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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, April 5, 2037
COLD CREEK, SUGAR VALLEY & FORT BENTON PICKED BEST IN RU
Spring has sprung and so has all of the baseball handicappers... The Islandian Times released its annual IPA preseason poll today and it picked Cold Creek, Sugar Valley and Fort Benton to be the favorite clubs in the quest for the Ruthlandian Union championship and the right to challenge the Tycobbian Union for the IPA Pro Cup trophy.
Two talented teams from the RU East, the Cold Creek Catamounts and the Sugar Valley Rattlers, are expected to go tooth-and-nail again this year, along with the Fort Benton Defenders in the RU West to determine the Ruthlandian Pro Cup participant. Last year's RU champ and Pro Cup runner-up was the St. John Crusaders of the RU South.
In the RU North the Kilkenny Cats are forecast to beat the LaGrange Sports and Valmara Vipers in a pretty close race... the Sports defeated the Cats last season by two games for the division title, while the Vipers were dead last... LaGrange has won the last three years and will not go down without a fight.
Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. KILKENNY CATS - 2nd (2)
2. LaGrange Sports - 1st (-)
3. Valmara Vipers - 8th (25)
4. Far Mountain Redhawks - 4th (9)
5. Taranto Tars - 6th (15)
6. Glasco Athletics - 3rd (8)
7. Ancona Red Elephants - 5th (11)
8. Ranford Bulls - 7th (17)
In the RU South last year's Pro Cup finalist St. John didn't get the nod this year... the Waleska Westerners are favored in a tight duel with the Crusaders and the Claxton Diamonds, who are much improved over last year and will be in the mix, too... it's hard to figure St. John not being the best team, considering they added a 20-game winner Yancy Garrett to its rotation... the Crusaders got him in a trade with Summerland of the Tycobbian South... San Dimas and the surprising Valka Blackhawks also could be contenders in a closely bunched division... the Blackhawks came in last in 2036.
Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. WALESKA WESTERNERS - 2nd (11)
2. St. John Crusaders - 1st (-)
3. Claxton Diamonds - 6th (24)
4. San Dimas Rancheros - 3rd (12)
5. Valka Blackhawks - 8th (29)
6. Crystal Lake Crushers - 5th (14)
7. Grand City Cybercats - 7th (27)
8. Belair Beach Sunbirds - 4th (13)
It sure looks like a donnybrook in the Ruthlandian East this season with a 5-team affair, headed up by powerful Cold Creek with its great pitching and potent Sugar Valley with its firepower... Wynnamac, Elnora and Beachwood could be in the hunt, too... this was the top division in the IPA last season as seven teams finished .500 and above... last place Wynnamac was almost at the break-even mark with a 76-78 record.
Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. COLD CREEK CATAMOUNTS - 1st (-)
2. Sugar Valley Rattlers - 2nd (1)
3. Wynnamac Sundowners - 8th (16.5)
4. Elnora All-Stars - 6th tied (15.5)
5. Beechwood Bobcats - 3rd (3.5)
6. Eastshore Elegants - 4th (7.5)
7. Belle Plaine Musketeers - 6th tied (15.5)
8. Marston Nine - 5th (9.5)
If it can get by the Sligo Rovers, the Fort Benton Defenders should have clear sailing in the Ruthlandian West Division, where a majority of the clubs were under the .500 mark last year and will likely be again this year... defending division champ Colfax was picked a distant third this season... the Defenders look like they will challenge Cold Creek and Sugar Valley for supremacy in the Ruthlandian Union... they have contended well in the last four seasons before bowing out in close races... the experts thinks this is the year for them to roar and win the team's first pennant in its history... Fort Benton has never made the postseason.
Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. FORT BENTON DEFENDERS - 2nd (2)
2. Sligo Rovers - 3rd (8)
3. Colfax Blasters - 1st (-)
4. Forest City Lumberjacks - 4th (10)
5. Middlefield Roosters - 7th (21)
6. Rocky Rapids Snappers - 6th (16)
7. Stoner Stars - 5th (14)
8. Volusia Vigilantes 8th (23)
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