The
Mahaska Haymakers (79-75) won the TU North in a surprise last year, were this year's preseason pick and they almost repeated this year, losing out by only 3 games and tying for third place with two other teams... but most of the season they slumbered near the bottom in 7th place... the Haymakers began to take off by going 31-18 the final two months and made quite a race of it... standout starter Leo Durosa, a 21-game winner, carried them the whole year, helped out at times by Claude Renoir and Bobby Perry... Olek Novak was the only respectable batter in the lineup... like most of the teams in the TU North, Mahaska is just an average ballclub... prior to last year's TU North crown, the Haymakers hadn't been to the playoffs since 2028... the Haymakers are feeling good about the club's direction... they got the pitching... ranked 5th in the TU with a 3.29 ERA... they just needs some offense.
