BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, CCBL, and CYL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
28 May 2317
CCBL Playoffs Update
The CCBL playoffs are down to the Final Four: #2 Winthrop College, #3 Yale, #13 Commonwealth University, and #16 Fairfield.
The Winthrop College Guardians are making their 6th playoff appearance and seeking their third title. The Guardians won back-to-back titles in 2311 and 2312. Last season, Winthrop College was the #7 team but lost in the Sweet 16 to Curry College.
The Bulldogs of Yale are making their fourth-straight playoff appearance in just their fifth season in the CCBL. They were also #3 last season, winning their first two series to reach the Final Four before falling to Commonwealth University.
Speaking of CWU, the Terriers are making their fifth-straight playoff appearance, including a title won in 2314. In 2313, the Terriers fell 3-2 to Northeastern before topping Boston College, 3-1, the following year. Last season was CWU's third finals appearance, a 3-1 loss to Greenfield College.
The Fairfield Stags are making their Final Four AND playoff debut. Like Yale, the Stags play in in the Southern Commonwealth Conference, finishing 3rd behind the Bulldogs and tied with Narragansett. The Tide were the 14th seed, falling to Yale in the Sweet 16.
CYL Playoffs Update
The CYL is now in the Youth Series with the NR's #18 seed, the Worcester Crows taking on the SR's #18 seed, the Pawtucket Paw Sox.
Worcester's sole CYL title came in 2305 under the outstanding season of current CBO star, Gavin Deux-Gas. Pawtucket has never won the CYL but was three-time champions of the Providence Junior Pro League (2301, 2303-2304).
In Game One of the three-game series, the Crows took it, 8-4. They need just one more win. Story:
Pedersen Helps Worcester Take Youth Series Game 1
The Worcester Crows got past the Pawtucket Paw Sox by the score of 8-4 in the crucial first game of the Youth Series at Worcester Amateur Field. Worcester catcher Melchior Pedersen was 2-3 with a home run and 3 walks. He drove in 3 runs and scored once, to lead the charge. With a 1-0 lead, the Crows will have two chances to close out the Paw Sox.
Ash Riojas helped out the Worcester cause in the bottom of the fifth inning with a run-scoring walk. For the game, the first baseman was 1-2 with 3 walks and was hit by a pitch.
"I'm just trying to make good contact," said Riojas, "one at-bat at a time."