Let's take a few hacks before today's baseball quarterfinals:

D-I: I'm in Bakersfield, where it's going to reach nearly 100 degrees. Also, and this could be crucial for Clovis East (at Centennial) and Madera (at Stockdale), there's absolutely no wind at this point. Centennial and Stockdale mash the ball as it is; with wind blowing out in their short parks, they're nearly unbeatable. Also, Buchanan has the offense to beat David Rohm and second-seeded Clovis. The Bears are a scary No. 10 seed.

D-II: A couple games with intrigue here. First, Fresno goes to Hanford, which is hot. But Fresno can beat anybody, evident in a 2-1 win two months ago over Buhach Colony-Atwater, which is ranked 16th in the state. And then there's El Diamante at Memorial in a rematch of last year's D-II final won by Memorial in Visalia. These two don't exchange Christmas cards, trust me.

D-III: All eyes on Easton, where top-seeded Washington hosts Garces. Washington's soft schedule hardly makes it trustworthy, to say nothing of its 12-3 implosion as a No. 1 seed to Selma a year ago. But the Panthers have several players -- featuring junior pitcher/center fielder Andrew Rich -- who have played together for three years. This year, it would seem, is theirs.

D-IV: Gotta love No. 1 seed to go the distance because of its pitching combination of Michael York and Tyler Cook.

D-V: Fowler has proven itself against the best in the division, from Liberty-Madera Ranchos to Mission Prep on the coast. And Josh Poytress is chuckin' again. Deposit a third straight division crown for the Redcats.