BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
30 September 2309
CBO Playoff Association Championship Series Preview
NCA Playoffs - #4 Bunker Hill 75ers (67-53) vs #2 Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (76-44)
Season Series
Nordhagen Beach 4, Bunker Hill 4
May 4-5 @BH: BH 6-5, NB 7-2
May 25-26 @BH: NB 3-2 (15), BH 12-6
June 15-16 @NB: BH 4-2, NB 8-6
August 17-18 @NB: NB 7-6 (11), BH 6-4 (10)
Analysis
This is a matchup of the last two Sole Survivor Series winners in Nordhagen Beach (2307) and Bunker Hill (2308). It will be the first playoff matchup between the two squads though they were seeded #1 and #2 in the NCA in 2298, both opening series losses. During the regular season, the two teams were even with splits in all four series. Three games went to extra innings and 6 of 8 were decided by one or two runs. If the NCACS shapes out anything like the regular season, this will be a fun series.
As we mentioned in the Semifinals Preview, this is the 13th straight season that Nordhagen Beach is in the playoffs. Of those 13 seasons, it is their eighth season to reach either the Semifinals (pre-CBO in 2297) or the Association Championship Series (2299-2302, 2304-2305, 2307). They went on to the Sole Survivor Series five times (2297, 2301, 2302, 2305, 2307) with championships in 2301 and 2307. For the 75ers, this is their fourth playoff appearance (2296 and 2298 as Abernathy, 2308). This is now the third time they have reached the Semifinals (pre-CBO in 2296) or Association Championship Series (2308). Bunker Hill has appeared in the Sole Survivor Series just once, their 2308 victory over Oberland.
Statistically speaking, the Party Boys seem to have the overall advantage, finishing 1st in the NCA in runs scored (625) and 2nd in runs allowed (466), while Bunker Hill was 3rd in runs scored (615) and 5th in runs allowed (521).
In their season matchups, outstanding players for Nordhagen Beach were LF Young Goodman (.324/6/14), 1B Bryan Assman (.429/2/4), and 1B/3B Dirty Dog Sapienza (.333/2/4) at the plate and SP Beachboy Nut (2 CG, 2-0, 2.00 in two starts). For the 75ers, their best hitters in the matchup were SS Aaron Squire (.382/4/7) and 1B Matt Stickhouse (.333/2/10) and their best pitcher was SP MaX Thunderdome (1-1, 3.46 in two starts).
Prediction
While we like what the 75ers have done the past two seasons, Nordhagen Beach seems to be back and poised to do what they are pretty good at doing: winning in the playoffs. With the excitement of two 2 vs 4 matchups, we like the 2 much better than the 4 in this one because of the Nut factor on the mound. We hope the series will be close and will predict that, but this series if for the Boys. Nordhagen Beach 4, Bunker Hill 3
SCA Playoffs - #4 Egret Ninjas (71-49) vs #2 University Point Deathclaws (74-46)
Season Series
University Point 4, Egret 4
April 22-23 @Egr: Egr 8-3, Egr 10-4
May 11-12 @UP: Egr 6-5 (11), UP 6-5
July 6-7 @UP: UP 7-4, UP 6-4
August 3-4 @Egr: UP 11-2, Egr 4-2
Analysis
In the other 2 vs 4 matchup, the ever-dangerous University Point Deathclaws have returned to the playoffs with a vengeance after missing last season to meet up with the quiet-good Egret Ninjas who have been one of the most consistent teams in 2309. These two teams have met once in the playoffs, a 2305 SCA CS in which the Claws prevailed on their way to their second title.
University Point is making its ninth playoff appearance with eight straight before losing last season. Of those nine seasons, it is their eighth season to reach the Association Championship Series (2301-2303, 2305). They went on to the Sole Survivor Series two times (2302, 2305) where they won each time. The Ninjas are making their fourth-overall playoff appearance and second straight. Their deepest run before and only appearance in a Championship Series was in 2305 when they fell to the Claws, as mentioned above.
While hitting has always dominated pitching overall in the CBO, the playoffs have often proven to be a different beast with the deepest pitching staffs seeming to find most of the success. This season, though, the University Point offense was so good that it blew every other team's offense out of the water in terms of production. As a team, the Deathclaws set the SCA team records of OBP (.378 over County Crossing's .376 in 2304), R (764 over County Crossing's 715 in 2304), and BB (637 over their own 592 in 2303). The Deathclaws' lineup is brutal even without star RF Tomas Jones. Of course, everything revolves around the best CBO players, 1B Barker Cocoa (.405/44/147) who is pretty much assured to end his career as the top player in many offensive categories.
For Egret, the key to stopping the Claws is for their SCA-best starting pitching staff to shut down the University Point offense. All of Tup Mallory (13-6, 3.39), Max Grove (11-13, 3.67), and Admiral Kelm (18-7, 3.60) will need to be as tough to score on as they were in the regular season.
Prediction
University Point annihilated the team we thought was playing the best in the SCA in Quincy in the Semifinals Round. Egret has been our quiet good team this season, but we will predict them to be a loud out against the CBO's best-ever offense. University Point 4, Egret 1