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Defending Eastern League champ Douala and Libreville lapped the EL field as they battled for the Coastal Division title and a guaranteed spot in the ELCS. The Lakers’ 65-31 record at the all-star break allowed them to maintain the advantage, finishing 110-52 to the Dingos’ 102-60. Libreville’s +321 run differential was nearly double Douala’s +161.

The Lakers earned their fourth straight playoff berth and third division title of that run, while the Dingos picked up their fifth berth in six years. Libreville’s offense scored 1024 runs with a .365 team on-base percentage; both were the second-best single seasons in West African Baseball history. They also allowed the fewest runs in WAB at 703.

No one stood out in the Interior Division, but an 8-2 finish allowed Ibadan to take first at 87-75. Abuja was the inverse 2-8 down the stretch to blow the lead, but they still got the #2 spot at 85-77. Ouagadougou (82-80) and Yaounde (80-82) were both in the mix. Benin City, who had been in four of the last five ELCS, fell to 74-88 for their first losing season since 2028. The Iguanas got their third playoff trip in four years, while the Aliens earned their first since joining in the 2030 expansion.



Douala 2B Ram Lengani won his third Eastern League MVP, having previously done it in 2033 and 2034. The 29-year old Burkinabe righty led in the triple slash (.369/.411/.720), OPS (1.131), wRC+ (177), and WAR (9.3). Lengani had 230 hits, 128 runs, 50 doubles, 55 home runs, and 161 RBI. He was locked up long-term by the Dingos the prior spring at eight years and $374,500,000, which currently stands as the second-richest contract in all of professional baseball.

Although Libreville was known for the big offense, they also had Pitcher of the Year Ibeh Ferguson in his sixth season. The 29-year old Nigerian lefty led in wins (17-8), strikeouts (287), FIP- (64), and WAR (7.1). Ferguson had a 3.65 ERA and 129 ERA+ over 214.2 innings. He had signed a six-year, $81,460,000 extension with the Lakers in October 2035.



Abuja gave Douala a fight in the first round, but the Dingos survived the series 2-1. Douala then swept Ibadan with 6-3 and 7-3 wins in round two, setting up a showdown with Libreville in the Eastern League Championship Series. It was the Dingos’ fourth trip in six years and the third in four years for the Lakers, but it was the first time they’d met for the pennant.

Libreville opened with a 6-2 victory, scoring all of their runs in the eighth inning. Douala counted with a lopsided 8-1 road win to even it as they shifted to Cameroon. A six-run sixth inning propelled the Dingos to a 9-7 win in game three. They seemed on their way as they led game four 6-0 after five innings, but the Lakers exploded for seven runs in the sixth and another four in the seventh en route to a 11-7 win.

Game five was back in Gabon and was an all-timer, the first ELCS game five to require extra innings. Douala had a 6-0 lead after the top of the third, but Libreville chipped away at the deficit. In the bottom of the ninth, the Lakers finally tied the game at 6-6 thanks to a sacrifice fly by Kossi Wilson.

In the top of the 12^th inning, reserve Antonio Gallegos crushed a solo home run 433 feet to center field for a 7-6 Douala lead. The Lakers got a one-out single in the bottom half, but a 4-6-3 double play secured the road victory and repeat pennants for the Dingos. It was their third Eastern League title, having also done it in 2033. RF El Hadji Fofana was series MVP, leading all players with ten hits.