Mormon Baseball

Blaine Howell pitched his best trying to give the Bakersfield Blaze a shot at shutting out the Modesto Nuts yesterday. Howell pitched 2.0 innings of relief after starter Stalin Gerson gave up 5 earned runs in the first inning. Howell gave up just 1 hit and no walks while striking out 3 in an attempt to keep the Blaze in the game. However, Nuts pitching kept the Blaze from scoring more than 1 run and the Nuts eventually won 12-1. They lag behind the Blaze 2 games to 1 in the series, which continues tonight.

Elsewhere in the minors, Bryan Harper again did not pitch as the Auburn Doubledays lost to the Tri-City Valley Cats and were eliminated from the A New York-Penn League playoffs. Just three Mormon players remain in the playoffs, attempting to join Taylor Cole on teams that won their league championships this year.

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 will play in the 5-game League championship series against the Reno Aces Sept. 11-12, 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 lead the Modesto Nuts 2 games to 1 in a 5-game series Sept. 8-12.
  * If they win, they play a 5-game series Sept. 13-17 against the South Division champion.

A teams:

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 lost their series with the Tri-City Valleycats 2-1 in the final game Sept. 10.

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 champion
  * Raptors will play the Missoula Osprey 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!