With only three days left in the West Coast League’s regular season, all eight postseason berths have been clinched … but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of drama left.
For the first round of the playoffs, the #1 seeds were clinched some weeks ago, as the Bellingham Bells held off the Wenatchee AppleSox in the North, and the Portland Pickles stormed to the South’s first-half crown with a tremendous 21-4 record.
Three more postseason slots were available in each division, and in the North those have been earned by the AppleSox, the Edmonton Riverhawks, and the Victoria HarbourCats. In the South, the defending League champion Pickles have been joined by the Corvallis Knights, the Bend Elks, and the first-year Marion Berries.
However, while we know which eight teams will face off this Friday night, the matchups are not set. What’s more, in both divisions the teams with the best second-half records just happen to be meeting tonight through Wednesday.
Up North, the HarbourCats are hosting the Riverhawks … and in a four-game series, due to a rare rainout earlier this summer. Both teams enter their series with division-best 18-6 records in the second half. The winner of the series earns the No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 2 and the potentially decisive Game 3 at home. If the Riverhawks gain at least a series split, they’ll grab that No. 2 seed due to owning the applicable tiebreaker over the HarbourCats.
Meanwhile, Wenatchee’s still got a chance to snag the No. 3 seed over Victoria. Their path isn’t easy, though, as they’ll need to play exceptionally well on the road in Kelowna and get some help from the Riverhawks.
There are still seeding questions in the South, too, although Portland and Corvallis are now locked into the top two slots. Nos. 3 and 4 are up for grabs, though. In a scheduling quirk, the Berries have completed their schedule, with a 28-26 record. But the Bend Elks, currently sitting at 26-25, have three more games, as they’re hosting the Cowlitz Black Bears. Because they own the head-to-head tiebreaker against Marion, the Elks clinch the No. 3 slot – which means a first-round series against Corvallis – with at least two more wins.
Would you rather play the Knights, or the Pickles?
That’s quite the dilemma, eh? The Knights are 20-4 in the second half, winning 12 of their last 13 games. The Pickles are 21-5 in the second half … and with just one more victory, they’ll set a WCL record with 43 single-season victories, breaking the old record held by … Corvallis.
But to break the record, the Pickles will have to beat … Corvallis, as the Knights host the Pickles tonight through Wednesday, with that record on the line. And of course, either way both teams will be setting up for next weekend’s first-round series against Marion and Bend, and aiming for a rematch in the South’s championship game, which last year was won by Portland on the way to their first League championship.
As always, you can follow all this late-season action on WCL Live, our livestreaming platform (along with apps for iOS and Android).
About the West Coast League
The West Coast League is western North America’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. With teams ranging throughout Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta, the WCL offers top collegiate players the chance to compete at a high level, develop their skills, and showcase their talents in front of thousands of fans, MLB scouts, and national media. The WCL’s 20th Anniversary Season will conclude with the WCL championship game August 14.
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