Week 6 Power Rankings
Last week was a great week to take off for the all-star game. I could take my mind off of doing simple tasks like predicting the future and focus on what I really am passionate about: winning. But after that 2-1 win against the River City Division it's time for me to get back to the grind and dust off that crystal ball I have in my closet next to my S&M gear. We are now entering the second half of the season and competition is really going to start heating up. This week is the first of two remaining weeks of inter-league play and then it's back to your own divisions for the rest of the season. The playoff push begins now.
Green Bears vs Breaking Balls
Sweep for Breaking Balls
Say what you want but the Breaking Balls appear to be unstoppable, especially when Drew McClanahan is on the mound. You can be sure that the Green Bears will give it all they've got this week but the fact is that their offense lacks the right stuff to get the job done. It pains me to say that we've not been looking forward to this matchup all year. Thank God we only play them this week and it's goodbye. Don't get me wrong, I like getting spanked but there's a fine line between pain and pleasure. At best, the Green Bears may get no-hit instead of giving McClanahan credit for a pair of perfect games. This team is going to have to kick and scream and fight to get on base. Let's hope they can end their 0 ER streak they've had going all season. Perhaps the Green Bears can show the league that the Breaking Balls are mortal but there's no way they'll get a win this week.
Honey Badgers vs Wee Willy Wiffle
Split Series
It'll be a battle of fire and ice in this matchup. Josh Berletich will most likely try to pitch both games in this series if his team will let him. But this team has gained a not-so-secret weapon in recent days: Jacob Fischer. Fischer is a former Bethany College pitcher that showed us he had tremendous skill last week following the All-Star Game. Also, keep in mind that Paul Hesson is always waiting and willing to take the mound. These three will become the most fearsome pitching rotation in the league in time. I'm practically salivating as I wait to see Jacob Fischer in action. WWW still struggle to hit consistently but Jacob Dunkle seems to have found his groove recently and Rich Ball remains the team's best hitter. Nick Kappra will no doubt be pitching both games and will give it his all but will it be enough to get a sweep? I doubt it. He's got a lot of gas in the tank but the Honey Badgers are ruthless and will walk away with at least one win.
Team BagTag vs Poker Night
Sweep for BagTag
Poker Night got lucky three weeks ago with their first win of the season but have had no luck since. BagTag seem to be on an upswing as of late and continue to improve and have become a threat as the Jewel City Division's strong second place team. They still need to put distance between themselves and Wee Willy Wiffle to be a real threat to Sit On My Base but until then this team should sweep Poker Night this week and finish the week 2 games above .500. If they keep winning they may find themselves in the national rankings. The road to glory starts now. Poker Night are not hopeless in this matchup, however, if they can manage to shut down the offense and finally take control of their own batting, they could walk away with a surprise victory.
Sit On My Base vs Wiffle Ballers
Split Series
Sit On My Base are not the same team they were a few weeks ago, they're mortal. They have attempted to fill the holes in the roster and have had some luck by acquiring Jacob Westcott but still have a spot left. They have had a hard schedule recently (Honey Badgers and Breaking Balls) and are coming off a 3-game losing steak. Can they break the cycle against the Wiffle Ballers? Steven Adkins bears the burden of being the team's only go-to pitcher. He has improved his accuracy a lot and will still put a lot of K's on the board but can he get two wins tonight? I doubt it. Wiffle Ballers are still struggling on offense but have shown a little improvement with Steven Adkins' walk-off home run last week and Stephanie Sadler hitting two home runs as well the team could put some numbers on the board. But can they do it against this team? That remains to be seen. Both teams are known for walk-off hits and that could happen this week as well. Both games in this series will go down to the wire.
