This weekend the West Coast League playoffs were in full swing, with all eight postseason teams engaged in best-of-three divisional playoff games.

The South Division championship game is now set, with the Portland Pickles and Corvallis Knights both advancing in impressive fashion. On a perfect Sunday evening at Portland’s Walker Stadium, nearly 4,000 fans witnessed the Pickles dominate the Bend Elks with a resounding 16-6 victory. The crowd raised their chairs with each run, their cheers echoing through the night as the Pickles secured their spot in the next round.

In Corvallis, the Knights showcased their championship pedigree by defeating the Ridgefield Raptors 12-5. The Knights, fresh off a WCL-best 41-13 regular-season record, remain on target for their eighth consecutive WCL title.

But first they’ll have to get past the Pickles, who finished just one game behind the Knights’ in the season’s overall standings. This marks a rematch of last year’s South championship game, which the Knights captured 4-1 on their way to yet another league title.

While the South Division series wrapped up in just two games each, the North Division series are far from decided, as last night Wenatchee AppleSox and Bellingham Bells both evened their first-round series, forcing decisive Game 3s tonight.

Facing the Edmonton Riverhawks in Bellingham, Bells pitchers were nothing short of spectacular. Starter Nic Peterson dazzled with six innings of two-hit ball, striking out seven, and Lathan Haywood followed with three innings of near-perfect relief, allowing just one hit and fanning two. Their combined shutout was just good enough, as the Bells broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the seventh. Ultimately the Riverhawks picked up only three hits (all singles) and never got a runner to second base.

Meanwhile, in Wenatchee, the AppleSox triumphed over the Victoria HarbourCats 9-1. Quincy Vassar, a three-season stalwart for Wenatchee, pitched his second complete game of the summer. Despite giving up 10 hits, Vassar walked only one batter and consistently escaped jams, ultimately stranding nine Victoria runners on base.

Tonight, once again the AppleSox host the HarbourCats and the Bells host the Riverhawlks, this time in decisive Game 3’s with the winners facing off Wednesday for that coveted spot in Friday’s WCL championship game.

With regular-season records determining home field advantage, either the Knights or Pickles will host that championship game.

About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is western North America’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences around the nation. Every summer, the League features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with tremendous baseball weather and a mix of classic and modern ballparks, all backdropped by the sport’s most stunning scenery. MLB’s 2024 amateur draft opened with former Corvallis Knight Travis Bazzana selected as the overall No. 1 pick by the Cleveland Guardians, and this summer’s WCL All-Star Game aired live on MLB Network.