California high school softball: Southern Section brackets for every classification

By Thomas Frey May 12, 2026, 12:00pm

Nationally-ranked Norco, Fullerton, Murrieta Mesa look to take stacked Division 1 bracket.

The California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section softball playoffs get underway Thursday.

The championships for all eight classifications are scheduled for May 28-30.

SOUTHERN SECTION BRACKETS: Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 | Division 4 | Division 5 | Division 6 | Division 7 | Division 8 
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
No. 9 Norco won the Division 1 championship in 2025 and has a chance to defend its title this season. The competition is fierce in the 32-team bracket as No. 8 Murrieta Mesa (Murrieta) and No. 17 Fullerton are also in the mix.

Fullerton and Norco have played twice this season and split the series. On March 7, Norco was ranked No. 1 in the nation but Fullerton came away with a 3-2 win. A month later the two teams met again and Norco won 7-0.

Murrieta Mesa (25-1) has signature wins over Etiwanda and JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), which are also marquee teams in the Division 1 bracket.

Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) is a top seed in Division II after going 12-10 in 2025. The Trailblazers improved by three games this season and have a signature win over Lehi, the No. 8 team in Utah.