BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
20 September 2311
CBO Association Championship Series
NCA #3 Nordhagen Beach Party Boys vs #1 Starlight Killers
Season Series
Starlight 3, Nordhagen Beach 1
May 24-25 @NB: Star 8-1, Star 11-3
July 29-30 @Star: Star 4-2, NB 3-1
Analysis
Fourteen years of the CBO, and 14 playoff appearances for Nordhagen Beach. We are almost surprised if they are NOT in the NCA Championship Series. In fact, in those 14 appearances, including this season, this marks the 10th trip to the NCACS. In the first nine appearances, the Party Boys won the NCACS six times, including the past two seasons. the Boys are also the kings of championships, having won four.
No team is as accomplished, so obviously Starlight is not in that number. Still, compared to other NCA teams not counting the Boys, the Killers stack up well. This is their 9th playoff appearance, including their sixth-straight. However, in those previous eight years, the Killers have never won the NCA, thus no Sole Survivor Series appearances. They have appeared in two NCACS before, including this rematch from a season ago. They also appeared in 2308 against Bunker Hill.
This matchup represents just the third time Nordhagen Beach and Starlight will meet in the playoffs. They first met in 2308 as the #4 and #5 teams, respectively. In the Play-in Round Series, the Killers came out on top, 2-0, on their way to their first NCACS appearance. In 2310, these teams met as the #1 and #6 teams respectively, with the Boys coming out on top in the NCACS, 4-2.
In the regular season, this matchup was all Starlight. In the four-game series, the Killers held the Party Boys to just nine total runs, winning the scoring battle, 24-9. Each team's ace won their one game started (not directly matched up). SP Beachboy Nut (1-0, 1.23) allowed just one earned run in 7.1 innings pitched. SP Digger Vadim (1-0, 1.23) did exactly the same. On offense, neither team showed much power with nine players each hitting a home run apiece. C Biter Trout of the Killers hit .33 with a home run and four RBI against his former team. LF Young Goodman of the Boys led his team in hits with five, batting .500, but he had no homers nor RBI.
Looking at the matchups by position, we can see some advantages. Starlight and Nordhagen Beach each tied for 3rd in the NCA in runs scored (696). However, the Killers had a 552 (1st) to 628 (7th) advantage in runs allowed. Here are side-by-side comparisons based on OSA ratings with Nordhagen Beach players listed first and Starlight players listed second:
SP1 - Beachboy Nut > Digger Vadim
SP2 - Deedee Martinson > Shaak Ti
SP3 - Ugio Church > Whokill Poole
RP1 - David "AntAgonist" Kidd > Closecall Zamora
CL - Ted Iam < Justin Wilkerson
C - Clownie Blamms < Biter Trout
1B - Jacob Tarberry > Goody Cloyse
2B - Jumper Hayes < Looter Knol
3B - Justin Hazard < Nick Maris
SS - Pipe Wallcrawler > Wolf McQuaid
LF - Young Goodman < Glenn Higinbotham
CF - Maxx Murtagh > Willy Mazehaze
RF - Jonathan Angelou < Hurr Lee Reyes
Prediction
Based on everything seeming to come together for Starlight, there is no doubt that they have been one of, if not, the best teams in the CBO. While the talent seems to be lagging behind in pitching for the Killers, they were absolutely better than the Party Boys in 2311. Of course, the Nut factor is an almost-guaranteed win in those games, but the other games are wide open with Starlight also seeming to have more talent across the board on offense and Nordhagen Beach's aging players.
Looking at this series from a historical perspective, though, there is no doubt that the Party Boys are THE team when it comes to the playoffs. As defending back-to-back champions, all roads pass through the settlements of Winthrop and its stadium on the beach. Starlight may be an up-and-coming franchise ready to take control. Until they do, though, it is impossible to pick against the champions.
Nordhagen Beach 4, Starlight 2
SCA #3 Roxbury Rad Sox vs #1 University Point Deathclaws
Season Series
University Point 3, Roxbury 1
April 10-11 @Rox: UP 9-7, Rox 6-5
July 27-28 @UP: UP 7-6 (11), UP 4-2
Analysis
This is Roxbury's 8th trip to the playoffs and second-straight after a two-year absence. For University Point, it is making its 11th playoff appearance, and third-straight. Interestingly enough, despite these two teams being the SCA's most successful, at least in the last decade, they have only met ONCE prior to this season. In 2303, the #1 Rad Sox defeated the #2 Deathclaws, 4 games to 1, in the SCA Championship Series. The Sox then went on to defeat Fort Hagen in the Sole Survivor Series for their first of two-straight championships.
In the regular season, the Claws held the advantage, 3-1, with all four games being settled by two runs or fewer. Both LF Chris Hirshfield (.333/3/9) and 1B Barker Cocoa (.353/2/5) did their thing for University Point on offense. Three players for Roxbury had two home runs each in the season series: CF Ben Pawlak (.278/2/4), RF Cubby France (.214/2/3), and 1B Sum Downie (.182/2/3). No pitcher particularly stood out in the season series, but the Deathclaws' SP Alex Alexson allowed just one earned run in two starts and 11.1 innings pitched, walking six and striking out 11. He had no decisions in both starts.
Looking at the matchups, the Claws seem to have all the advantages. University Point was 2nd in the SCA with 764 runs scored and 2nd in runs allowed (559). Meanwhile, the Sox were 5th in runs scored (702) and 9th in runs allowed (647). Despite the Rad Sox's bad statistical output relatively, there is no doubt that they can match the Claws' talent. By a breakdown of positions, here is what we've got with the Roxbury player listed first and University Point player listed second:
SP1 - Nuke Laloosh > Tony Bertha
SP2 - Oliver Oil > Joey Dimes
SP3 - Urm Rehfeldt > Alex Alexson
RP1 - Dobbie Radoncis < Matt Hoernig
CL - Professor Harriel > Willie Lule
C - Ayag Mour > Shawn Cherry
1B - Jeremy Schoolboy < Barker Cocoa
2B - Emerald Sapphire < Chris Recore
3B - Donn Mattingley > Nate Tivity
SS - Purple Gupta > Rock Rampage
LF - Scott Dourque < Chris Hirshfield
CF - Ben Pawlak > Sack King
RF - Brightsun Ramos < Tomas Jones
Prediction
Looking at this series, there are all kinds of directions we can go with our prediction. Historically, the Rad Sox have the advantage, winning the only matchup, appearing in four Sole Survivior Series, and winning two. University Point also has two Sole Survivor Series victories in three appearances, and has had the most recent appearance (2309). From 2302-2309, the Sox and Claws appeared in seven of eight of those series, with Oberland getting in in 2308.
This season, the Deathclaws had the advantage, though slight, and they hold home-field advantage. While the Rad Sox pitching has superior talent, the Claws' bats can be impossible to contain.
University Point 4, Roxbury 3