Wednesday, October 30, 2075
75TH IPA PRO CUP SERIES OPENER THIS SATURDAY... SLIGO FAVORED OVER ROLLING HILLS
It's hit happy Rolling Hills taking on the solid Sligo Rovers in the 75th Islandian Pro Cup Series... both clubs are hoping to end the season on the highest note possible on the baseball scale -- winning the revered IPA Pro Cup Trophy -- the symbol of baseball supremacy in the Islands... Rolling Hills is making it 24th trip to the postseason playoffs... 7 times in the club's history the Racers have come away victors... they hold the IPA record for the most Pro Cups... Rolling Hills would like nothing better than to come away with its record-setting 8th Pro Cup Trophy... it's been 5 years since they last made the postseason and 7 years since they won their last Pro Cup Trophy... the Racers are hungry and ready to roll.
Sligo doesn't have such a glorious Pro Cup past... the Rovers are making their 16th appearance in the IPA playoffs, but they only possess one Pro Cup Trophy... Sligo won it in 2021... 2069 was the last time they made the playoffs... the Rovers were the #2 choice to win the Pro Cup this season and they are well on their way to doing it... just one more obstacle -- the high-octane Rolling Hills Racers... the Racers were the #4 pick in the Pro Cup preview... Sligo is quietly, slyly and stealthily well on their way to another Pro Cup trophy.
Sligo has beaten higher-rated squads than Rolling Hills... the Rovers took care of #6 Valka in 6 games in round one in the Ruthlandian Union and then swept past #5 Marston in 5 games for the RU title... the Racers have been pushed to 7 games in both rounds by #8-rated Tuckanarra and #7-ranked Hartsdale... please note, however, the Hellcats eliminated the Pro Cup favorite Turon Typhoons in a 4-game sweep in the first round... that was very impressive... and they came close to defeating Rolling Hills in the TU title series.
As far as this year Pro Cup Finals, the baseball world is leaning toward Sligo in a high-scoring shootout... the Rovers may have enough pitching to slow down the Racers and may have enough scoring to put enough runs on the scoreboard to outscore them... Rolling Hills depends almost totally on their bats... pitching is their big problem.
In reality, both Sligo and Rolling Hills have been outscored by their opponents in the playoffs this year... the Rovers have been outscored 59 to 54 in 11 games, while the Racers have been outscored 88 to 83 in 14 games... it is shaping up as a rip-roaring, high-scoring Pro Cup Series... the Pro Cup prognosticators are picking Sligo in a 7-game slugfest... the Rovers will get a little better pitching than the Racers... that's the difference.
Sligo starters Major Rowling (19-4/1.93 ERA), Brayden Peters (12-8/3.63 ERA) and Andrew Saul (14-10/3.58 ERA) are given a good edge over Rolling Hills starters Carl Lindell (10-5/3.29 ERA), Carley Conner (13-10/4.28 ERA) and Benton Garrett (11-6/4.34 ERA).... Lindell could be a big plus for Rolling Hills... he has been out since July and missed the first two rounds of the playoffs... if Lindell has recovered, he will give them a big lift in the pitching department.
You can also give Sligo a slight edge in the bullpen with Butch Baird (4-2/2.23 ERA), Dwayne Chamberlain (9-6/2.77 ERA) and closer Jeffrey London (17-7/3.01 ERA) over Rolling Hills' Andre Zajac (9-5/3.33 ERA), Chet Henry (10-5/2.95 ERA) and closer Hal Christy (10-9/3.77 ERA)... both bullpens have struggled in the playoffs this year.
Both Rolling Hills and Sligo have handled the bats well this postseason... the Racers are hitting .313 with almost 6 runs a game and the Rovers are batting .303 with almost 5 runs a game... the Racers' big advantage is they have a rock-solid hitter at each spot in the batting order 1 through 8, while the Rovers have only 5 prolific run producers... Rolling Hills batted .302 in the regular season with seven .300 hitters in the lineup... Sligo had a .280 BA in the regular season with only two over the .300 mark... get ready for some runs... these teams can light up the scoreboard.
After all is said and done, Sligo will pull it out in 7 games... their pitchers will win it for them... they will slow the Racers just enough to beat them... it should be a "knock-down-drag-out" battle "right down to the very last out" Pro Cup Series... get yo' self ready, y'all... yep, get ready... it should be a darn good donnybrook.
(Very Special Thanks to knuckler for the excellent logo and uniforms)