Just in time for the postseason, the Oak Park High softball lineup is returning to normal.

After missing more than two weeks and eight games to an injury to a finger of her catching hand, Brett Zeolla has returned as the Eagles' starting catcher.

Zeolla's arrival allows Oak Park coach Roger Newell to return Jen Colquhoun to her shortstop position.

Julia Rice, who is 14-0 with a 0.14 ERA and 201 strikeouts, could return as a starter in Oak Park's playoff opener after pitching just one inning in the last two weeks because of a shoulder injury. With Rice back inside the circle, No. 2 starting pitcher Jenny Liepman can return to first base.

"I haven't had the lineup that I wanted the second half of the season," said Newell.

Even so, Oak Park finished the regular season with a 20-6 record and an unblemished (12-0) Tri-Valley League record.

"It's a testament to the team," he said. "When people went down, the kids responded. We started hitting and did the things they need to do to win."

Rice had light bullpen workouts last Wednesday and Thursday and was pitching at 75 percent on Friday.

"She hasn't reported any pain," said Newell.

They're No. 3: Capping off its season unbeaten in 27 games, Simi Valley is ranked No. 3 in the state by CalHiSports.com and virtually assured of receiving a No. 1 seeding today for the CIF-Southern Section Division I playoffs.

Owner of the longest winning streak in Ventura County softball history, Simi Valley broke the school record for wins in a season — 26 — jointly held by the 1992 and 1993 Pioneer teams.

Only four county teams have won more than 27 games. The 2005 Royal team holds the county record with 29 wins in a season that earned it the title of state team of the year.

Two races in one: Santa Paula may have done more than win the Frontier League title.

The Cardinals scored 75 runs as they won six of their last seven regular-season games to edge Fillmore by one game for the title.

The immediate impact of the championship is that it gives Santa Paula home-field advantage for the first round of the Division V playoffs.

The title could impact Santa Paula for the next two seasons.

Santa Paula is one of three schools in contention for promotion from the Frontier League to Tri-Valley softball for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years.

Fillmore, the 2007 Frontier champion and 2008 runner-up, has guaranteed to be one of the two teams bumped up as part of the Tri-Counties Athletic Association guidelines. The bottom two Tri-Valley League programs move to the Frontier.

Santa Paula and Malibu have comparable league finishes over the last two seasons.

Perfect ending: Three times in the last four years, Dos Pueblos has lost only one Channel League game.

All three times to Ventura.

Ventura beat Dos Pueblos, 2-1, last Wednesday in the final game of the Channel League season. Brittney Marks was 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Winning three of its last four games, Ventura placed third in the league.

Marks led Ventura with a .398 batting average. She hit five home runs, three triples and had 20 RBIs. Elena Palace hit .366.