ Alicia Rogers goes up for a shot during the Violet Division finals.

Jump For Gold . . . The Ultra Violets defeated the Violet Sparks to win the Violet Division championship game.

Palos Verdes Youth Basketball League 2023 Championship Finals

Orchid Division

Splash Sisters (champions)

Shot Collard Greens (finalists)

Iris Division

Blue Dolphins champions)

Blue Stars (finalists)

Violet Division

Ultra Violet (champions)

Violet Sparks (finalists)

Dahlia Division

Panthers (champions)

Astro-Ballers (finalists)

Green Division

Grass Conference

Green Goblins (champions)

Dragons (finalists)

Green Division

Kelp Conference

Green Machine (champions) Jalapenos (finalists)

Blue Division

Cyan Conference

Blue Titans (champions)

Blue Whales (finalists)

Blue Division

Navy Conference

Blue Mavericks (champions) Blue Devils (finalists)

Purple Division

Imperial Conference

Purple Gorillas (champions)

Purple Phantoms (finalists)

Purple Division

Royal Conference

Grapes of Wrath (champions) Purple Bananas (finalists)

Brown Division

Brown Hornets (champions) Bananas (finalists)

Gray Division

Greyhounds (champions) Team Kobe (finalists)

Black Division Magic (champions)

Fire and Ice (finalists)

Battle For The Ball . . . The Blue Whales and Blue Titans compete to control the ball under the basket during the Blue Division championship game.

It’s Purple Rain . . . The Violet Sparks’ Stella Ferrara takes a jump shot during Violet Division championship game.

Titans And Whales . . . The Blue Titans’ Lucas Fang and the Blue Whales’ Kent Schoenfeld battle for a crucial rebound late in the championship game.

Gorillas Take The Lead . . . The Purple Gorillas Noah O’Grady goes for a shot during the Purple Division championship game.

All Green To Shoot . . . The Green Goblins’ John Yue makes a nice shot during the Grass Conference championship game in the Green Division.

Drive For A Comeback . . . The Blue Whales’ Vander Sediq drives the lane for a score during the final game of the season against the Blue Titans.

Spring Baseball Opens Between Storms

Baseball

• Little League and Junior League baseball have begun the 2023 spring season under mostly clear skies.

Early season games, practices and Opening Day ceremonies begun the season dodging rain, wind and snow on the Peninsula.

Only a few games have been cancelled, but future forecasts look cold and wet. Spring break at the end of the month will allow plenty of days for make-up games. So be flexible - we will at Panorama. Newspapers/Baseball don’t mix well with rain and snow.

Get Ready

RHLL Angels Power Up . . . The RHLL Angels traveled to Ernie Howlett Park to get a big win over the Silver Spur Beasts in Intermediate Division action Monday.

Minors Play Outfield . . . The PVLL Giants got a 16-11 win over the Orioles Friday night Minors Division action at Palos Verdes Little League.

To Score . . . Teams in the Minors Division need to score a lot of runs to stay in the running in tight games.

Start The Season Strong . . . The Rolling Hills Little League Angels slid past the Silver Spur Beasts to begin the season 3-0 in the Intermediate Division.

• Despite the threat of rain, Opening Day ceremonies and parades took place all over the Peninsula last week. Palos Verdes Little League did change their parade route to the Valmonte neighborhood, but jumpies, rock climbing and an active snack-shack were all in place for a great opening to the Little League season.