Even for his No. 1-ranked team, Camarillo High baseball coach Richard Jaquez realized the odds were dicey.

"We would have to beat a team good enough to play in the semifinals four times," Jaquez said. "We told our guys that was the situation. If they beat us one out of four, that would be enough to deny us our goal."

Camarillo would not let it happen.

Playing like a top seed, the Scorpions put together a complete game to move within one victory of their season-long quest.

Jon Erb allowed 10 hits in a complete-game shutout, Garrett Rau collected two hits and scored three runs and Kenny Wise ripped a solo home run to lead Camarillo to a 6-0 victory over Pacific View League rival Oxnard in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs at Oxnard High on Tuesday.

Camarillo improves to 28-2 and in the process makes it four in a row over Oxnard and now goes head up with its prime goal.

The Scorpions will play for the Division II championship on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium against Vista Murrieta. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m.

"That's been our dream ever since we played last summer," said Wise, a junior right fielder. "Now we get to play at Dodger Stadium and play for the championship. It's definitely a great feeling."

The semifinals, particularly against a motivated opponent it had already defeated three times this season, loomed as a bona fide threat for the Scorpions.

"It was a little scary," said Rau, a junior pitcher/shortstop. "All (Oxnard) needed to do was spring one upset and we wouldn't reach our big goal."

Camarillo responded by playing its best game of the postseason.

Mike Yingling's sharp single to left field brought home Mike Sliger for the first run in the second inning. Jacob Mahon, who failed to hit safely but contributed three RBIs, scored Rau in the third inning with a grounder to first.

Erb's single to right field, and another Mahon grounder to first, plated two runs in the fourth inning for a 4-0 lead.

Erb, who drew the start over No. 1 pitcher Rau, frustrated the Yellowjackets all afternoon.

For Oxnard, starting pitcher Justin Shutt collected three singles. Erick Hong and Mario Landeros each had two.

What the Yellowjackets never received was the key hit to ignite the offense.

"They went against my No. 1 Tarazon rule," said Oxnard coach Al Tarazon, whose team finished 21-9. "That's get 10 hits, win the game. If you had told me that we would have 10 hits and get shut out, I wouldn't have believed it."

Tarazon characterized the loss as "tremendously disappointing," but also accented a positive finish for a young team.

"That's a great team we played," he said. "I think we might have beaten anybody but them. But we had a great year with 21 victories and six starters today coming back. Our future is very bright."

Leading 4-0, Camarillo virtually sealed the win in the sixth inning.

Wise ripped a solo homer to center field and Rau tripled inside the right field line and scored on Mahan's ground ball to first.

"Our bats finally showed signs of coming life in these playoffs," said Jaquez. "We're hoping we can keep it going in the next game."