Softball: As Tuesdays go, this one is super important

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With 218 delegates at stake Tuesday in Indiana and North Carolina, there’s a lot on the line for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- especially Clinton -- in the Democratic primary.

But it’s a Super Tuesday of a different sort for teams around the Southland in the final week of the regular season, leading up to the Southern Section playoffs.

It is especially big in the Trinity, Empire and Pacific Coast leagues:

Mater Dei (19-5, 5-1) vs. Rosary (19-9, 6-1) at Clark Park, 3:15 p.m. -- Rosary is No. 20 in The Times’ top 25 and has won nine in a row, including a 6-1 Trinity League victory over Mater Dei on April 18. However, in the section’s Division I poll, which greatly influences the playoff pairings, Mater Dei is a surprising sixth and Rosary is unranked. After losing to Rosary last time, Mater Dei actually moved up to No. 4.

Garden Grove Pacifica (15-11, 6-2) at La Palma Kennedy (24-3, 8-0), 3:15 p.m. -- Pacifica is No. 22 in The Times rankings and Kennedy is No. 4. A loss in their Empire League encounter would threaten Kennedy’s position as the top-seeded team in the Southern Section Division II playoffs. Pacifica, which beat Kennedy last season for the section title after losing twice in league play, has had a tough schedule and isn’t ranked in the section’s top 10. The Mariners have been their own worst enemy: They have given up three runs or more 12 times. Still, no playoff opponent is going to be too excited to see Pacifica in the first round.

Beckman (19-6, 5-1) at Laguna Hills (19-5-1, 6-0), 3:15 p.m. -- Beckman has been periodically ranked in The Times’ top 25. Its only loss in the Pacific Coast League was 9-3 to Laguna Hills, which this week is No. 4 in the section’s Division III rankings, one slot ahead of Beckman. Both teams might be ranked too low. A victory by Laguna Hills might bump it to second or third, which would put it in the bracket opposite undefeated Crescenta Valley, which will presumably be the top-seeded team, when the playoff pairings are released next week.

-- Martin Henderson