For fans of high school baseball, this week is filled with intrigue at Sac City College's Union Stadium. The Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs take center stage on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and the matchups are outstanding.

Monday's opener features a pair of Sierra Foothill League rivals, as Granite Bay and Del Oro butt heads yet again, this with with a trip to the section finals at stake. The game is the first in a best-of-three semifinal series.

These neighbors share a common bond forged as youngsters who play their youth baseball in Lakeside Little League split off between the two schools. These particular squads include nine players (six Grizzlies and three Golden Eagles) who played together on Lakeside's most successful major division all-star team in 2003.

Familiarity creates a great atmosphere and should provide some great baseball.

The Monday nightcap is game one of the series between SFL champion Rocklin and defending section champion Ponderosa. The Bruins won the title on a walk-off home run by Casey Freiderich in 2008, and the Thunder took the crown in 2007.

The matchup features a number of future Division I college baseball players.

The Granite Bay vs. Del Oro series will conclude with either one or two games (first game starts at 5 p.m.) on Tuesday night, while Rocklin and Pondo will be back at 5 p.m. Thursday with the same scenario.

Adding more interest to the package is the fact that Ponderosa's section opponent last season was Del Oro, and Rocklin's title the prior year was won in a final against Granite Bay. The four teams have been here before, and should provide ample excitement this week.

The two teams that survive the week will be back at Sac City for a 6 p.m section title game Memorial Day night.