California high school baseball program banned from playoffs for ineligible player

The CIF Southern Section handed down sanctions on the Segerstrom High baseball team that will prohibit the program from competing in this 2025 playoffs.

The Segerstrom High School baseball program has been placed on probationary status, effective immediately until February 16, 2026, according to the CIF Southern Section. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The CIF Southern Section issued sanctions on a high school baseball team Thursday that will prohibit the program from competing in this spring's 2025 playoffs.

Segerstrom High, located in Santa Ana, Calif., has been placed on probationary status effective immediately due to the following violations of CIF Bylaws, according to the Southern Section office.

• CIF Bylaw 500C, Authorized Participation
• CIF Bylaw 510, Undue Influence
• CIF Bylaws 503, 503A, 503B, Administrative Oversight
• CIF Southern Section Bylaw 500.2, Forfeiture Status

The probationary status will be over on February 16, 2026. This means that Segerstrom's baseball program is banned from playoff participation this spring.

"A school being placed on probationary status means the sanctioned program is ineligible to
participate in the 2024-2025 CIF Southern Section Baseball Championships," reads the Southern Section's press release.

Additionally, Segerstrom must forfeit all wins this season, essentially because a player now deemed ineligible was participating in games. The Jaguars were 12-7 and 5-2 in the Golden West League prior to the sanction.

Segerstrom may apply to the CIF Southern Section office for reinstatement to full status in the sport of baseball after February 1, 2026.

It's unclear if the violations were self-reported by the school or a tip to the section office resulted in findings from an investigation.

The Jaguars have seven more regular-season games scheduled before their season finale at Katella High.

BYLAW DEFINITIONS

The following explanations of the bylaws are directly from the CIF Blue Book.

CIF BYLAW 500C: "Ineligible students shall not compete as representatives of the school in any competition involving CIF member schools."

CIF BYLAW 510: "A. The use of undue influence by any person(s) to secure or retain a student or their parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver as residents may cause the student to be ineligible for high school athletics for a period of one (1) year and shall jeopardize the standing of that high school in the CIF ..." (MORE ON UNDUE INFLUENCE, PAGE 109)

CIF BYLAWS 503: "Administrative Oversight";
503A: "Schools shall be responsible to confirm the eligibility status for all students participating in interscholastic athletics at their
schools as required by the Federated Council, local Section, and leagues."
503B: "Ineligible Athletes , Ineligible students shall not compete as representatives of the school in any CIF contest."

CIF BYLAW 500.2: "Forfeiture Status - Any athletic contest in which an ineligible student has participated either intentionally or unintentionally, must
be forfeited unless provided for otherwise in the adopted playing rules of that sport. When a school must forfeit any games, a
win and a tie must be counted as losses in the standings. This would apply to any practice, league, or playoff game, match, meet
or sanctioned event. Report of such forfeiture must be filed with the CIF Southern Section Office and the opposing school."

CIF-SS Press Release: Segerstrom Baseball program placed on probation. pic.twitter.com/VrWxM6aCO9

— CIF Southern Section (@CIFSS) April 17, 2025

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