HIGH SCHOOLS:

This time of year the Newport Harbor High baseball team isn’t preparing for spring break without a tournament.

This year the Sailors are.

The Sailors have been a fixture at the Beach Pit Classic, known as the Pride of the Coast in the past, but this year they’re not in the event in which usually the four Newport-Mesa Unified School District high schools play host to games during spring break.

Blame Newport Harbor’s Sunset League. The schools in that league had their spring break last week, compared to next week, when Newport Harbor goes on break, just like Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Estancia.

Everyone isn’t happy, especially Coach Evan Chalmers.

Newport Harbor (5-5-1) so far looks as if it boasts the area’s best looking program this season. This means a lot to Chalmers after the Sailors have rebounded from a 5-20 season.

The 16-team tournament is an opportunity for a school to showcase its program for four days, starting Saturday, and then going from Monday to Wednesday. It also allows programs to face playoff-caliber opponents, teams they wouldn’t normally see during the regular season, thus preparing them for the postseason.

Instead, Harbor, which won the tournament two years ago and made it to the semifinals last year, will compete in league next week.

“We don’t get a chance to relax and play in a tournament like this one. It’s really an oddity,” Chalmers said. “I had to find teams to play [while the rest of the league teams were off].”

Newport Harbor lost both games last week. Both close finishes. Both against good programs. The first a 3-2 defeat at home to Palos Verdes (12-3), and then a 2-0 defeat at West Torrance (11-2).

The Sailors are on a four-game losing streak. Chalmers is hoping when next week rolls around that the Sailors will end it.

If they don’t, at least they have Esperanza twice, once on the road and at home. Newport Harbor’s lone victory in league has come against the Aztecs. The Sailors have already matched last year’s league win total.

FEELIN’ BEACHY

In the past two years Corona del Mar has played in a Beach Pit Classic championship.

Last year in the winner’s bracket.

Two years ago in the consolation bracket.

The Sea Kings lost last year to San Clemente, 5-1. The year before they beat, Costa Mesa, 15-3.

Will CdM (6-7) return to either of the final games this year? The Sea Kings open against Northwood (8-4) at Costa Mesa Saturday at 11 a.m.

ONE TO WATCH

Of the Saturday’s eight games at the Beach Pit Classic, the best one to catch might be South Hills of West Covina against Vasquez of Acton.

This game will be played at Corona del Mar at 2 p.m. and it features the lone game with two teams ranked in their respective CIF Southern Section divisions. South Hills (8-1) is No. 3 in Division III and Vasquez (8-6) is listed among the others in Division VI.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].