Been there, done that?

The Simi Valley High baseball team hopes so — right down to the ending.

Four seasons ago, Simi Valley survived a grueling Marmonte League race, then thrived in a magical postseason that was part storybook, part thrill ride.

That 2004 run ended in the CIF-Southern Section Division II championship. Tonight's end of the rainbow could land the Division I crown.

No. 4-seeded Simi Valley (24-8) will take on defending champion Long Beach Wilson (28-5) in the CIF-SS Division I final beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.

The trek there has been strikingly reminiscent of the 2004 postseason.

"Very, very similar," says Simi Valley coach Matt La Belle. "We started out with the blowout at home and had a tough game on the road in the second round. We've had to win a marathon game to get to the championship. We hope it ends the same way."

To earn its title shot, Simi Valley demonstrated its perseverance by outlasting Mater Dei in 11 innings on Tuesday, 6-5. The team attitude also reminds La Belle of the 2004 squad.

"They're a lot alike," he said of his two finalists. "This team is playing with a confidence that makes them think they will overcome any obstacle."

Tonight's contest at Dodger Stadium earmarks a special spring at Simi Valley. Not only is the baseball team in line for a division title, the top-ranked and undefeated softball team will play for the Division I championship Saturday in Irvine.

La Belle appreciates the feat of reaching two baseball finals in four seasons.

"It's awesome," he said. "It's a credit to the players for how hard they have worked to make it happen. It's always difficult to win in the baseball playoffs."

Simi Valley proved its mettle in the regular season by winning a share of the program's first Marmonte League championship since 1993. Tonight, it would become the first Marmonte team to win a Division I title.

Both Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks won Division II crowns this decade, while Agoura lost in the Division I championship game in 2006.

A balanced and potent lineup has been a key component.

Junior shortstop Jonathan Meyer elevated his batting average nearly 150 points from his sophomore season in hitting .400. He leads the county in RBIs (39) and stands tied for the lead in home runs (9).

First baseman Eric Bernstein (.384), outfielders Brent Keys (.388) and Brett Hale (27 runs scored) and catcher Drew Sandler (four home runs) have also played vital roles.

Nick Russo and Sandler are the main starting pitchers, and Meyer pitched a solid 423 innings in relief in Tuesday's win over Mater Dei.

Russo, the No. 1 pitcher at 7-2, threw six innings on Tuesday, which means that Sandler (5-3) probably draws the start tonight.

The opponent is likely the most formidable faced by Simi Valley in postseason. It also represents some deja vu the Pioneers can live without.

A year ago, Wilson rallied from a four-run deficit to knock off Simi Valley in the second round of the Division I playoffs, 9-5. The Bruins went on to win the division crown with a 5-1 victory over Canyon at Angel Stadium.

The defending champion is unseeded for the playoffs, but was ranked No. 3 in the final CIF-SS poll. The achievement in reaching two successive Division I finals is proof of Wilson's prowess.

The Bruins have won their last 10 games, including a key Moore League victory over Lakewood (5-0) and playoff wins over highly regarded Hart (4-2) and Norco (5-3).

Senior third baseman Zach Wilson is batting .485 with 50 hits and 43 RBIs, and senior outfielder/pitcher Aaron Hicks is batting .489 with 44 hits and 23 RBIs.

In last year's playoff win at Simi Valley, Hicks had a home run, double, single, with three stolen bases and four runs scored. Wilson collected two singles and a double.

The starter on the mound figures to be Hicks, a 6-foot-1, 164-pound senior with a fastball clocked as high as 97 mph. Hicks (8-1) boasts an ERA of 1.08 with an impressive 104 strikeouts in 6413 innings.

Ray Hanson handled the pitching duties in Tuesday's semifinal victory over Norco, striking out 10 batters in a six-inning stint.