Mormon Baseball

All three of the Mormon players remaining in minor league playoff games did not play in yesterday’s games, but their teams did play, and all three lost. In the AAA Pacific Coast League, Mitch Maier, who as a position player might have been expected to play, was benched as the Omaha Storm Chasers lost to the Reno Aces. Blaine Howell, relief pitcher for the Bakersfield Blaze (A), did not pitch, as the Blaze lost to the Modesto Nuts. And in the Rookie Pioneer League, Derek Cone didn’t pitch and instead watched the Ogden Raptors lose to the Missoula Osprey.

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 down 1-0 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 and the Modesto Nuts are tied at 2 games each 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.

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 trail the Missoula Osprey 1 game to 0 in the 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!