Mormon Baseball

With the Billings Mustangs’ loss last night to the Missoula Osprey, Jeff Gelalich is out of the Pioneer League playoffs, leaving the number of Mormons in the Minor League playoffs at 6. Gelalich didn’t play in the game.

But in the first round of the 5-game PCL playoffs, both Mormon players did play, as the playoff teams evened up their series to 1-1. Stephen Parker was 0 for 3 with 2 strike outs, but his Sacramento River Cats won anyway to even their series against the Reno Aces. Mitch Maier was 1 for 4 with a strike out in the Omaha Storm Chasers’ loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Elsewhere in the minors, Taylor Cole didn’t pitch, but watched the Vancouver Canadians win the first game of their 3-game championship against the Boise Hawks. The Canadians are one win away from the league championship. The PCL teams both play games tonight, as do the teams of Bryan Harper and Derek Cone.

Here’s a run-down of the remaining Mormons in the minors who are on teams that will play in the league championships:

AAA teams:

Each of the two AAA leagues have league conference playoffs, championship series, and then the champions of each league then meet in a single game AAA championship, scheduled for September 18th in Durham, North Carolina.

• Mitch Maier, Omaha Storm Chasers, Pacific Coast League, American Northern Conference Champions
  * Storm Chasers play a 5-game series against the Albuquerque Isotopes Sept. 5-9
  * If they win, the League championship is a 3-game series played Sept. 14-16.
• Stephen Parker, Sacramento River Cats, Pacific Coast League, Pacific Southern Conference Champions
  * River Cats play a 5-game series against the Reno Aces Sept. 5-9
  * If they win, they play in the 3-game League championship series Sept. 14-16.

A+ teams:

Each of the two divisions in the California League play division series between the winners of each half of the season to determine the division champions. The division champions then face each other in a championship series.

• Blaine Howell, Bakersfield Blaze, California League, Northern Division 1st half winner
  * Bakersfield Blaze next play a 5-game series Sept. 8-12 against the winner of a playoff between the Modesto Nuts and the San Jose Giants.

A teams:

Northwest League

Each of the two divisions in the Northwest League play division series between the winners of each half of the season to determine the division champions. The division champions then face each other in a championship series.

• Taylor Cole, Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League, West Division 2nd half winner
  * Vancouver Canadians play a 3-game championship series against the East Division champion, the Boise Hawks, Sept. 6, 8-9.

New York-Penn League

The winners of each of the 3 divisions in the league play a two-round championship to determine the league champion. First the division leader with the best record plays a wildcard team (best record among teams who aren’t division leaders) while the other two division leaders play each others. The winners of these two series then face each other in a championship.

• Bryan Harper, Auburn Doubledays, New York-Penn League, won the Pinckney division
  * The Doubledays will play the Tri-City Valleycats in a 3-game series Sept. 7-9
  * If Doubledays then win that series, they play in the League Championship Series Sept. 11-13

Rookie teams

The Pioneer league finishes play on September 6th, and the winners of the 2nd half have yet to be determined.
The winners of the first half play the winner of the second half in each division to determine the division champion. The division champions then meet in a league championship.

• Derek Cone, Ogden Raptors, Pioneer League, South Division 1st half leader and current 2nd half leader
  * Raptors will play the Grand Junction Rockies in a 3-game series Sept. 7-9.
  * If thy win, the Raptors will then play the North Division Champions in a 3-game series Sept. 11, 13 & 14

I will try to keep us all up-to-date with the status of these Mormon minor leaguers over the next couple weeks. Enjoy the minor league post season!