CIF Southern Section Adds Pool Play for Division 1 Baseball Playoffs in 2026

The CIF Southern Section will implement a new high school baseball playoff format for the Division 1 playoffs in 2026.

The new format is only for Division 1. The remaining divisions will be single-elimination tournament style with field sizes as large as 32 teams.

For years, coaches have been advocating for a playoff format that will give teams more than one game to show their worth in the postseason. That reality is finally here.

This spring, a Pool Play format will be installed that allows all Division 1 teams in a 16-team field to earn their way deeper into the playoffs even if they lose their first game. Essentially, instead of a traditional win-or-go-home, single-game elimination tournament, teams will be able to showcase a body of work with at least three guaranteed games in pool play before eventual bracket play.

THE BREAKDOWN

The 16-team field will be broken into four pools of four.
Each team gets a guaranteed two games.
1-0 teams play each other, 0-1 teams play each other.
2-0 teams advance; 1-1 teams play each other to advance; 0-2 teams eliminated.
Top two finishers of each pool advance to knockout stage (quarterfinals).
Quarterfinal matchups will be pool winners vs. other pool runner-ups.
Semifinals scheduled for May 26. Finals set for either May 29 or 30.

Here's how it looks on paper ...

The new CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff format highlighted by guaranteed games and pool play. | CIF

ANALYSIS OF NEW FORMAT

Most top-level baseball coaches are going to like the new format, but programs that are looking for a Cinderella postseason run by way of an 'upset' or two won't. In the 32-team, single-elimination format, the underdog teams had a better chance to stun a top-seeded team, especially if their best pitcher was available.

This new format likely puts that to rest. Now, a deeper team with higher quality pitching and batters is likely to advance with more resources at its disposal. A lot of coaches agree.

Harvard-Westlake coach Jared Halpert was simple: "I love it."

JSerra coach Brett Kay has been talking about a three-game series format for the Division 1 playoffs for at least two years. Though it's not exactly that, he likes the change.

"I actually think the final should be a three-game series. But it's a start," Kay said.

Sierra Canyon coach Tom Meusborn believes the new format will produce the best teams.

"I like it," he said. "It helps to ensure the best team moves on."

QUICK LOOK AT D1 PLAYOFF RECENT HISTORY

There haven't been too many ungodly surprises in the Division 1 playoffs in recent years apart from a few first-round stunners. In regard to winning it all — it's been done by the top programs, as expected.

Last year, St. John Bosco beat Santa Margarita 3-2 thanks to walk-off heroics from Miles Clark.

In 2024, Corona beat Harvard-Westlake 5-0 en route to a national title. Corona was the No. 1 seed and Harvard-Westlake was No. 2.