| The Drey | Constanti Field | Westside Reservation | |||
| 6/18 | 6/18 | 6/19 | |||
| BW | 1|0 | JM | 3|3 | BW | 0|0|0|0 |
| FS | 2|1 | AK | 0|0 | WW | 3|3|3|3 |
| FS w 2 | AK fft | BW fft | |||
It is a slate of three two evening and one prevening series this weekend in WSEM. Is it the heat of summer pushing the games later, or the jockeying for playoff seeding positions that has bumped the games into prime time slots? Well, all five teams on the field this week have much to play for. The resurgent Warriors have a shot at getting over .500 Sunday evening, while the Ass Kickers could get back to an even .500 Saturday with a sweep of the Mattseals. Finally cracking into the win column last week, the Mattseals look to prove themselves this week: that they have settled their pitching woes and found a way to compete in this league. Belgian has managed to win three games against the top two teams in the league, yet still find themselves in seventh place; so, they aim to climb back up the standings this week with four games to play. Lastly, the Squirrels... Well, they are 1-1 against Belgian this season, so that season series is on the line along with bragging rights. So, which of these series carries the most intrigue and possible excitement, enabling it to be emblazoned in lights as the WSEM Week 8 Marquee Match up?... Scroll down a tap or two and see...
| Marquee Match-up: |
| June 18th | 6:30 PM | Constanti Field |
| Jason Mattseals @ Ass Kickers |
Don't laugh. Well, okay take a minute and laugh, but then get back to me when you're ready to proceed... Yes, the Mattseals have made a second half of the season Marquee. All season the front office has been saying that the 'Seals would eventually get a feel for the game and start competing (behind the scenes we were secretly more just hoping that would happen), and it looks like that point in time may have finally arrived! Jason Hewlett showed stuff of a legit ace last Saturday: giving up just 1 R, 11 hits, and 2 BBs in 3 games, while striking out 16. I hear your grumbling, "he did that against the Squirrels... why should I be impressed?" Valid question, but he was all over the corners of the board with nice down and away movement. Is he the second coming of Dennis Pearson? No, but he is now the guy for his team that can give his team a chance to win every time he takes the mound.
Of course that leads us into the hitting side of the game, and that is one that still poses a problem for the 'Seals. Both of their wins are 1-0: the results of smart, aggressive baserunning plays. They're sole bright spot offensively, Jeff Biegas' league leading hitting streak, was just cut down at 12 games Saturday. As a team they are hitting .219, with an OBP of .317, and a sluggishly low SLG% at .256: not even 50 points above their AVG. The good news is that the Ass Kickers offensive numbers are not leaps and bounds ahead.
Better yes, but not completely on another level. The Ass Kickers are a step up from the Squirrels in level of competition. That is the reason this is the Marquee Match up. You're right not to be overly impressed with the Mattseals wins over the Squirrels, but if they are able to beat the Ass Kickers - at Constanti Field - then that would show the 'Seals are finally for real. The Ass Kickers come in looking to heat up again after a disappointing Week 7, losing three to the Commandos and Warriors. As a team the Ass Kickers are hitting .248, just 39 points above the 'Seals. Their OBP looks much nicer at .403, due in large part to the league leading 30 BBs Ryan Bullard has racked up, and the Kickers SLG% is a much more impressive .403. The power numbers are the real divide here. In 14 games played for both teams the 'Seals have 62 TB to the Ass Kickers 112: nearly double the number of bases in the same number of games! This is where Hewlett's new mustard will really be tested; can he keep the Constanti brothers, Bullard, and Kirk in the smaller confines of Constanti Field?
Mike Constanti's pitching, on the other hand, is already field tested and proven to be ace quality: 2.06 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 2.86 K/BB, and 1.90 KPI. In just a 2 game series, it should be expected that each team's ace will take the mound both games - so long as they are tightly contested. Despite the optimistic look at the Mattseals coming into this week, I still fully realize the possibility that the Ass Kickers can win big in these games. However, I think pitching will command the day, and the scores will be kept low. Unlike the Ass Kickers, the Mattseals need to keep the score low (like under 2) in order to win. And again, that is why this is the Marquee: it is a test. A test that if passed will prove the Mattseals can now compete and win in WSEM: a sweeping change throughout the league. All eyes should be on this series for that reason, as the Ass Kickers are the perfect level up test for the Mattseals.
Elsewhere in SE MI: The Warriors and Belgian on Sunday evening almost grabbed the Marquee, but could not surmount a couple big obstacles. The first being that Belgian has two games to play before Sunday; making it difficult to know the state of the team (momentum, standings) or the meaning of the games and what will be played for on Sunday. The second is simply that it is almost impossible to know who will be on the roster for both teams, and therefore what product you are going to get on the field. Floating rosters and substitute players are a bane when trying to detail or hype games.
For the Warriors part, their roster looks like it is beginning to become more solid and secure. Key figure last year, Matt Whelan, has played two straight series, for one. On the other side of the diamond, however, the Belgian roster is in even more shambles as reports are that Chuck Weiler has left the team. Leaving only Chris Lewis and David Buhr as regulars. Just last week Belgian had to field 3 man roster with two substitutes against Git r' Done, and the subs were provided by Git r' Done. With any luck both teams can get their rosters in line, so that when they finish their season series later this season they will have a clearer shot at getting the Marquee.
Of course that leads us into the hitting side of the game, and that is one that still poses a problem for the 'Seals. Both of their wins are 1-0: the results of smart, aggressive baserunning plays. They're sole bright spot offensively, Jeff Biegas' league leading hitting streak, was just cut down at 12 games Saturday. As a team they are hitting .219, with an OBP of .317, and a sluggishly low SLG% at .256: not even 50 points above their AVG. The good news is that the Ass Kickers offensive numbers are not leaps and bounds ahead.
Better yes, but not completely on another level. The Ass Kickers are a step up from the Squirrels in level of competition. That is the reason this is the Marquee Match up. You're right not to be overly impressed with the Mattseals wins over the Squirrels, but if they are able to beat the Ass Kickers - at Constanti Field - then that would show the 'Seals are finally for real. The Ass Kickers come in looking to heat up again after a disappointing Week 7, losing three to the Commandos and Warriors. As a team the Ass Kickers are hitting .248, just 39 points above the 'Seals. Their OBP looks much nicer at .403, due in large part to the league leading 30 BBs Ryan Bullard has racked up, and the Kickers SLG% is a much more impressive .403. The power numbers are the real divide here. In 14 games played for both teams the 'Seals have 62 TB to the Ass Kickers 112: nearly double the number of bases in the same number of games! This is where Hewlett's new mustard will really be tested; can he keep the Constanti brothers, Bullard, and Kirk in the smaller confines of Constanti Field?
Mike Constanti's pitching, on the other hand, is already field tested and proven to be ace quality: 2.06 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 2.86 K/BB, and 1.90 KPI. In just a 2 game series, it should be expected that each team's ace will take the mound both games - so long as they are tightly contested. Despite the optimistic look at the Mattseals coming into this week, I still fully realize the possibility that the Ass Kickers can win big in these games. However, I think pitching will command the day, and the scores will be kept low. Unlike the Ass Kickers, the Mattseals need to keep the score low (like under 2) in order to win. And again, that is why this is the Marquee: it is a test. A test that if passed will prove the Mattseals can now compete and win in WSEM: a sweeping change throughout the league. All eyes should be on this series for that reason, as the Ass Kickers are the perfect level up test for the Mattseals.
Elsewhere in SE MI: The Warriors and Belgian on Sunday evening almost grabbed the Marquee, but could not surmount a couple big obstacles. The first being that Belgian has two games to play before Sunday; making it difficult to know the state of the team (momentum, standings) or the meaning of the games and what will be played for on Sunday. The second is simply that it is almost impossible to know who will be on the roster for both teams, and therefore what product you are going to get on the field. Floating rosters and substitute players are a bane when trying to detail or hype games.
For the Warriors part, their roster looks like it is beginning to become more solid and secure. Key figure last year, Matt Whelan, has played two straight series, for one. On the other side of the diamond, however, the Belgian roster is in even more shambles as reports are that Chuck Weiler has left the team. Leaving only Chris Lewis and David Buhr as regulars. Just last week Belgian had to field 3 man roster with two substitutes against Git r' Done, and the subs were provided by Git r' Done. With any luck both teams can get their rosters in line, so that when they finish their season series later this season they will have a clearer shot at getting the Marquee.
