Preview: Mission League baseball teams set to endure daunting schedule

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One of the most talked about topics at Mission League baseball media in October was the schedule, which became a lot longer and more difficult now that Sierra Canyon joins the fold.

The first day of the season was Feb. 11, and already, league play will begin this week because of the schedule that needs to be carried out.

“The CIF allows us to play 28 games in a season, so 21 of those will be Mission League games,” Harvard-Westlake coach Jared Halpert said.

The Mission League plays a three-game series each week, designed to produce an outright league champion each year. Ironically, Notre Dame and Harvard-Westlake had to split the league title last season because one of their three games was called due to darkness and resulted in a tie.

“There’s a lot of talent in the league,” said Notre Dame coach Tom Dill, who’s entering his 32nd year at the helm. “But what I think makes the league the best is the great schools and good families.”

The Mission League has been represented in five of the last 10 CIF Southern Section Division I finals, including the last three. Harvard-Westlake was the runner-up in 2019, won it in 2021, and Notre Dame was the runner-up last year.

Here’s a look ahead of what to expect from each team in the Mission League, breaking down each team’s top players, pitchers and outlook.

NOTE: The Mission League coaches participated in a Daily News preseason coaches poll on media day. The poll will reveal how the teams will finish in league play this season, along with the favorite to win MVP and Pitcher of the Year.

The results of the poll will be at the bottom of the page.