Unprecedented Finish!!

 

The 2017 MCBL regular season has ended................and what a finish!!

 

League fans know that the berths in the MCBL Postseason tournament are based upon wins (not win percentage).   Nine of the teams finished the season in contention for the six playoff berths with six of those teams having each won 16 games.

 

Division Champs:   The Gaithersburg Giants won the West division and earned the #1 seed with 22 victories.  The Putty Hill Panthers won the East division  with 19 victories and earned the #2 seed.

 

Division Runner-ups:  Dig-In Baseball is the runner-up in the West Division and earned the #3 seed with 17 wins.   Four  teams tied with 16 wins in the East division for runner-up.  Using head-to-head results as the first tiebreaker, the Baltimore Chop is the East runner-up and earns the #4 seed. 

 

At-large:   Five teams (BCC Big Train Stars, Diamond Pros, Baltimore Rays, Maryland Monarchs, and the KOA Sports Green Wave) were all tied with 16 wins for the two at-large berths.  Based upon head-to-head results amoung all five teams, the Diamond Pros had the best record and earned the #5 seed.   Based upon head-to-head results amoung the four remaining teams, BCC Big Train Stars had the best record and earned the #6 seed.

 

Thus, on Saturday, the #3 seed Dig-In Baseball will host the #6 seed BCC Big Train Stars while the #4 seed Baltimore Chop will host the #5 seed Diamond Pros.  Both games are play-in games (e.g. loser goes home). 

 

On Sunday, the #1 seed Gaithersburg Giants will host the first game of the semi-finals (best 2 out of 3 games) against the lowest remaining seed (e.g., #4, #5 or #6) from Saturday.  Also on Sunday, the #2 Putty Hill Panthers will host the first game of the other best-2-out-of-3 semi-finals against the other higher remaining seed (e.g. #3, #4, or #5).

 

The semi-finals will continue (weather permitting) on Monday and if a third game is necessary, on Tuesday.  The finals will begin (weather permitting) on Thursday and will also be a best 2 out of 3 games.

 

Should be a great tournament!!!   See ya at the ballfield.