World Baseball Classic 57- Everything Thread (Final G6 Up!)

[South Newlandia]

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Chromatika, Ko-oren and especially Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from all of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them.

South Newlandian League

LPB Recaps: Walstreim Stingrays

Ow

Last seasons:

+ Last season: 93-91, 2nd in SNLS

Expectations
The Rays had a winning record in the previous season, but for the Stingrays, this represented a pretty major decline. The Walstreim Stingrays do expect to be the best team in the South, and to compete for the title every single season; and yet, they haven’t actually won the thing in the modern era. Sure, they made it to the SNLCS twice in the LPB era, but they got beaten by the Dolphins both times; and now, they didn’t even make the playoffs this season. While the Stingrays, managed by TJUN-ian Pedro Volcoron, were definitely still hoping to compete in the South Newlandia South, but that would probably be fairly difficult. The Stingrays had to compensate for some major losses, most notably TJUN-ia international Matoko Kagawa and Drawkian Chan Ford, along with Alana Gonzalez, a leader in the clubhouse. More worryingly, the Stingrays had failed to bring in a lot of impact players to the team. There was a trio of players from Benjium, who impressed at the International Baseball Slam, and young TJUN-ian Kuramochi, but none of them project as immediate All-Star impact. The signs are pointing in the direction of a rebuild, or at least a re-tool – of their three high draft picks in the amateur draft, two players were signed right out of High School. The exception to this, Samuel Parra, was drafted to fill an immediate need.
Having struggled to upgrade at almost any position, the Rays are entering a difficult season. The most recognisable players on the team are probably TJUN-ian internationals McRae and Builler, alongside Chromatik Hine Salle, and maybe Miles Savey – against teams like the Saints or Rhinos filled with major international talent, the Stingrays seemed to fall behind. That said, Volcoron is a very capable coach, so maybe he could at least prevent a disaster.

Overview & Trade Deadline
Sometimes, bad teams will camouflage themselves as decent teams for a while giving their fanbase some hope. That was not the case at all for the Stingrays. Not only did Edward Zhuang tear his UCL before the season even began, but game two really showed what the Stingrays would be all about this season. With Miles Savey pitching in his native Chromatika, the Rays got thumped by the Rhonin, 3-16, one of the worst losses any team would suffer throughout the LPB season.
One way to determine whether a team is doing well is to look at comfortable wins – that is to say, wins in which the team did not need to record a save, had to win in extras, and also didn’t walk the game off either. Throughout the first 60 or so games of the season, the Stingrays had two games that fit that description – two! Normal teams experience games like this constantly. For the Stingrays, it happened twice throughout the entire first third of the season. Those games were a 6-2 road win over the Owls that never really felt that safe, and a lone 9-2 win over the Blue Sox at home. In the same timespan, the Stingrays lost while allowing double-digit runs on four different occasions.
Predictably, the Stingrays, having most recently also embarked on a fun 10-game losing skid, found themselves at more than 20 games under .500 by this point, hopelessly out of the playoff race. By the point of the All-Star break, they’d been playing marginally better, and were now 35-57, still very much screwed.
There were a variety of reasons for this, including injuries and misfortune, but the key problem at the center of it all was that the team was pretty bad. There were only two major exceptions, and they were the two players that were on the All-Star team – Designated Hitter Anna Builler actually started, while Starter Jason McRae was an All-Star alternate. The two TJUN-ians were the only two players that were even really close.

If you expected the second half to get much better, I have done a very poor job of explaining the first half. The Walstreim Stingrays continued to be bad in the second half of the season. Zhuang eventually returned to the team after a couple rehab starts, but other players would eventually sustain injuries to the point where it barely even mattered. Throughout the rest of the season, the Walstreim Stingrays would lose a couple more games by big margins, including allowing double-digit runs in three games in a row at one point. That six-game road trip had a strong case to be the worst trip a pitching staff has ever had. They started by losing 2-14 and 3-7 in Elephant Valley, then lost 3-8 and 7-13 in a division-matchup in St. Riecarn, before capping off the trip by getting thumped 3-12 and 2-10 at the Wizards. Truly horrifying all around.
It was really bad. The Rays finished 68-116, the worst record in South Newlandia, and easily the worst one in modern Stingrays history. Usually a performance like that will at least give a team premium draft picks – but about that…

One slice of a season (one random game of 184)
MD43: Walstreim Stingrays @ Elephant Valley Homers
Elephant Stadium, the home of the Homers, is the biggest stadium in South Newlandia, and also is the home of the national team, hence the name. In fact, it’s been playing host to Elephants’ games ever since the very first South Newlandian appearance in the World Baseball Classic, so playing there definitely is a meaningful trip for the other teams – especially non-North teams who only get two trips a season. The second one in this season has already come up, but in this one, the Rays weren’t complete underdogs. Sure, they were 13-29 and pretty much cooked, but they had won four of their last seven. In this matchup, they would have Chromatik veteran Miles Savey pitching, facing the Homers’ ace, Quebecois right-hander Kevin Buchanan. It was promising to be a strong pitching matchup, though the Homers were favoured slightly. They may have had the better pitcher and home advantage, but the Rays had recently swept the green team just a couple of games ago in Walstreim.
The game got off to an excellent start for both pitchers. Buchanan and Savey each still hadn’t allowed a run through five, but the Stingrays eventually got on the board thanks to a two-run Anna Builler home run in the 5th. Savey, meanwhile, continued being untouchable, and would finish his outing with seven innings of no-run ball, in line for the win, with the Rays still up 2-0.
The Stingrays would proceed to provide some more help in the eighth, with Masayoshi Kuramochi leading off with a homer, and Josh Malouf of Brookstation also contributing an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Walstreim would then go to the bullpen, where Isabella Romero surrendered a Patiris Eká Molos home run to pull the Homers within three and break up the shutout, but in the bottom of the ninth, Hine Salle was going to be there. The veteran Chromatik closer had herself a vintage performance, sitting down the heart of the Homers’ lineup to lock down the win, improving the Rays to 14-29. They would surrender seven runs to the Homers the next day, and split the series.

Walstreim Stingrays         0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0  4
Elephant Valley Homers      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

The RTC Trophy

One innovation for this season was the introduction of a domestic-cup style tournament running throughout the first half of the season. The Stingrays were drawn to take a trip to the Sophie City Monarchs in the first round, a team that was very much on the opposite trajectory compared to the Stingrays. Given how early this took place in the season, some Stingrays fans had hope, especially with Jason McRae on the mound in game one. Sure, the TJUN-ian would be facing Llamanean Tiger Carter Wilkinson, but still. McRae was good, allowing three runs in six innings. That kind of performance would usually keep a team in the game, but unfortunately, the Stingrays would only score two runs all game; one of which came on a Monarchs error, the other on a Aiden Beasley double.
A two-run home run surrendered by Beatrice Castreaux basically killed any hope of a comeback against the strong Monarchs pitching staff.
Game two would see the ball given to veteran Miles Savey. His day started very bad, allowing a three-run triple in the first, and would not get any better. However, the Stingrays were actually keeping up a little bit with some run support, most notably with an Anna Builler home run in the fourth that pulled the Rays within one; although Josh Malouf deserves some credit for a three-hit, two-RBI night as well. Nevertheless, that Builler homer would be the final run the Stingrays scored, and the Monarchs would once again put things out of reach with a two-run homer; this time coming in the sixth. Trailing 4-7, the Stingrays never really had another good opportunity, as they were quietly eliminated from the tournament.

Walstreim Stingrays         0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0  2
Sophie City Monarchs        0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 X  5

Walstreim Stingrays         0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  4
Sophie City Monarchs        3 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 X  7

Recap: Pitchers

The Stingrays had the very worst pitching staff of the South Newlandian League, going purely by runs allowed. There are some extenuating circumstances; but Jason McRae was the only starter who even looked average for most of the season. The TJUN-ian was still good, and almost certainly the best player on the Stingrays, but he, too, suffered from the overall situation.
Miles Savey was still capable of top-tier play, like he was in his prime, but the writing is on the wall for him. At age 37, it is unclear whether he’ll play another season, and his overall metrics were down across the board. He was still a valuable asset, especially to try to keep some form of a clubhouse culture alive, but his best pitching is behind him. Additionally, he laboured all season with a variety of small ailments; it definitely wasn’t a fun season for the Chromatik.
The same applies to Edward Zhuang. The former Nikcoro Sun missed the first two thirds of the season injured, and was pretty mediocre when he came back. He had been acquired by the Rays at a previous trade deadline, but the Llamanean hasn’t really been able to deliver on the hope.
Udo Mori is the most interesting case. Coming in from Benjium, the 33-year-old had some trouble adjusting to the pace of Llamaphant Pro Baseball, and it really showed in his first starts. It did get better eventually, but Mori was still average at best by the end of the season; certainly, he failed to deliver on the hype.
The rotation was rounded out by the pair of starters from Sanford, Crissey Battey and Quentin Burke. Burke had initially started out in the bullpen, but with various injuries, he ended up starting more often than not. Both players were mostly fine as fifth pitchers, but neither was going to really elevate the rotation.
Speaking of the bullpen, Hine Salle and Beatrice Castreaux led a unit that was probably the best part about the Stingrays in this season. Salle, in particular, turned back time to deliver a stellar season reminiscent of her prime, when she was one of the best closers in the multiverse; but both Chromatiks had good seasons.
Barak Barakat struggled in his maiden voyage in the majors, but he’s still fairly young, and there were some clear growing pains with him too. A promising second half suggests he has some better baseball ahead of him.
And then there were the two second-season South Newlandians. Former #15 overall pick Michael Otto continued to disappoint, with the lefty wholly inadequate for that high of a pick for a reliever; while Isabella Romero, drafted four picks later, at least looks like she can be a quality addition for the team – still not as good as you’d hope for a first-round draft pick.
Overall, the Rays surrendered 916 runs, the only South Newlandian team that season to crack 900, although this was certainly helped by the fourteen separate occasions that saw the Stingrays allow 10 or more runs in the same game.

Recap: Fielders
Why the bats were bad is a much more interesting story. They, too, were the worst in South Newlandia, clocking in at 701 runs; a run differential of -215 when no other team even managed to fall as far as -150. None of the aforementioned stats were the worst in Esportiva, but it was still pretty bad.
Starting at catcher, Marcus Nox looked like a solid pickup. Part of the Benjium trio, he was solid on both sides of the ball, and quickly took the starting role from Grady Elliott, with the veteran from Hapilopper becoming one of the best backup catcher in the SNL. In the infield, Levin Griffiths continued to be decent in year three, until a collision at first base caused his hand to get roughed up pretty bad. Missing most of the second half, he did eventually return, but the sample size was too small to project whether it’ll affect the former first-rounder long term.
Young TJUN-ian Masayoshi Kuramochi looked pretty solid, although the Cub probably needs another year or two of development, especially when it comes to his pitch selection. At just 21, Kuramochi has time and room to grow. Veteran Shortstop Josh Malouf of Brookstation was one of the better players on the team, backed up by straight-out-of-High School rookie Abeer Mahto. The big-bodied middle infielder showed some productive plate appearances, but we’ll likely see more in a season or two.
The Rays had more infielders – Hapilopper native Aiden Beasley was a solid all-around third baseman with few flashy plays, while Roberto Villa is a fine defensive-minded infield backup.
The outfield was where the problems really lied. Only partial blame falls on corner outfielders Erin Guthrie and Alejandro Rivera, as both Llamaneans missed significant time injured – although they also had mediocre seasons when they were healthy. The real problem was Samuel Parra. Signed after starting for three years at NCfIR, the Rays had hoped for him to immediately fill a need in Center Field. Parra, who made a name for himself with major pop in the Big 14, struggled. The first-round pick spent most of the season wildly flailing around against pitches well out of the zone, and looked generally lost against big-league off-speed stuff. Additionally, he struggled defensively. Sure, Seaside Park is a very tough park to play well in, but it really isn’t [i]that[/] difficult. Certainly not as difficult as Parra made it look, who also led all outfielders in errors.
Designated Hitter Anna Builler looked excellent in the first half, but the TJUN-ian noticeably cooled down in the second half, cutting her home run count by half.

Awards
Surprisingly, the Stingrays won an award after the season – Aiden Beasley took home the Gold Glove at third base. Unfortunately, my idea to also award the worst player at each position hasn’t caught on yet – probably all the better for Parra.
The closest to one of the big awards was closer Hine Salle, who actually placed in Reliever of the Season voting.

The future
The future for the Stingrays looks, in a word, bleak. For one, the writing is on the wall for many of the veterans of the team. Miles Savey, Hine Salle, and Grady Elliott are the most likely to retire, with the return of Edward Zhuang, Beatrice Castreaux, Josh Malouf and Aiden Beasley also in question.
Additionally, there is the problem with the draft picks. Two seasons earlier, in pursuit of a playoff push, the Stingrays had traded for Nikcoro Suns ace Edward Zhuang. That playoff push would never come, with the Rays missing the postseason, and Zhuang never following on on his time as a Sun. Unfortunately for the Stingrays, the piece they’d given up was their now-upcoming first round pick. So, they’re sending the second-overall pick to Nikcoro. In fact, the Stingrays find themselves without a first-round selection in the upcoming draft. Bleak really doesn’t do it justice.
It seems likely that the Stingrays are going to build a tank next season, with pieces like Builler and McRae possibly going to be on the market. Additionally, it seems likely that TJUN-ian manager Pedro Volcoron will take the fall for this season, although he’s hardly the one (or at least – the only one) to blame. It’s not going to be fun to be a Stingrays fan for the foreseeable future.

[Banija]

An 'all-timer' of a series reaches its zenith with a do-or-die Game 5

VICTORIAVILLE, CASSADAIGUA- I mean, this was inevitable, wasn't it? It's #1 v. #2, the defending champs v. the favorites, and with all the recent accolades these two teams have won in recent years, the fact that it is a series that is going the distance makes sense. Maybe the way it has gotten there isn't the greatest- if you're a Banijan fan, anyways- but here we have it.

How did we get here though? Let's dive in- Games 3 and 4!

Game 3- Odongo Lutaakome v. Ryan Hunter

A recurring theme in this series, even if it has been a short series, has been the lack of Banijan hitting- or the dominant consistency of South Newlandian pitching. Depending on your perspective. But regardless, this pitching matchup would be a fantastic one. Lutaakome against Hunter. A young, hard-throwing righty on Banija's side, who's looking to prove himself as the best pitcher in the new-look MBL_ against the veteran lefty, Ryan Hunter, who's going for his third world championship. Trying to put a capstone on a South Newlandian dynasty- three out of 4 is a true dynasty. Or is it Banija trying to establish their own dynasty?

Both pitchers were largely dealing to start the game. But that's the thing about the WBC- the rosters are so deep, on both sides, that there's threats and danger lurking everywhere. And that was how the Elephants scored their first run- via the bottom of the order. Their #8 hitter, David Drum, led off the inning with a single. He's not as fast as he once was, of course- but he's probably SNL's most-capped player at the WBC. He's seen it all, done it all. It takes speed to steal a base- but also, smarts. Instincts. Etc.. Lutaakome wasn't even trying to keep him at first- no pickoff attempts. Drum was able to take a big lead, and then jumped on a pitcher's count. He had studied- Lutaakome loved to go for a breaking ball inside to get a strikeout. The strikeout was successful- Brad Moore struck out swinging, but the throw was late. Drum had turned back the clock and stolen second.

So man on second, one out. Shawn Zimmerman up at the plate. He's got a legitimate claim to best player in the world- think he's going to let this opportunity pass him by? He would then double to the wall in left center. David Drum would easily score, and the one out, RBI double gave South Newlandia an early lead. Dangerous things could have really been brewing for the Elephants- but Lutaakome was able to do some serious damage control. He got Mike Larsen to pop up, and then Yousuf Henry to strike out looking to end the inning. 1-0 to the Elephants- but still early.

We had that same score in the bottom of the fourth. Despite Atla Gadilefe leading off the game with a first inning double, Ryan Hunter was dealing- retiring nine in a row after that leadoff double. But the Banijan hitters, in this inning, would showcase why so many of them were LPB All-Stars. Joanna Adoyo started things off with a leadoff walk to start the fourth inning. Runner on base, nobody out- and Sadiiq Xoosh was at the plate. And, well folks- there's a reason that many say Xoosh currently holds the belt for best player in the world. He got a 1-0 fastball, and crushed the bejesus out of it- a towering, 2 run bomb to the seats in left field. A hitter friendly ballpark, to be sure, but it was really an excellent swing. And just like that, we were up 2-1.

But we were not done. Far from it. Gouta Rehana, hitting cleanup for the first time, would then hit a double of her own- meaning a runner on second base, and still, nobody out. That caused Ryan Hunter to get a visit from the pitching coach- nowhere close to taking him out, obviously, but in a short series, just trying to calm things down. Ugonna Akachi would then hit a lazy fly out to left field- where Rehana could not tag up. One away. Then, up comes the DH, Madongo Kiribata. Lefty v. Lefty- but yet, he would lace a single to right field. Runners on the corners, just one out. The young catcher, Mutebi Nvunyi, then got a RBI single to drive home Rehana. Runners on 1st and 2nd, just one out.

Rally really going? A chance to break it open. But- Ryan Hunter doubled down. Against an Abothi Kakooza who's really been struggling at the plate, he got Kakooza to ground out to a routine 6-4-3 double play to get out of the inning. Still, Banija scored three runs in this inning- and those would be the only three runs we'd score the entire game. Both Ryan Hunter and Odongo Lutaakome would just go out there and dominate. Lutaakome and Hunter- going pitch for pitch, strikeout for strikeout. Neither of them really getting into any jams after that. But still, that's advantage to us- we led 3-1, and that had the potential to be enough.

The final inning came- the 9th. What does Oladipo do? He thinks about it, and then decides to bring Lutaakome back on. Allow the young pitcher to try to finish a complete game effort, in game 3 of the WBC Semifinals. He's a future ace, right? But he's got the very middle of the order up at the plate. Nicolas Perez, Toni Schäfer
, and Malika Bains. Perez, the right-hander, led off the 9th inning with a double. Sweat started dropping from the faces of the Banijans. Oladipo placed a call to the bullpen- Oyella Lagum, the closer, starting warming up. Then, Toni Schäfer, the DH, up at the plate. Lutaakome eventually strikes her out- his ridiculous 12th strikeout of the contest.

One gone. Runner still on second. Then Malika Bains does something nobody expects- a squeeze. Yes, you read that correctly. Not a sac bunt- but trying to lay one down for a base hit. And she succeeds! She lays down a perfect bunt down the first base line, and everybody's safe. Runners on the corners, tying run on first, one gone- and Lutaakome still on the mound. Oladipo's got no choice- he's got to go to his closer. His closer blew a save in the last series, but of course, was successful just a couple of nights ago, in Game 1 of this series. So Lagum comes on- one gone. Daryl Dunlop at the plate. Dunlop hits a fly ball, to right field- Ugonna Akachi is underneath it. He catches it. Perez tags up- the throw home is perfect, it's on a rope... But it's not in time. Perez is safe, Dunlop gets the sac fly. Meanwhile, Bains tagged up from first to second- smart baserunner.

Two out, two gone. David Drum- another age-old veteran. It was a 12 pitch at-bat- Drum, the wily veteran, simply kept fouling them off. Walk. Runners on first and second. Everybody tense- nail clipper company stocks are sinking. South Newlandia calls on a pinch-hitter- Emil Hurley steps off the bench. Imagine stepping off the bench and getting a hit here? A single ties the game- extra bases might possibly take the lead. In this game, with these stakes? Hurley's got a shot. And Shawn Zimmerman on-deck? Gotta do whatever it takes to avoid Zimmerman.

And Lagum.. Gets the job done. Two fastballs pumped past Hurley for swinging strikes- the first at 98 mph, the second at 101. Then, a backdoor breaking ball that absolutely freezes Hurley- strike three looking. An absolutely filthy at-bat for Oyella Lagum, showcasing why he's so damn good at this in the first place. "A little too close at the end there." Said Oladipo chuckling, although he thought it was the furthest thing from funny. "But what matters is- we got the save, we won. We're up 2-1. We've got a chance to close out the series tomorrow night- we're going to trust in Musabingo Vunaana to bring us home."

Game 4- Musabingo Vunaana v. Hailey Clark

Another theme this Classic- our inability to close out a series. Once is a coincidence, twice is a concern... Is thrice a pattern? Heading into Game 4, we were 0-2 in our first closeout game opportunities of each of our playoff series in this Classic. We were up 2-1 against TJUN-ia in the first round going into Game 4, but we lost that one- and had to have Gola carry us in Game 5. We were also up 2-0 against Chromatika in the quarterfinals- we lost Game 3, and then blew a save in the 9th inning of Game 4, having to grind through our bullpen to win that one in 15 innings, to avoid a do-or-die Game 5- and what avoid being on the brink of what would have been a total and complete collapse.

So Vunaana, who was 3-0 in closeout games last WBC postseason, was given the baseball here. "Look, I'm confident that I can turn this around, and send us back to the WBC Championship Series." He told reporters heading into the game. "I like how my stuff is looking right now." There is also, of course, the concern over Banija's offense. 8 total runs over the course of three runs. Not enough to get it done. Before Game 3, we made a change to the batting order- moving Gouta Rehana to cleanup, Ugonna Akachi to fifth, and then Madongo Kiribata to 6th.

Today, we made another change. Abothi Kakooza has really struggled throughout these playoffs- hitting a horrific .133 throughout the entire postseason, or just 6-45. Oladipo has no choice- he pulled Kakooza, instead giving Ocan Luzira his first ever WBC playoff start. "I needed a change in the lineup, something more to generate more offense." He told reporters. "Kakooza is going to be a good player for a long time- but right now, it's simply not her postseason."

But first, to Musabingo Vunaana. The South Newlandians simply battered him around- knocking him out of the game in the 3rd inning. Pitching just 2.1 innings and allowing 5 earned runs is just a disaster every which way you look at it, especially when you are trying to close out a playoff series. So we had to go to the pen early, getting the ball to Kigongo Namatiwa. He pitched 3.2 innings of one run baseball, getting in the game in the 3rd inning with one out, and pitching through the end of the sixth. That kind of stablization helped on the other side- as the Banijans were actually able to come back, from 5-1 down, and take a 7-5 lead.

Gouta Rehana and Madongo Kiribata both had solo shots in the fourth inning, to claw 2 runs back- just 5-3 after four. And in the fifth inning, we really broke things open. Chafukwa struck out to open the fifth inning, of course. But then, the top of the order would roar. Atla Gadilefe and Joanna Adoyo would hit back to back singles, putting runners on the corners with just one out. But then a two run double by Sadiiq Xoosh would tie the game, with Gadilefe scoring, and Adoyo scoring all the way from first, to make it 5-5. And then, the very next at-bat, Gouta Rehana would hit her second HR of the game- with Xoosh on base. A 2 run blast, to make it 7-5.

Up 2 runs after 5- with a huge comeback too. A great chance to closeout this series? You never want to let a team as good as South Newlandia back into a game, or series- you will rue the day. "Not winning this game, up two runs after the fifth.." said a former coach turned analyst, "Is absolutely brutally painful. Golden opportunity- teams like the Elephants don't typically give you two chances to knock them out." The Elephants scored one run in the 6th, to make it 7-6, and then when we went to our middle relievers in the seventh, they battered them around- scoring 3 combined runs in the 7th off of Sadiki Walulya and Diko Maatle, to take the lead for good.

A wild, 9-7 win for South Newlandia sets up a do-or-die Game 5. "It's winner take all." Isaac Oladipo said afterwards. "Look, we wanted this game- but we have earned another chance at the apple. We are going to be ready." With the built in off-days that come with the playoffs, we'll have a mouthwatering ace v. ace matchup in Game 5- Xolile Gola v. Maike Bookmer. Winner takes a step ahead in the rivalry, and punches their ticket to the WBC Championship Series. Does it possibly get any better than this??

[Ranoria]

@RSNN Vick Hamilton is no longer employed at RSNN. Please be advised that primetime anchors will be rotating until his position is filled, thank you.

@SportsCritical Vick Hamilton reportedly fired from RSNN for embezzling funds? Wasn't this guy the richest personality in the sports field? How does a broadcast guy even get access to funds to embezzle?

@VickHamiltonReporter I wasn't stealing! It was a loan, I was gonna pay it back plus some when I won all the money back!

@Halfdeadbeatmom Best day of my life (sorry kids)

---

The Challenger Enters The Ring:
Krauts Await Their Final Hurdle In Their Championship Debut


Jesse Griffith continued his historic tear against Super Llamaland, helping prevent a game five by spearheading an 8-run third inning in game four and blasting a walk-off homer in the fifteenth of game three

After years of stock-trade-candlestick like growth, testing new high after new high to try and finally break that resistance, Ranoria has finally made it to a non-gridiron sporting championship, but it didn't come easy. With an unbelievably high scoring first pair of contests in the rear-view, game three saw Jacklyn Flowers enter the ring. Undefeated so far in the playoffs, she made sure not to let us slip into elimination territory, pitching a full 9.1 innings and allowing just two runs in what was arguably the best pitching performance of the tournament for Ranoria. Unfortunately that wasn't quite enough to push past Super-Llamaland, not yet at least, because they'd held our explosive bats to just as many by the time she got pulled.

And unfortunately for the Tigers, whey weren't really in a great position to play a marathon game. After Solveig Jørgensen had allowed just one run through six innings, an RJ Hall double that he turned into a triple saw Llamanean manager Macraun pull their starter for Simon Chu. Chu did alright, got them out of the inning at least, but Vincent Veltrone knocking that same RJ Hall in caused Macraun to turn to a second reliever. No one was really sure what the plan was here, but two innings later we'd burned through two more relievers despite just three hits in that span - meanwhile Corey Nielman had only just stepped up to the plate. As the best reliever on the squad not named Miellan Walker, He managed to get into the eleventh inning, shrugging off the building tension of a game going well beyond its scheduled run time.

Thomas Barnett took his spot, and eventually the rapid-fire substitution plan didn't go so well. Jesse Griffith tanked a souvenir into the lights to finally take the lead, Ranoria's first of the game, and Miellan Walker got a save on the bottom-of-the-fifteenth close.

Game four? It turned into another familiar shootout. Brady Behringer wasn't great, but Carter Wilkinson had a very, very poor day. He was responsible for six of the nine runs in the second and third innings of game four, allowing this thing to turn into a shootout, which at this point, our side was becoming all-too-familiar with.

Ranoria triumphed 11-8, with over a team that represented our first huge playoff win since the Sherpa Empire in WBC 50 and one representing a country that's done a huge amount to help push Ranoria over the hump in this sport. Jeff Huang and Trevor Mikkelson-Yao didn't make it easy - they were the primary drivers behind the Tigers' share of the 62 combined runs in just a four game series and nearly brought it back in gamae four, but Jesse Griffith has been on an absolute warpath this postseason, clearly separating himself even from our former SLL MVP Julian Breit.

The efforts of this squad - between a 3-0 playoff mark for Jacklyn Flowers, Breit and Griffith slugging their hearts out, or RJ Hall, Rylan Rodgers Jr, and Clark Weaver's infusion of youth to give just a bit of an extra kick - have been enough to grant Ranoria her first championship berth off of a gridiron, a monumental moment for a nation's sports fans who are finally riveted on something other than an oblong ball.

Either South Newlandia, who can claim a similar relationship to our Krauts as Super-Llamaland, or our greatest rival in Banija. The last three Classics have gone to one of those two teams, and we played each once in our last two semifinal berths - after three trips to the cusp of greatness, Ranoria's finally ascended to the mountain's apex.

Now all we've got to do is knock off whoever steps up to the plate opposite - play ball.

[Cassadaigua]

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57- Semifinals

(1) South Newlandia vs (5) Banija @ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville

Game 5:

Banija                 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 0  6
South Newlandia        0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0  4

Banija wins series, 3-2


WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57 CHAMPIONSHIP
(5) Banija vs (6) Ranoria (best of seven) @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights


Third Place Series:
(1) South Newlandia vs (10) Super-Llamaland (best of five) @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland

[Ko-oren]

"And now I shall methodically prove that the Ko-orenite clubs pass the eye test," Robert Jackson announced after court reconvened. The judge was taken aback a little, not being the first to do any announcing after court is back in session, but let it slide. Unconventional methods for an unconventional case. Elly Phant, representing the LPB, was quick to raise an objection. "Methodically? What method exactly?"

"I'm glad you asked! In true Ko-orenite fashion, we have deviced a foolproof, 39-point test to show whether a baseball play, player, team, or game passes the eye test. Ultimately, however, it's less a game where you score a number of points and if that's over a threshold, you win. It's more a jury sport. Synchronised diving, say, or pretty much anything equestrian. Ultimately, it's up to the judge to say whether the 39-point test holds enough sway, and whether we score high enough on it, for us to stay in the LPB."

"Hold it!" Phant yelled out. "If the test is so important, you have to let us look at it in preparation for a trial. You can't drop this on us out of nowhere."

"Well, then you might also not like my powerpoint presentation - slide transitions courtesy of my 8-year old."

"No, I very much don't."

"Or the 6-hour video essay with actual LPB game footage proving that we pass the eye test?"

"By which means have you obtained said footage?"

"I mostly just screen recorded some WhoTube highlights."

"Is that within the terms and conditions of the LPB?"

"I hoped you could tell me - you're representing the LPB after all."

The judge intervened. "Yes, the representation for the LPB should be allowed to look into the method and raise any objections. That said, no matter the method, the judgment should remain the same. We're not here to discuss the method, we're here to discuss the outcome."

"In that case," Jackson continued, "we have summarised the study into this neat radar diagram."

The judge slammed his gavel a few times to give himself some time to interpret the graphic. "Am I correct in assuming that in no part of the game, the Ko-orenite clubs surpass the average of the other three conferences?"

"Yes"

"How important is pitching?"

"It's about half the game."

"And the Ko-orenite conference is far worse at it?"

"Yes"

"Physical, tactical, and fielding is the same. But that pitching... and the hitting, too! That's a major part of the entertainment value. I think I have reached my verdict."

"And?"

"Get these Ko-orenite clubs out of here. Improve your pitching, and try again."

[Banija]

Banijans triumph in instant classic of a Game 5 with South Newlandia to advance to the WBC Championship Series

VICTORIAVILLE, CASSADAIGUA- "Stunning." "Shocking." "Absolutely can't believe my eyes." Just a few of the phrases some of the players used after this wacky, and wild, do-or-die Game 5 in the WBC Semifinals against South Newlandia. It has been a spectacular series to this point, as it always promised to be, in games of these kinds of stakes, and opponents of this caliber- who are in a rivalry that is a very strong one. With great athletes on both sides, this one always promised to be a barnstormer, and surprise surprise- we got one.

Opening Innings- Banija takes an early lead as Xolile Gola showcases her best stuff

In the early goings, a lot of this game was all about Xolile Gola showing the world exactly how good she was. She's an elite pitcher- always has been- and even at 38, she can get up for these Game 5s. She simply mowed through the South Newlandian batting order her first time through- 9 up, 9 down, with 4 strikeouts. Turning back the clock a little bit, although she'd definitely oppose that description of things. But it certainly was- she worked at her own pace, kept the Elephants hitters unsettled and off-balance, and just made herself the story of the early goings.

Of course, there's a reason baseball games aren't three innings long.

In the first two innings, we couldn't score after a first inning double by Joanna Adoyo, or a first inning single by our starting catcher. But in the third inning, we started to really pull things together. Ipe Chafukwa led off the third inning with a single- and that's when things really started to go well for us. Atla Gadilefe was up next- and he walked. Runners on first and second, only one out. Joanna Adoyo up at the plate. But New Llama Cyclones pitcher Maike Bookmer struck out Adoyo, catching her chasing that patented sinker.

Sadiiq Xoosh at the plate- one out, same situation. But he hit a single up the middle- base hit. Chafukwa was always rounding third, and Zimmerman's throw was excellent- but Chafukwa was at the plate just barely ahead of the tag. RBI single for Sadiiq Xoosh, runners on the corners, one away. Banija up 1-0. Gouta Rehana would then ground out into a 4-6-3 inning ending double play, but still- 1-0 up. And in the top of the fourth inning, we'd do damage again. Ugonna Akachi, our free swinging right fielder, would go yard- smashing a solo HR into the left field seats to start the fourth inning. Banija up, 2-0.

Middle Innings- Banijan pitching falters as the Elephants take the lead

Bottom of the fourth. Xolile Gola had retired the entire order, the first time through, for the Elephants. But they're too good to simply continue doing that- everybody knew that. And so when Shawn Zimmerman hit a ground rule double to right center field, to lead off the fourth inning, it didn't exactly rattle people. But the Elephants knew what they were doing- and they were going to showcase why they were the #1 team in the world. Mike Larsen hit a ground out to the right side, where Chafukwa had to make a diving play to prevent him from having the RBI single- and toss him out at first. Zimmerman, however, was definitely able to tag up. So sac ground out, one out.

Runner on third. Up comes Yousuf Henry- and he wanted to showcase his talents too. First pitch swinging, he's lining one down the left field line... That hits the foul pole! A home run, as the Elephants, and their fans, celebrate. They certainly are able to generate both power, and clutch hitting, even with runners on base, and so they did exactly that. The depth of this lineup is ridiculous- and that's why they are so dangerous, especially in a do-or-die Game 5. It's why they were able to force a Game 5 in the first place- despite blowing a 5-1 lead just two nights ago, in an elimination game. But the Elephants were not done- even if the 4th inning ending with a score of 2-2.

It would be Shawn Zimmerman who would lead off the top of the 6th inning. Tensions rising- tied in the late innings of a winner-take-all Game 5? In the 2-2 ballgame, Xolile Gola, naturally, was still on the mound. And Shawn Zimmerman was at the plate. And when the switch-hitter had a leadoff single, people knew that things were going to get very interesting. Like he likes to do, he wanted to steal second- and he did so, successfully, with Nvunyi's throw being just a fraction of a second late. Runner on second, nobody out. Then, Gola was able to get Mike Larsen to pop up to first base. And after that- well, Yousuf Henry up at the plate. And he walks. On five pitches.

Not good. First and second. One gone. Next up, we have Nicolas Perez. And, well- we'll have the radio commentators carry you through that one.

It's a 2-2 ballgame here in the bottom of the 6th, with just one gone. Shawn Zimmerman, the go-ahead run, is in scoring position, on second base. Yousuf Henry on first. Nicolas Perez is a power hitter, loves to take those huge hacks. Gola delivers... AND IT'S A FLY BALL! To DEEP, straightaway center field!! Joanna Adoyo backs up to the track, to the wall, is she gonna try to make a play on this?? She leaps and... WHAT A CATCH! WHAT A CATCH! SHE LEAPT AND BROUGHT THAT ONE BACK OVER THE WALL- ROBBING NICOLAS PEREZ OF THE 3 RUN BOMB!

An insane defensive play! Both runners, of course, tag up- she fell to the ground after making the catch, so smart baserunning. But Joanna Adoyo has saved us from the Elephants simply putting this game away right then and there!!!

An insane catch. One more batter to get out of the inning- Toni Schäfer. Unfortunately for Gola, no crazy defensive play to save her this time. She lined one into the gap, that dropped easily- a standup double that scored both baserunners. A hell of a time for the Elephants, as their fans celebrated. Their first lead of the ballgame! Bookmer pitching well. And, most importantly- that pitch saw Xolile Gola knocked out of the ballgame. 5.2 innings, 4 earned- not disastrous, but not the greatest effort either. Now down 4-2, what would we do?

Naiser Ibeamaka got the final out of the 7th inning, getting Malika Bains to fly out to end the 6th, but surely- advantage Elephants.

Seventh Inning- the iconic moment

4-2 to South Newlandia. Bookmer back out there for the Elephants. The top of the order up for Banija- and a lot of nerves for Banijan fans, and players. Already, in some places, this team's obituary was being written. One journalist had already tweeted the following, after the 6th- "We blew it in Game 4. Huge comeback, took the lead, then our bullpen lost it all for us, and now Gola's 38. Simply not good enough. A lot of pain tonight for Banijan baseball fans, wondering what might have been."

Of course, that might have been the most freezing cold take of the night.

When Atla Gadilefe led off, he was sitting on the fastball. And once he got it- he laced it down the right field line. A pull hitter, he got some power behind it, and the dude was flying onto the basepaths. He didn't stop until he was sliding, headfirst, into third base, beating the relay from Malika Bains. A triple to leadoff the seventh inning gave the Banijans confidence and faith- and got us to throw on our rally caps. And when Joanna Adoyo stepped up next, she continued her excellent day at the plate- her 3rd hit in four plate appearances, a base hit to left field that got the run to score. Just like that, nobody out, the first two batters with hits, and one of them has scored. Key RBI single by Joanna Adoyo to cut the Elephants led in half, 4-3.

The arms started warming up in the bullpen for the Elephants. Fourth time through- the Banijans getting to him? And Sadiiq Xoosh up at the plate- scary stuff. Xoosh lined one into the gap in left center- but Zimmerman made a great diving play to rob him of extra bases, and what would have probably seen Adoyo score all the way from first. She was barely able to scramble back to first base in time, to avoid the double play. Still, one out- but we were making great contact. The Elephants manager had a decision to make, with Gouta Rehana up at the plate. Sofia Rasmussen thought about it, and then jogged up to the mound. Had a short conversation with Bookmer- who then handed her the baseball.

Bookmer got a standing O from the South Newlandia fans. 4-3 game, one out, Adoyo on first base. So she threw out Dhruv Webber, a lefty, to face off against Gouta Rehana. Webber, one of the best relievers in the game, is the best lefty in the Elephants bullpen. And of course, this situation was very high leverage, despite it 'only' being the seventh inning. However, the Banijan bats were simply too ready for this moment.

The intensity of this game! Joanna Adoyo is on first base, one out- and they've brought Dhruv Webber out of the pen. Makes sense-two of the next three hitters up are lefty, and with the talent in this lineup, Webber's the type of person you want on the mound in this situation. But Gouta Rehana, at the plate- she's mighty dangerous. Already establishing herself as an elite hitter at the plate, she's going to be a dangerous hitter for anyone to try and attack. Webber rears back, and delivers the first pitch... Ball 1. On the inside corner. Brad Moore appeals to the third base ump, but nothing doing. 1-0 count.

Webber delivers the next pitch... AND THERE GOES THE RUNNER! Adoyo had a great lead, and took off- Brad Moore catches the pitch and throws it to second... And it's not in time!! Oh my! Joanna Adoyo's stolen second base! Tying run is in scoring position with one out- the pressure continues to build on the Elephants pitcher. The pitch itself was a strike, BTW- Gouta Rehana swung over it. We've got a 1-1 count here... AND IT'S A FLY BALL! To DEEP RIGHT FIELD! MIKE LARSEN TRACKS TO THE WALL.. AND HE'S JUST LOOKING INTO THE STANDS! A HOME RUN! A HOME RUN! GOUTA REHANA, IN STUNNING FASHION, HAS HIT A TWO-RUN, SEVENTH INNING BLAST, TO GIVE BANIJA A 5-4 LEAD IN GAME 5 OF THE WBC SEMIFINALS! HOLY HELL, WHAT A SWING OF THE BAT!!

An explosion from the Banijan fans in the building, and on the bench. Gouta Rehana's swing of the bat has changed everything about this ballgame. Suddenly, we were in the lead, and Gouta Rehana was in the position of being the hero. Webber, of course, was still on the mound. He struck out Ugonna Akachi- but Madongo Kiribata had a solo home run of his own, Banija's second of the inning, to make it 6-4. A top of the 7th inning that had completely turned everything on its head- a shocking 6-4 lead, for Banija. Did we have pole position to reach the WBC Championship Series?

Late Innings- Backend of the Bullpen answers the call

It was Naiser Ibeamaka, who got the final out of the 6th, who would open the 7th inning on the mound for the Banijans. In line for the win at this point. Why not? But when Daryl Dunlop hit a leadoff double to start the 7th, Isaac Oladipo knew that he needed to go to the back end of the bullpen. Sebaga Atla is usually the 8th inning guy, he likes to trust the middle relievers with the 7th. But this was the playoffs, and in a winner-take-all game- he'd rely on his best, backend arms. Atla entering the game, with a man on second and nobody out. And he was excellent. He got David Drum to pop up, he then got Brad Moore to line out, softly, to Sadiiq Xoosh in left, and finally, after walking Shawn Zimmerman, he got Mike Larsen to ground out to Gadilefe at short to end the inning.

Isaac Oladipo then turned to his closer, when the 8th inning started. "Look, a 2 out save isn't ideal, I know- but in the playoffs, in the biggest games, you've got to rely on your best relievers more than ever." He told reporters. "And this- this is one of those moments." Oladipo ended up looking like a genius. Oyella Lagum would face seven batters across two innings. He struck out Henry, allowed a single to Nicolas Perez, then got both Toni Schäfer and Malika Bains to ground out to third base. In the 9th inning, he got Dunlop to pop up, David Drum to strike out, and then, with Emil Hurley pinch-hitting for Brad Moore, he got Hurley to fly out to Ugonna Akachi to end the game- and the series.

What a series for Banija. "This team- we've shown that we're always going to be hard as hell to beat." Said Isaac Oladipo. "People say we're bad at closeout games- but in reality, we've got that never say die attitude." And he has a point. This team might indeed have that dawg in 'em, as the kids these days would say. Game 5 first round- took our first lead in the bottom of the 8th. Game 4 of the QFs- we blew a save in the 9th, but survived that and then rallied to win it in the 15th. And in this one- we took our final lead in the seventh inning.

We've only played one game less than the maximum required to get here- with only our QF series not reaching a do-or-die Game 5. But here we are. WBC Championship Series.

A smattering of headlines & notes ahead of the WBC 57 Championship Series

- "Banija v. Ranoria promises record ratings, and ridiculous attendance, as fans from both countries pour into Cassadaigua for baseball's renewal of this most famous rivalry."
- "Brink of a dynasty- back-to-back title wins would truly show this iteration of Banijan baseball for what it truly is- a dynasty of this sport."
- Madongo Kiribata has been working out in the catcher position. He's the team's primary DH, and occasionally a first baseman. However, the 28 year old has experience playing catcher- although he hasn't played any catcher in the last two seasons of pro ball- and has never once played catcher in a WBC game. The manager says he plans on playing Kiribata as a catcher during the Ranorian 'home' games of this series. Lots of questions to be asked as Oladipo prioritizes doing whatever it takes to keep his bat in the lineup- but, naturally, defensive questions abound.

[South Newlandia]

Elephants fail to execute, will face Tigers in Third-Place Match

“We were right in the series, and we had every chance to win it”, Sofia Rasmussen said. Indeed, the losses in games one and three were only by a run each, with the Ellies falling by two runs in game five. Despite actually outscoring Banija across the series, they had simply not been able to erase late deficits time after time.
“Credit to the Lions, they played a fantastic series. They made all the correct decisions, managing their bullpens. Holding on to a slim lead in all three of those games against us is a success on their part as much as it is a failure on ours”. Rasmussen, meanwhile, is widely blamed for her leaving in of Maike Bookmer in the seventh of game five, leading to her ace blowing game, series, and Classic. Perhaps it would not have mattered, as Webber also surrendered a run after coming in.
“It’s sad for the entire team. With the big parts of the core knowing that this was their final opportunity to win one, it feels especially sad that it had to end here.”
David Drum and Daryl Dunlop are two Elephant Fielders who have announced they will be playing their final games at Elephants in this Classic. Likewise, the longest-tenured Elephant starter, Ryan Hunter, will be pitching in his final Classic.
Fortunately for them, the Elephants are not done with the Classic. Instead, they’ll be matching up against a very special rival – Super-Llamaland. Manager Sofia Rasmussen, who has won multiple titles with both Tigers and Elephants, is playing her old team on this stage for the first time, but the Ellies actually played Super-Llamaland twice in the Sansara days. Some players on both sides are still carrying over from then.
“Some teams don’t care about a Third Place Playoff. That’s not us – the Ellies will give their all in this series. Not only is it a rivalry matchup, not only an opportunity to collect the third medal we still need, but most importantly, it’s a chance to give a worthy send-off to the Elephants who will play in their final series.”
Ryan Hunter will get one final start as an Elephant in game three, most likely matching up against Solveig Jørgensen. She, too, is the oldest starter for her team, even though she’s only 31.
“Jørgensen is one of the best players on a team that is absolutely rocketing upwards in their trajectory. The Tigers are finally a top five team in the multiverse again, with young stars like Xu, Benitez, Baines and Gunther – and more.”
One interesting thing in this series will be seeing Elephant pitcher Pas for the first time in these knockouts. However, it should be an interesting series all around, with both teams eager to win, or at the very least, not lose to their cross-pond rivals.
“It’s going to be a great series. I’ll certainly enjoy the opportunity to be in this specific matchup, with two countries that mean a great deal to me. Who knows if I’ll have that chance again.”
Meanwhile, neutral fans will surely be fixated on one of the hottest rivalries in sports running into one another in the WBC Final. “Nothing but respect for both Banija and Ranoria. Both excellent teams full of excellent people, who definitely earned their spot at the very top of baseball. I’m sure we’ll be seeing them again in the future, too.”

---

South Newlandian College Baseball, Part 4: Looking ahead to the draft

Interestingly, of the 25 players to be part of the All-Big 14 selection, only eight have been confirmed to be entering the next LPB draft. That’s because seemingly, the people in charge really liked the young crop of sophomores/freshman in the College Baseball season, who project to make up an excellent next draft class. Nevertheless, the aforementioned group of eight feature some excellent players. Let’s take a look at them (and one unconfirmed, yet seemingly likely addition to the draft) and discuss where they might end up.

RF RJ HALL (Elephant Valley University)
There is little question for who the top selection in the upcoming draft will be. RJ Hall went to High School in Ranoria, where he was born. At small-school Clellinsport, he stood out as a multi-sport athlete in baseball and gridiron. His wide receiving abilities were the thing that had him on peoples’ radar, and it seems unlikely that he would have been recruited by Elephant Valley United without the gridiron in mind. While he was a solid wideout with good hands and route running, he also played baseball for the Red Elephants, and quickly blossomed into one of the best young baseball players in the history of both countries. On the baseball field, he mostly stands out as a slugger, having broken the Big 14 record for home runs both in a career and in a single season. That’s not all he is, though, as he also displayed a phenomenal ability to hit to all fields, ending up with a batting average of nearly .400 against good Big 14 pitching. He’s also a valuable defender, and can make use of his wide receiver speed on the basepaths. When he was recruited out of High School, he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash; and while he’s slowed down a bit as he bulked up, Hall still stands out as a speed-power athlete. Perhaps the best indication of his skills is that the Ranorian national team have taken the young slugger with them to the World Baseball Classic more than once already, including giving him some serious plate appearance counts. If you want to dig for a weakness, RJ Hall doesn’t have an elite arm; even there, he’s entirely sufficient for a corner outfielder.
RH Hall is the best college prospect in the history of the LPB. He’s the most pro-ready player, having an phenomenal floor and a ceiling that might allow him to be one the best baseball players in the league. The only question for which team would draft him was who would have the #1 overall pick. That’s the Nikcoro Suns, and they’re probably ready to move on from their current Right Fielder.

RHSP Josephine GIRARD (Newport Law School)
Girard is likely the best prospect born in South Newlandia in this upcoming draft. A four-year starter for the Gazelles, Josephine Girard had a major part in leading Newport Law to winning the East for the first time in ages in her junior year.
She is the best pitching prospect out of South Newlandian college throughout the LPB era, bringing an excellent big-league ready fastball and massive array of strong off-speed pitches. Her biggest strength might be her pitching temperament, as she’s easily able to put bad pitches behind her, while still being able to “ride the wave” in good games. Despite starting for four years in college, and being as big-league ready as she is, she is only 22 years old.
She is one of the best college prospects in LPB history, and it would be shocking if she were to fall out of the top five. One team that might be interested are the Nikcoro Suns, who also hold the second pick. The Suns don’t currently have an elite-upside starter on the roster, and Girard could easily fill that roll, on her way to a seemingly predestined spot on the Elephants.

SS Lolong FADIYA (Newport College for International Relations)
Banijan shortstop Lolong Fadiya spent his first two years of college ball at the University of Moravica before transferring to Newport for his junior year. Despite the two years in Newport didn’t really going to plan for the Bees, Fadiya stood out as an excellent player on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the switch-hitting shortstop was able to hit effectively to all fields, leading his team in batting average both years. He doesn’t have elite power, but still stands out as a speedy player who can hit for extra bases.
That speed also helps him out on defense, where Fadiya also stands out as an excellent glove, frequently seen on Bees highlight reels with both arm and glove. In addition to that, Fadiya has been a leader for the Bees, guiding a fairly young team, and seemed happy, yet responsible with the attention he got as the standout athlete in his college.
Fadiya is also a probable top five pick, but given some teams (like Nikcoro) already have a great shortstop on the roster, a draft slide isn’t impossible. The Newport Owls would surely love to keep him local at #5, but the South Bryant Chariots (or whatever remains of them) might grab him right ahead of that with the fourth pick, given their need for good players at shortstop (and also for good players, generally).

2B Jordan KÜHN (Newport Law School)
Considering how little of a role Newport has played in the most recent college baseball season, it is quite interesting that three of the top four college prospects come from the city. Despite that, the Gazelle is the other Newport-based middle infielder projected to go early in the draft.
Kühn has committed to pro ball after his junior year with the NLS Gazelles. His three years of starting there included the run to win the Eastern Conference when he was a sophomore, which was clearly his best season and nearly won him the College Player of the Year award. As a junior, he didn’t quite follow up on that performance, but he still stood out as an excellent bat in Newport, especially with plate discipline that is very advanced for his age. Next to an elite pitch recognition, he also packs quite a punch. Defensively, Kühn is somewhat limited by mediocre speed, which is ultimately the reason why he played second rather than short in college. Despite not having an elite arm, he does have excellent reflexes and a high baseball IQ, making him a valuable defender.
Kühn seems more likely to around picks 6-10, but one team might be willing to take him a bit sooner. If the Newport Owls can’t get Fadiya, they might opt to draft the other top infielder out of Newport with the fifth pick. At just 21, Kühn definitely has a lot of room left to grow, and could soon become an elite infielder in pro ball.

LHSP Eric HARVEY (Elephant Valley Science Institute)
The Pelicans run to the South Newlandian College Championship came as a huge surprise, knocking off the two big schools, EVU and RUoN, in the process. Their headline pitcher in this span was junior Eric Harvey, who was also strong in game one of the Finals, and certainly shot up draft boards even further.
Having accomplished all he could try to accomplish in college, Harvey has declared for the LPB amateur draft, hoping to hone his craft in pro ball as soon as possible. Certainly, the tall, imposing southpaw is the best left-handed pitching prospect in this draft, having shown a pretty complete repertoire. While he doesn’t have any particular standout quality, he also doesn’t have an obvious weakness that could really hold him back to much in the big leagues. He’s also definitely the best Pelicans pitcher on offer, so any team that watched the Finals will like him just off of that.
His pitch repertoire is mostly centred around his hard fastball for now, but the off-speed stuff has definitely been coming along in the last two seasons. There’s no reason to think the 21-year-old can’t develop even further in the pros.
Draft boards project him as a possible top-ten pick. One team that might come calling is Peninsulara, who have the 8th-overall selection. For one, they have shown a previous ability to elevate pitching prospects, having added Maddie Benitez and Hailey Clark in recent years; but they also should probably have room for another high-upside South Newlandian on their roster.

OF Rina SANDERSON (Elephant Valley Science University)
Her participation in this draft is certainly less certain that all of the others, as the sophomore could easily return for two more Pelican years if she chooses. However, the now-Big 14 champion has hinted at potentially heading to the LPB right away.
The Llamanean just made history by hitting a grand slam in the Big 14 Final, receiving massive attention in both Super-Llamaland and South Newlandia. While she mostly played Left Field for the Pelicans, she stood out as an excellent defender throughout the outfield, and can definitely play in Center Field as well. The thing that might hold her back there is her fairly mediocre speed, but she does have great instincts and a rocket arm, while being fairly secure with her glove. Perhaps right field is the best spot for her long-term, but the outfield flexibility is definitely an asset for now.
At the plate, the Llamanean definitely leans slugger, with Sanderson one of the more power-happy Pelicans. Her strikeout rate was still fairly high, but that’s definitely understandable playing against lots of pitchers older than her.
While Sanderson is still more raw than most of the others on this list, she does also bring a lot of upside on both sides of the ball. Most popular draft models have her going somewhere around the tenth pick; with her being frequently linked to the Blue Sox. Rüsselsheim, picking ninth, definitely have a need for a strong presence in the outfield, and Sanderson could fill that role long-term.

RHRP Côme NGUYEN (Walstreim Business University)
For obvious reasons, teams are less interested in drafting pure-relievers early. However, there is a decent case to do so when you come across a cant-miss elite prospect, and that’s what Côme Nguyen can be. In recent years, drafting a reliever early has become increasingly mainstream, with John Trunkman to the Flames a recent success story (so far). Nguyen, meanwhile, might be even better coming out of college than Trunkman was.
Sure, Walstreim doesn’t exactly scream “elite closer”, with the Foxes struggling more often than not in recent years. Nevertheless, Nguyen has put together an extremely impressive 4-year career at the highest level of South Newlandian college baseball. The right-hander impressed with his ability to keep hitters of balance, with his curveball especially good at getting hitters when they least expect it. Sure, the Eastern side generally has somewhat weaker bats, but his curveball stood out as perhaps the best pitch in the Big 14, consistently getting swings and misses.
Given that Nguyen could very well come in and be your closer right away, it’s interesting to say where he’ll end up. Most draft models have him around the middle of the first round, slightly later than Trunkman went. One reliever-needy team in that range are the Vipers, who hold pick #14; Apple Valley might very well decide that Nguyen could reach the peak of his upside learning from Darlene Le.

LF Lilly KÖNIG (Ruditown Biologics University)
The star bat in the previous seasons for the Porcupines, König, much like her team, has taken a bit of a step back in the last year. König, a junior last season, still decided to commit to the LPB draft, believing that that is the correct route for her future development.
König is definitely going to be drafted mainly for her bat, as she was one of the best contact hitters in the Big 14. That’s one reason to believe she’ll probably not suffer from her junior year too much in the draft analytics, as she was still able to make contact at a similar rate, despite the results being worse than usual. König definitely still has weaknesses to her game. At the plate, that’s mostly a lack of experience, as her high-contact low-strikeout approach still leads to a ton of weak contact; if she can improve her skills in pitch recognition, her upside is to potentially be one of the best bats in the league. Defensively, it’s a different story for her. She never stood out as a sure-handed defender, with limited range and instincts. She’s athletic and fast enough to not be a major liability, but she definitely has DH-risk with her. Draft models have her somewhere in the teens, and a team without an established long-term DH is probably more likely to pull the trigger. One team that ticks both boxes are the Kyrinson Cosmos, at 17; she can step in for Tyson Long in left field, where she can probably stick, at least initially.

LHRP Roger WEIß (Rüsselsheim Elephantology University)
If you prefer your relievers as lefties, Weiß might be the option for you. Sure, he comes from one of the traditionally weakest South Newlandian Big 14 colleges, but Rüsselsheim has had some surprising success stories lately as they climb out of the basement. There, playing for four years, Weiß has earned a reputation as a clutch closer who’ll hold on to the lead no matter what. Sure, sample bias plays a role, with REU not actually having leads that often, but the stats back him up.
Setting up his pitching repertoire with his slider, the 23-year-olds biggest weakness is a relative lack of velocity for a reliever. He mostly works with movement, throwing a sinker instead of a traditional fastball, which has worked really well for him. There is definitely higher bust-potential here, though, as it remains to be seen how well his skillset translates to the bigs. Additionally, his status as a small-school pitcher is not exactly shooting him up draft boards. Many people still believe that he’ll go in the first round, though, as a polished pitcher with a history of success. One team connected to him are the Ratzupalfu Rhinos, at #23; if he falls that far, it’s easy to imagine the defending SNL champion pulling the trigger. After all, even if Weiß doesn’t pan out, the Rhinos can definitely survive one bad draft pick.

Other Big 14 players that could go in the first round of the LPB draft (committed players only):

LHSP Marco Khan (Sophomore, Rüsselsheim Elephantology University)
LHSP Dylan Borges (Junior, Newport Politics Institute)
SS Julia Horn (Sophomore, Walstreim Business University)
LF Matthew Bianco (Junior, New Colk Tech University)
CoOF Veer Murphy (Junior, Ratzupalfu University of Nature)
CoOF Teresa Mills (Junior, Walstreim Business University)

[Ranoria]

@AstridVerona Apparently Ranoria is good at something other than football, who knew? Love you @JesseTheGriffith, go get 'em. #SauerkrautSzn

@SnowBearSnifferReport Our elefriends will not be joining us in the final after being nibbled on by the lions, so they'll get to go frolic with the Tigers - but everyone knows snow bears, despite their severe ADHD, are bigger than lions. Grr.

*

*Credit to SNL on the "nibbled on by the lions" bit

---

"Run It Back":
One Of Sports' Greatest Rivalries Dominates Headlines In Second Title Bout In Less Than A Year


Jesse Griffith has been chasing Sadiq Xoosh since World Baseball Classic 56 - their matchup will take center stage in the Krauts first attempt to bring home the gold

Ranoria-Banija. Never would have guessed, right?

So what are our big points going into the game?

1: Of course it was going to be Banija. Sure, they were coming off of a championship and all - they weren't exactly out of the frontrunner seat despite squaring off with the Elephants. South Newlandia would've been a super enticing opponent as well, but as much as the student vs master story would've been fun, this one's more of a final boss type scenario. One we've failed before. And that only makes it all the more enticing. If Ranoria is to earn her first gold off the gridiron, not only will she have to go through the best of the best, but she'll have to defeat her arch-nemesis at the peak of their power in order to do it.

But this is one of the greatest rivalries in international sports - past results are never indicative of future prospects.

From Ranoria's initial foray into the international sporting world, it's been Banija. The NSCF Rebel's Cannon Bowl was the start, a blood-feud between Richardson University Governors and the University of Loyola-Istria's Blue Thunder. It didn't take long for their counterparts, Cold Hill and Northern Moravica, to nottake so kindly to each other either. Richardson's played Northern Moravica in an NSCF championship and likewise, Cold Hill's played the Blue Thunder on that stage. All four of the teams have faced each other in the playoffs - but of course that was just where it started.

After splitting two nailbiters in the group stage, Ranoria and Banija capped off their first series of games on the professional level with a showdown in the quarterfinals. Probably the best Banijan to ever do it in Isaka Jawara against a Ranorian fan who Cassadagan fans will be familiar with in Derek McNair. (Actually, Cassadagan fans will be familiar with both after World Bowl 40, but I digress). The Krauts brought down the Serpent Eagles on their turf in Lwanga - and things have only gotten better since. World Bowl 42, Ranoria's first championship there, saw Banija present themselves as the first challenge in what ended up being a tear for John Garrett over two World Bowls. The 33-7 beatdown kicked off a dynasty for the Krauts in that competition, a win that may have changed the course of World Bowl history. We lose that game, who's to say Chineze doesn't go down with three chips instead of two?

And of course, the most recent one - after winning the last four combined World Bowls between the two of them, the Serpent Eagles and Krauts finally got to throw down the gauntlet one last time in World Bowl 46 - the reigning back-to-back champion Banijan side representing a nation of sports fans that have gotten no shortage of glory these days against the Krauts' slowly fading back-to-back wins immediately prior. "The Greatest Show On Turf" did not disappoint of course - but we did unseat the now former kings of gridiron football. They can have that sport that gets incorrectly referred to as such.

Throw in the fact that these two teams faced off in the semifinals last go-round, and there's nothing more you could ask for. Concord Heights will be full of rowdy Ranorians and ecstatic Banijans - it took more than a decade for these two sides to lock horns for the first time in this contest, and now we're getting another matchup just one cycle later, with even more history now behind one of the most exciting matchups to watch on any pitch, turf, or diamond in sports.

Both sides have a chance to get payback - Ranoria, for our second straight loss to the eventual champion in a WBC semfinal and Banija for our stopping their bid at becoming the first ever threepeat World Bowl champion as recently as World Bowl 46. Ranoria's sporting accolades are defined by our clashes with one of our strongest allies and one of the most successful nations in overall history on that front - this next chapter will only continue to build on that ever-expanding lore.

2: Can our star pitchers remember how to throw a ball? Yahweh Bohannon - who looked stellar in the last Classic and Jorge Billing - who's always struggled in the postseason, but never this badly - have gotten cranked on in the last two series. Against Quebec and Shingoryeo, they were the starters for a first pair of games that produced a combined 34 runs between the two sides. And it was worse against Super-Llamaland, with 38 combined runs in those two games. As solid as he's been for the Elephant Valley United, Jorge Billing has proven he can't be counted on in the playoffs - but Bohannon can not continue this slump. The fireballer has to have the speed to get past Sadiq Xoosh. If he doesn't that's a game we likely won't be able to get bacl/

3: Can Jesse Griffith prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's one of the very best in the world? He's been a superstar for these Krauts - the leader the last couple seasons and, alongside Julian Breit, the main scoring force for the team for even longer than that. He's dominated at every level he's played, be that the Federation of Ranorian Baseball, the Quebec Baseball Organization, or the Classic - but he's only earned one ring, coming from the Federation, for all of that. He's been vocal about his pursuit of Sadiq Xoosh's greatness, of taking his spot on the pedestal, fulfilling his potential and cementing his legacy - and he's made it clear how he feels about playing Banija again, too.

Griffith put it well before their dance in WBC 56 - " “For the old crew, [Leonardo Harrison, Nicholas Lux, and Tommy Verona], maybe their history with the Sherpa Empire would’ve been more meaningful. But for us, with the way Ranoria and Banija always bring the best out of each other, this is the perfect moment to set our own course,” and even better in a presser yesterday: "There's something inherently Ranorian about standing up to the juggernaut of modern sports and reminding them that they aren't quite invincible yet. They absolutely own international sports right now - I think Banijan national teams held the WLC, WBC, back-to-back World Bowls, and the freaking World Cup simultaneously at some point? But our countrymen on the gridiron stopped them. I know they're bringing world-class talent, especially that Sadiq Xoosh, so I don't say this lightly, but I know we can beat them. I think as a whole, they're still a bit better than us - but they also bring out our best baseball, and on our best day, we can beat them. The rivalry between our nations is as great as there is in international sports. It's a priveledge to partake in history, and I'm going to make sure the history books recall our names fondly. All it's gonna take is having our best day four times out of seven."

[Cassadaigua]

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57- CHAMPIONSHIP & 3rd Place

WBC 57 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(5) Banija vs (6) Ranoria
@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights

Game 1:

Banija                 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2
Ranoria                0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  3

Ranoria leads series, 1-0

---

3rd Place- (1) South Newlandia vs (10) Super-Llamaland @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland

Game 1:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
South Newlandia        0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 X  6

South Newlandia leads series, 1-0

[Banija]

*OOC Note: All Stats mentioned are up through Game 5 of the WBC Semis- do not include Game 1

A deep dive into Sadiiq Xoosh- how the man who currently holds the baseball belt of 'best player in the world' came to be

CONCORD HEIGHTS, CASSADAIGUA- Game 1, of course, was a disappointment for the Banijans. Mosego did what he could, but ultimately, in a pitching duel, it would be the Snow Bears who would draw first blood in the series- with Ranoria triumphing, by a score of 3-2. "Sometimes, these are how things go. But it's a very long series." Said the manager, Isaac Oladipo. "And more importantly, we are fairly evenly matched. They may have won once- but they've got a long way to go before winning 4. We've got to get out there and do whatever it takes to win Game 2, to draw level once again in this series."

Ranorian media reports, of course, will be best to follow for their Game 1 victory. But today, we're going to a deep dive, into one of the best players in Banijan baseball- good ol' Sadiiq Xoosh. Not just one of- the best player. The LPB superstar has a legitimate claim to best player in the world status, and considering the talent he showcases both in the LPB, in Chromatika, as well as the absolute ridiculousness he pulls off with his bat, in the World Baseball Classic- as well as the fact that he's a defending world champion- he's probably the best player in the world, right now. Oh, and did we mention that he's only 24?

Although, of course, you've got dudes like Jesse Griffth doing their very best to strip him of that title.

A young Sadiiq Xoosh- the early years

"From an early age, I knew this kid was destined for great things." - Killian Xoosh, Sadiiq Xoosh's father

Sadiiq Xoosh was born in rural Moravica- up in the small village of Mouyoro. The closest city anyone's ever heard of that would be anywhere near it is Kosactus- but this was one of those stereotypical extremely small towns. Not much there, mostly farm, and as of the last census, the total town population was 1,302 people. But, as is typical of villages like these, he was born in a very large family- crucial for his own development.

Unlike most small towns, however, it is not a place where the Xoosh family had been for generations. Killian Xoosh and his younger brother, Awate Xoosh, found some farmland and moved there when each of them got married. Of course, as these two were the youngest sons of parents born in rural Bunyoro, they had zero chance of inheriting the family farm. So they came out here, way out to Moravica, bought some farmland, and started farms themselves. They lived right across the street from another, and immediately started populating the village- Killian had 10 children(6 sons, 4 daughters) while his brother, Awate, had 8 of his own(2 sons, 6 daughters).

And so who was the youngest kid to come out of here? Good ol' Sadiiq Xoosh. Once again, the youngest child of 10, in an area where babysitters weren't exactly abundant, he grew up playing a lot of sports with his older siblings. And with such a large family, including his cousins- baseball was actually pretty popular among everybody to play. His brothers taught him how to play.

Youth Baseball- Makings of a star

"I saw this dude start mashing at 9 year old T-Ball- I knew we needed to get him a real challenge." - Kotani Xoosh, Sadiiq's oldest brother

[/align]

Now, being part of such a huge family meant that there were some pretty big age gaps. So when his oldest brother, Kotani, went to college at 22 years old, waiting four years after graduating high school by working that family farm, Sadiiq Xoosh was just 4 years old. But as Sadiiq was playing baseball as a young kid, starting at age 6, he was doing pretty damn good. Being from an area as rural as his, it wasn't like he could strictly play U6 baseball, the age groups were soft- he was on a team that accepted anybody who was under 9 years old. It was a miracle Mouyoro could even form a team.

But, in a country as sports mad as Banija, at all levels(and quite possibly unhealthily, I might add), even the little village of Mouyoro could field a team.

He was always good. Up through 9 years of age. And then, with Kotani now living in the affluent Istria suburbs, as an electrical engineer, he talked to his father. "I asked my Dad if Sadiiq could live with me. Sadiiq was dominating competition in Mouyoro- but in baseball, dominating rural competition doesn't mean shit in this country. He needed to go against better competition, get some better training." So, as Kotani was single, and long arguments with his parents, his parents ended up letting him leave home, at just 9 years old, to live with his now 27 year old older brother.

Sadiiq Xoosh would join the local U9 team- and wrecked the competition. At 10 years old, he was thrown on the U12 team. At 11 years old, he played for the U14s. He stuck with that team until high school- and then he got a scholarship to go to St. Sava Prep High School. Probably the most famous private prep school in the country- it has garnered national attention for its baseball program. He dominated at that level, leading them to state titles in 2 out of his 4 seasons there(sophomore and senior seasons), as well as setting the national high school record for most HRs in a season(50), and longest hitting streak(64).

College Baseball and First WBC Callup- Xoosh takes his platform and reaches the world stage

Dude was too good. Most other countries, he goes pro quickly. But in Banija, with a strong college system, he's going to college. At this point, of course. Banijan baseball has already long took off. It's not like Gitonga Kahara- bring it to glory. It already excelled, a little. Competition was fierce. But he was probably the most hyped baseball prospect, at his age, to come out of Banija. And that's no small thing- remember Malik Solely. The dude who currently holds the title for best Banijan field player of all-time- although Sadiiq Xoosh is rapidly closing that gap.

Xoosh plays one year at Loyola-Istria. Rakes. They reach the national championship series, where the Blue Thunder get swept, 2-0, by their archrivals, Northern Moravica. "There is nothing I regret more in life than losing a championship to those f#*@(rs at NMU." He told reporters quite recently. "Seeing Cougars fans happy like that will feul me for a lifetime." And in case you were wondering- yes, the North v. South Showdown is just as fierce in baseball as it is in other sports. Anyways. His numbers were comical in college baseball. Even Game 2 of that series, the clincher. NMU's starting pitcher threw a two-hitter. Both hits? Solo home runs by Sadiiq Xoosh.

Just insane. And of course, he catches the attention of Isaac Oladipo- who's never been afraid to call up young talent. Xoosh is not only on the roster at 18 years old- he's a fixture in the lineup, the starting left fielder. His career takes off. He's awesome in WBC 55. The team doesn't do so hot(Round of 16 elimination, in 5 games, to Cassadaigua) but Xoosh is looking good- and he's now fueled.

Right Now- Best player in the world?

The best athletes, the very best, the ones who are in the "greatest player of their generation" conversation, hate losing. "There's nothing I hate more than losing- I don't know if my hunger for winning can ever truly be satisfied." Sadiiq Xoosh told reporters for this article. "I always have had a drive to go up against the best of the best, to prove myself on the biggest stages, and win trophies. There's no greater feeling."

Look- this guy has both the numbers, and has had the moments. Let's take a look at the numbers...

WBC 56 Playoffs- 33-85. Hit .388, with 5 walks. He hit 10 home runs and had 25 RBIs. OBP of .4471. He led his team in all mentioned categories, except walks.
WBC 57 Group Stages- 39-113. Hit .345, with 6 walks. He hit 12 home runs and had 41 RBIs. OBP of .3782. Led team in all mentioned categories, except walks.
WBC 57 Playoffs- 21-58. Hitting .362, with 3 walks. Currently has 6 HRs and 16 RBIs. OBP of .3810. Leads team in RBIs, BA, total hits, and OBP.

The Chromia Diamonds left fielder performs well for his club and country. Perennial all-star in the Chromatika division of the LPB, he has shown, time and time again, at the international level, that he's one of the greats in this game. Probably the best player in the world, right now.

Now, of course, to get these, racking up impressive numbers like these are always going to help the cause. He hits for average and for power- and clutch, with the number of RBIs being at ridiculous numbers. But does he have those memorable moments? Of course, he's a world champion, so yes, but let's go through them..

I mean, twice in Game 7 last year, right? Bottom of the eighth, he hits a 2 out, 2 run double, down 5-3, to tie the game at 5. No bigger moment than one game to win the world championship, right? And then, of course, the leadoff triple in the top of the 16th- from which he would eventually score the game-winning, and title-clinching, run.

He homered three times in the WCS last year. He hit a walkoff single in Game 1 of the WBC Semifinals. All sorts of big-time hits, in big-time moments- both in group play, and here in the knockout stages.

He's got it all. The flashy smile. The likeable personality. Plays in the biggest league in the world. Has the moments. Has a championship. Has a chance to win another. The case is stated- you next, Jesse Griffith?

[South Newlandia]

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Chromatika, Ko-oren and especially Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from all of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them.

South Newlandian League

LPB Recaps: Elephant Valley United

Hibernating

Last seasons:

+ Last season: 116-68, 1st in SNLN, 3-1 vs. ND in SNLDS, 3-4 vs. RR in SNLCS

Expectations
Elephant Valley United looked like they were at the peak of their powers. They had just finished with the best record in the South Newlandian League last season, before cruising past the defending South Newlandian champions in the SNLDS. In the South Newlandian Championship Series, they met the Ratzupalfu Rhinos, entering the series as favourites. For a long time, it looked like the Snow Bears would win their first championship of the LPB era, taking a 3-1 series lead. Even after Ratzupalfu forced a decisive game seven, EVU looked good in that home game. Leading in the ninth inning, closer Miellen Walker had a chance to end things and give the Snow Bears the title. Instead, the Rhinos took the game into extras, and the Snow Bears fell in game seven.
While this was a massive blow, the Snow Bears still looked like the team to beat in South Newlandia. They still had an excellent manager in Ranorian Jonas Nuhl, and an excellent core of players, most of them also Ranorian. They were led, of course, by Ranorian reigning MVP Julian Breit, who had just signed a hefty contract extension.
Sure, a few players had left after the season. Veteran players like Jacob Conroy, Sam Vandenberg, Leo Harrison and Carlton Baines had hung up their cleats, but it seemed like the Ranorian squad had addressed all of those losses. They brought in the Ranorian pair of Judas Acker and Justin Derrick to replace some key spots in the line-up, and they papered over most of the other issues with cheap signings. Obviously, it’s tough to have money left over if you have to pay an entire herd of Ranorian snow bears the big bucks.
So, there were certainly a few cracks, but the Snow Bears still looked like the team to beat in the North, and even in all of the South Newlandian League.

Overview & Trade Deadline
Elephant Valley looked pretty solid early in the season. After starting off with three wins in Ko-oren, EVU lost the rest of that Anaia trip, with an SNLCS revenge series coming up soon after. The Snow Bears won game two via scoring 16 runs (while conceding 11) (after losing game one 2-8), and would soon beat the Blue Sox, another playoff team, 15-1 on the road (after losing game one). It was definitely slightly messy in the beginning. However, EVU son got on track. With a 16-game stretch early on, they propelled themselves to 26-14. In those 16, they had only lost three (both games of a series hosting the pesky Renaissance, and one game hosting the Kingfishers for some reason). Sure, they lost both games against Ratzupalfu next, and then split some games against Kyrinson, but they headed into Ruditown at 27-17 in cruise control of the North, which was shaping up to be a pretty weak division. They led 2-1 in the third in that game. And that’s when it all fell apart.
With a runner on third and one out, Hannah Mitchell at the plate was hoping to drive in the tying run. She hit a fly ball off Michael Michaelson, and slugger Vincent Saint-Denis was trying to score from third against the throw of Wesley Reid. This resulted in one of the most violent home plate collisions in the history of Llamaphant Pro Baseball, with the Nova Anglican slugger ramming into the Llamanean full-force, knocking him out cold. The Llamanean Tiger would leave the field on a stretcher, and the two teams post-poned the series with Eriksen sent to the hospital for urgent surgery.
Fortunately for Eriksen, there was no permanent head injury. Unfortunately for Eriksen, the collision had turned his throwing shoulder into mush. He would not take the field again for the Snow Bears again for the rest of the season.
He was not the only player of EVU to miss significant time that season. Outfielder Wesley Reid missed about a third of the season with a torn meniscus, and Tikariotian slugger Bronson Ghirardello missed a lot of time across the season labouring around with various minor injuries to his back and wrist.
Things didn’t fall apart immediately. Hosting Anaian teams soon after, they still took five of six. Soon after, they would also play the make-up games against Ruditown, starting game one with two outs and a one run lead in the third inning. They went on to lose that game 2-6.
The rest of the way to the All-Star break, the Snow Bears went 18-34. They were simply not the same, playing with various missing parts, figuratively and literally. Despite that, two of those wins came while hosting the Dachshunds, with the Snow Bears’ wins being accompanied by relentless boos of Saint-Denis, who went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. Now 44-48, they were actually still in the mix for the North, with no team above .500. However, they were definitely no longer the dominant force they were last season.
The Snow Bears actually still had four All-Stars – individual performance clearly was not the problem. Yahweh Bohannon appeared in the All-Star game as a starter, and Julian Breit took the start in Left Field; while John Solomons (2B) and Miellen Walker (RP) were selected as All-Star alternates. A contingent of four Ranorians is certainly appropriate; making them the third-largest contingent behind Zwangzugian Zebras and Llamanean Tigers.

Initially, the Snow Bears continued their slide. At 50-57, a playoff pursuit seemed almost hopeless, but the team actually found a bit of life again. Despite a tough slate of opponents, the Snow Bears defeated the Dachshunds in a narrow 1-0 victory to actually climb back above .500, now being 67-66, and only a handful of games behind the SNL North lead. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were actually ahead of the eventual division winner.
The high above .500 lasted for exactly three games before the Snow Bears dipped below again, never to resurface for the rest of the season. In every other year, or in any other division, this would’ve doomed them, but this was the LPB5 SNL North. Therefore, when they woke up with ten games remaining, the Snow Bears were 84-90, only two games behind the division-leading team. The next team on the schedule were the division-leading Dachshunds, on a trip to Elephant Valley for a pair of games. They had a chance to actually take the lead in the division with a sweep.
Instead, they were swept, losing 3-4 before losing in a shutout, 0-1, next. Two more losses in Dension put them six games out with only six to play, so even a 5-1 finish could not prevent the Snow Bears from missing the postseason, the first time this had happened to a team after fetching the best record in the SNL a season before. They finished 89-95, second place in the North, and actually the best team outside of the playoffs in a surprisingly bad South Newlandian League. One silver lining, at least, was EVU winning the battle of Elephant Valley teams – they narrowly beat out the Homers in the season series 9-7 thanks to winning each of the final four encounters.

One slice of a season (one random game of 184)
MD78 New Llama Cyclones @ Elephant Valley United
Cyclones really good! EVU not really (39-37). Brandon Jackson good. Etienne Woad-Kalin better. Snow Bears leave eight runners on base.

New Llama Cyclones          0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0  3
Elephant Valley United      0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

The RTC Trophy

One innovation for this season was the introduction of a domestic-cup style tournament running throughout the first half of the season. Start in Quarters!
First series: Game one walked off by pre-injury Hansel Eriksen! Good job on the comeback! Bohannon good start.
Game two bats were good and Billing also.

Second series: Bats & Bohannon good in game one. Game two, close game, Julian Breit clutch homer in the tenth, Walker locks it down.

Final: Dachshunds. Grumble grumble. Game one messed up by Mats Molina in eighth. Bad! Game two really close, but EVU just cant quite do it. Unfortunate home loss against new rivals. Grumble grumble.

Sophie City Monarchs        0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  2
Elephant Valley United      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1  3

Sophie City Monarchs        0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0  4
Elephant Valley United      2 0 2 0 1 2 0 1 X  8


Elephant Valley United      1 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 1  8
St. Riecarn Saints          0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Elephant Valley United      2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2  7
St. Riecarn Saints          0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  5


Ruditown Dachshunds         0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0  6
Elephant Valley United      0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1  3

Ruditown Dachshunds         0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0  5
Elephant Valley United      0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1  4

Recap: Pitchers

The pitching staff was always going to be top-heavy, and missing the defensive catching abilities of Hansel Eriksen certainly didn’t help matters. The EVU pitching staff managed to be a solid, competitive unit, allowing 774 runs in total, the sixth-best mark in the South Newlandian League.
Despite still being young, “The Cannon” Bohannon has taken over the spot as ace of the team. With an elite repertoire and the early beginning of an ability to throw it where he wants to, he improved on his previous years in Elephant Valley, turning in the best season of his young career.
Behind him, fellow Ranorian national teamer Jorge Billing was also still pretty great. Having a better command compared to his young teammate, Billing makes great things happen despite a pitching arsenal that doesn’t look nearly as threatening as Bohannon’s at first glance. Despite missing an All-Star selection with a relative down year in the first half, he remains a major asset.
Behind them, though, things were not as good. Young starter Brandon Jackson was perhaps the pitcher hit hardest when Eriksen got hurt. Having been drafted right out of High School, Jackson never really knew another catcher, and seemed to struggle with the backup; his ERA took a noticeable dip, and he was merely an average pitcher. There were some signs of improvement late in the season, suggesting that he’s been getting used to his new catcher.
Also, Michael Michaelson and Jack Beard were there. Having been signed on cheap deals from rivals (Rhinos/Homers respectively), both were bad.
The bullpen is perhaps the more interesting conversation. Closer Miellen Walker certainly had a down season by his standards, though he was still definitely fine. Nicholas Canterbury missed a decent chunk of the season, with the veteran from Tikariot unclear on whether he’ll return.
Connor Reefe and Mats Molina, meanwhile, were solid relievers in entirely different ways. The Llamanean veteran continues to fend off aging, and was still very helpful despite not having his best stuff anymore.
Molina continues to be a good-not-great reliever, which is not really what you hope for when taking a reliever in the first round. Nevertheless, he is building up a reputation as a clutch pitcher.
In the most recent draft, the Snow Bears went for young Llamanean starter Nathan Johanssen right out of High School, and decided to give him an opportunity to let it rip from the bullpen. In limited flashes, the right-hander flashed a triple-digit fastball and a good curveball, thrown with a similar grip to what Jorge Billing does. While he was still quite wild, it seems very possible that the Snow Bears found something big at the end of the first round.

Recap: Fielders
At 779 runs scored, the Snow Bears were the 7th-best offense in the South Newlandian League. That seems extremely surprising given how star-studded their lineup is, and was what ultimately held them back from a playoff berth.
At catcher, Hansel Eriksen looked great, again, before he got injured. His backup was a girl named Manuela Simon, and she did not look great. A rookie, having been drafted late in the third round, she probably would have missed a lot of rosters, but the Snow Bears explicitly signed her as a backup. Interestingly, she started two seasons in college for the Ruditown Biologics Porcupines; the same city that would also see her acquire a starting role through the most unfortunate of means.
She was a massive downgrade to Eriksen, through no fault of her own, on both sides of the ball, and looked pretty unviable for the major leagues. She probably isn’t going to stick around the majors for long even then.
At first, Ghirardello was out for big parts, and didn’t look fantastic when he was healthy, either. His backup, Levi David, was the late third-round pick a draft earlier, and he was also just as bad. He does have at least one redeeming quality, some decent power in the bat; but he also struck out at rates that didn’t seem possible.
The middle infield finally provided some actual good play. Ranorians John Solomons and Justin Derrick were both perfectly fine, although neither are the flashiest players. They’ll give you good defense and an alright bat, though. The Snow Bears also had a good backup here, with Llamanean Maxine Eckstein continuing as a solid defensive infielder with a better bat than people expect from the short former #27 pick.
Third baseman Foster Fleming of Tikariot, despite finding himself in the prime of his career, had a down year, with power and contact rates both noticeably down. He is an excellent defender at third, but could definitely have stepped up his game a bit at the plate.
The outfield had two excellent pieces and a right fielder. From left to right, reigning MVP Julian Breit wasn’t as dominant as he had been, but still handily led the team in home runs. A slugger through and through, Breit doesn’t provide a lot of defense, so he might eventually move into DH as he ages.
Judas Acker is really fast, and that’s great on defense and on the basepaths. He isn’t the best hitter, but that’s okay.
In Right Field, the team saw a lot of Wesley Reid, who’s average, and of David Lange, who’s bad. He played like the kinda guy that would get cut by a team that was under .500, and was not a viable DH early on. His best attribute is being kind of okay at drawing walks, which is being good at specifically not doing baseball.
Also DHing a lot was veteran Llamanean Alana Gonzalez. She looked every bit of 36 years old more often than not, but she could mostly get by.
In addition to some big problems in the lineup, the Snow Bears were also remarkably un-clutch. They turned up with the worst RISP-to-normal gap in the South Newlandian League, constantly stranding runners on the basepaths, surely not helping matters.

Awards
Despite some decent candidates at other positions, perhaps most notably Fleming for a Gold Glove, Julian Breit was the only Snow Bear to get anything after the season, with the reigning MVP winning a Silver Slugger in Left Field. Sadly, he did not win MVP again, and did not really come that close, either.

The future
It’s weird. The team still had a highly capable coach in Nuhl and some excellent players, but it’s hard to tell if they can make the required adjustments to still be a playoff team again. They’ll need to address a couple of additional departures in the off-season, with Canterbury, Ghirardello and Gonzalez all possibly retiring. The Snow Bears remain pretty strapped for cash, but on the brighter side, they have a chance to make an impact-addition with the tenth-overall pick.
Hanging above everything else is the future of Hansel Eriksen. It is, at this point, unclear if the Llamanean will ever be able to return to full form, or even if he’ll pitch again at all. With questions that remain unanswered, the Snow Bears are heading into a difficult, yet crucial off-season, as the time with their Ranorian core will not be infinite.

[Ranoria]

@Halfdeadbeatmom Correction: making it to the finals was the second best day of my life

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Daddy Grapeshot:
The Cannon Returns To Fundamentals, Locks Down Lions To Take Game 1

We were worried about this one - it’s no secret that Bohannon and Billing have looked rough throughout these playoffs, helping contribute to two sets of wild opening pairs of games against Quebec and Shingoryeo and Super-Llamaland. Given some absolute tankers on the Lions sideline, it seemed unlikely that our starting lineup would be able to score in bunches and keep up with The Cannon’s poor showings as of late.

Well, fortunately, they didn’t need to. Those aforementioned tankers were introduced face first to anti-tank artillery, one literally in the case of Madongo Kiribata, who barely turned his head in time to avoid a heater that hit triple digits giving him free reconstructive surgery. It was an anomaly, however, in one of Bohannon’s best performances to date - he was flashing manager Henderson Mausse a double thumbs up well into the eight inning, and was only pulled after earning his tenth strikeout of the day in the ninth. Bohannon’s usual weakness - a tendency to string high fastballs together and balloon his pitch count - was nowhere to be seen.

“Jesse said it best,” Bohannon said after his dominant performance, “Banija brings out the best in us. I felt it in my chest, my soul, that this was going to be one of those big games, and I was right - it felt good. We’re gonna do our best to put on a show against these guys - everyone out there is a world beater.”

It was just enough to keep the game tied going into the seventh inning - Vincent Veltrone hit a ground out and after the next batter struck out, Julian Breit’s number was called - he answered on the first ring.

The former South Newlandian League MVP and Kraut team MVP blasted one into the walls of the upper deck, where it bounced down into the lower levels for him, the game-winning run that would give Ranoria first blood in this first championship showing. The rest of the crew didn’t do much following - but they didn’t need to. And with the way Bohannon only yielded to closer Miellan Walker with two outs to win it, our well-rounded bullpen will be fresh going into game 2. There’s a lot of baseball left to play - but there’s more pressure on the Lions than the Krauts right now. Play ball.

[Cassadaigua]

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57- CHAMPIONSHIP & 3rd Place

WBC 57 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(5) Banija vs (6) Ranoria
@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights

Game 2:

Banija                 1 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 1  8
Ranoria                3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0  7

Series tied at 1

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3rd Place- (1) South Newlandia vs (10) Super-Llamaland @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland

Game 2:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  2
South Newlandia        0 1 3 2 1 0 1 0 X  8

South Newlandia leads series 2-0

[Banija]

Banijans roar back in dramatic fashion to win Game 2 of the WCS

CONCORD HEIGHTS, CASSADAIGUA- After losing Game 1, Isaac Oladipo knew that the team needed to win Game 2. "I don't have the numbers in front of me." He told reporters. "But I imagine that teams who go up 2-0 in the WCS generally go on to win the series- the difficulty level, in this sport, at this level, to lose the first two, and then come back to win 4 of 5, is insane. So I know what people- it's technically not a must-win. But a practical basis? We need to throw everything we can at the kitchen sink, and take this Game 2. Let's take it back."

Of course, with Ranoria as the designated home team for Games 1 and 2, there are a number of things different. The biggest thing- of course, is that the Krauts do not use a DH. Which means... Oladipo's made quite a radical shift. He's got Madongo Kiribata, the team's normal DH, and the emergency third catch, playing catcher. Until Game 1, he has never once caught a game for the Banijan national team. "Look, I did not want to lose his bat in the lineup." Oladipo told reporters. "Obviously, it's less than ideal- but this is how the sport works. Wish we had gotten a chance to run this, but it is what it is."

No hints at all that they'd do something like this- they didn't do this last cycle, or even in earlier playoff series. But when Kiribata was asked about it, he said he'd be ready. "Look- I know how to catch. I may be a bit rusty, yes- but we've been practicing." He told reporters. "I'm going to be ready for this opportunity, to catch for my country and do what I can to help us win a world title." Will this team be ready for this? Well..

Early Fireworks to make things fun

On the mound for Ranoria to start this game- Jorge Billing. He's been rough in the playoffs. He's taken more than his fair share of lumps this postseason, and the Banijans were no different on this matchday. Joanna Adoyo hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning, to make it 1-0 to Banija- but that was simply the beginning of the troubles for Billing. Both Xoosh and Rehana got on base behind her, with singles. Billing ended up working his way out of the inning, by striking out Ugonna Akachi, and then getting Kiribata to pop up, but still- it was 1-0 after the top of the first.

But on the other hand, Odongo Lutaakome was on the mound for the Banijans. For a team that's built so much around their starting pitching, this postseason, the starting pitching has largely been disastrous. Going into this one, however, Lutaakome has probably been the best Banijan pitcher. 4.05 ERA across 4 starts, WHIP of 1.05. Not numbers that will blow anybody away- but it just shows how many times this postseason that Banija's starting pitchers have taken a pounding early. We've figured out a way to survive that, so far- mostly via our bullpen being excellent- but it's something that needs to be fixed if we are to beat Ranoria.

Mosego had a good start yesterday, even in a losing effort- but simply put, Bohannon was great. But Lutaakome could not match him. Vincent Veltrone would start off the first inning with a base hit, into left field. A great way to start the game- if you were a Krauts fan, anyways. Then, Julian Breit hit a double down the left field line- it was thanks to the powerful arm of Sadiiq Xoosh that Veltrone didn't score on that double by Julian Breit. But, this lineup is deep- you don't get this far if you don't have a whole host of guys who can beat you. And with Jesse Griffith, the star of stars on Ranoria, up at the plate, dangerous things were bound to happen.

One out, runners on 2nd and 3rd- and Jesse Griffith got ALL of it. To straightaway center field. 440 feet. A towering shot by the superstar, who had a quiet Game 1, but very loudly announced himself to all comers in Game 2. He was pumped- high-fiving the first base coach as he rounded the bases. As he was rounding 2nd, he pointed at Sadiiq Xoosh in left field- and seemed to mouth the words 'I'm better than you'. He rounded the bases and was confronted by Madongo Kiribata, Banija's makeshift catcher. THey got into each other's faces- but no violence, no punches or even shoves, as the umpire quickly separated them. A lot of jawing, though- is that any surprise for a title match between these two countries?

Jesse Griffith just laid down his challenge to Sadiiq Xoosh and all of Banija. But the Banijans would respond in kind. Jorge Billing was seriously struggling- and you could tell, because even the bottom of the order was raking. Ocan Luzira, who is making just his 4th start of the postseason at third base, hit a leadoff home run to start the second inning. A stunning home run by the dual national, to immediately cut into that Jesse Griffith induced lead- cut that 2 run lead by the Krauts in half, to 1. And the Banijans were not done. Chafukwa, the #8 hitter, then hit a double. Our pitcher, Odongo Lutaakome, laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt- got her to third. First out of the inning, tying run on third.

Up comes the top of the order- Atla Gadilefe. The shortstop hits a RBI single. It's 3-3. Joanna Adoyo ends up hitting a slow chopper, grounding out to the third baseman- but Gadilefe is able to advance from first to second. Two gone. And then, Sadiiq Xoosh up at the plate. He lines one to the gap in laft center- a RBI double, Gadilefe scoring standing up. The Banijans had wrestled back the lead. While Rehana struck out to end the inning, we clearly had Jorge Biling on the ropes. He barely meandered through the third as well, allowing both Kiribata and Akachi to reach via singles, putting two on with nobody out, before working himself out of the inning with two strikeouts and a groundout.

Wild fourth Inning chases both starting pitchers

How much longer could he go back out there? It was just the fourth inning- but he was clearly not about it. But it was too early to pull him, probably- and the Banijans made him pay. Top of the order leading off. Gadilefe singles to right field, getting on base for a second time. Then, Joanna Adoyo gets on base- via another base hit. Gadilefe goes first to third. Nobody's out, Sadiiq Xoosh up at the plate. Big gulps heard from Krauts fans everywhere. Xoosh lines another one to the gap in left center- now 3-3 on the day. Gadilefe easily scores. Rylan Rodgers (yes, THAT Rylan Rodgers) scampered over and cut it off before it hit the wall. He gunned it to the cutoff man, Clark Weaver, who gunned down Adoyo at the plate.

Big play for the Krauts- but still, RBI double for the Banijans. We led 5-3. Billings couldn't get anybody out. But the final straw for the struggling starter was two batters later. He had struck out Rehana. Had a chance to get out of the inning. But he hung a breaking ball- and Ugonna Akachi crushed it. His first HR of the series, showcasing his power. That was hit for Jorge Billings- huge inning to give the Banijans a 7-3 lead. But yet, as things seem to be going in this Classic- once things get good for this team, they rapidly get bad again.

Odongo Lutaakome needed to just gently guide this thing along, right? We all wish that he had. But with the top of the order up for the Krauts, they very quickly wanted to erase the early advantage that we had built for ourselves. And they did so, successfully. Vincent Veltrone struck out to start the inning- first out, one away- but then the challenges really started coming. John Solomons was buried in an 0-2 count- but on an 0-2 pitch, he kept his swing short, and slapped it the other way, down the right field line. A double to get the rally going for the Krauts- and Julian Breit up at the plate. Breit, who was last night's hero for the Krauts, hit a double himself- to score the runner. 7-4.

Then, Jesse Griffith up at the plate. Banijans terrified. Do you give him the free base? In this case, yes. Create a force anywhere, set up the double play. Of course, Lukas Valentine was up next. And then, well- you saw the problems of Banija's catching situation. Kiribata was excellent defensively in Game 1- no serious defensive mistakes. But Valentine hit a single up the middle. Generally, you don't want to test the arms of the Banijan outfielders- especially Joanna Adoyo. But Breit was running without fear. Adoyo took a great path to the ball, and gunned it towards the plate. The throw actually beat Breit. But Kiribata dropped it- he went to make the tag and the ball lay in front of him.

Frustrating for the Banijans. 7-5 now. Griffith at third, Valentine at first, still just one out. Ranoria put pressure on the catcher, and it worked. Then, things went from bad to worse. He then struck out Clark Weaver- now two outs. He had a chance to get out of the inning, with limited damage. He was a strike away against RJ Hall. But Lutaakome's breaking ball, down and in, was too much for Kiribata to handle- and the ball scurried to the backstop. Kiribata had no chance to recover in time, and Valentine, with timely baserunning, scored on the passed ball. Banijan fans booed their catcher- brutal. 7-6.

Still had a chance to get out of this inning. But he would walk RJ Hall. Runners on first and second. Rylan Rodgers Jr. up. Lutaakome is pulled- in comes Alanyo Matama, from the pen. But Matama doesn't get the job done- allows Rodgers Jr. to get a base hit. The runner scores from second. He strikes out the next batter to end the inning, but it doesn't matter- after 4 innings, the game is tied at 7. A WILD game 2.

After that...

Article is CONTINUED on PAGE 3...

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Sadiiq Xoosh jogs up to the batter's box in the 9th inning, tied 7-7

Sadiiq Xoosh was jogging back from left field, after Sebaga Atla had gotten the final out of the 8th inning. He had gotten Rylan Rodgers Jr., the Richardson running back and the Krauts center fielder, to strike out. Xoosh, of course, had played for Loyola-Istria for a year- he was a massive superfan/booster of the program, as an alumnus. So as he was jogging by Rylan Rodgers, he couldn't resist.

"Hey Rylan!" He said as Rodgers was finishing taking off his batting stuff. The center fielder looked up, not saying a word. "Hey man, remember when ULI went to your house this past year, in the playoffs, and kicked your asses?" Xoosh simply winked at Rodgers, as Rodgers jogged over to him. Both men were clearly not trying to get the attention of the umpire- but you mix this national rivalry, and you throw in that ULI v. RU spark, and honestly the referees are just thanking their lucky stars this isn't the World Cup of Hockey title game. There'd be fights everywhere.

"For whatever reason, the last time y'all won a NSCF title my grandpa was playing right? Y'all are gonna lose here like you have in the NSCF playoffs every year for the last decade. And look- I've got a championship ring. When was the last time a ULI player could win that in football?" Rodgers Jr. replied.

"Aight bruh, big talk." Xoosh said. He saw the umpire walking over- he had to get his licks in. "Y'all can't beat us in baseball- we coming. Next inning, I PROMISE you that." Just as some shoving was gonna start, the umpires seperated them. Xoosh was yellng at him. "Hey Rylan, tell ya boy Jesse- he ain't me! Ain't nobody me!" With that, Xoosh jogged back to his dugout before he got tossed by an ump. No discipline for that- but with Xoosh first up, he was pissed- in a mood. And you don't want to face off agianst Xoosh in a mood."

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Article CONTINUED from main page...

With the bullpens on both sides throwing up zeroes for four consecutive innings, we find ourselves here in the top of the 9th. And Sadiiq Xoosh was up at the plate- after nearly having a dustup with Rylan Rodgers Jr. exiting the field after the bottom of the 8th. And well- you don't think we'd hold you back from the radio broadcast?

Sadiiq Xoosh is up at the plate- and he's got that pissed off look in his eye. It's tough for any pitcher who's got to face him in normal circumstances- but he's having a hell of a day today. 3/4? The reliever delivers the first pitch.. AND SADIIQ XOOSH GETS ALL OF THAT ONE! DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE, IF IT"S FAIR IT'S GONE.. AND IT"S FAIR! A HOME RUN! SADIIQ XOOSH POUNDS HIS CHEST AND SLAMS DOWN HIS BAT AS HE BEGINS ROUNDING THE BASES! The Krauts don't take kindly to that, but he doesn't give a damn what the Krauts take kindly too!

What a home run- and he's pointing at his own chest, yelling "I'm Him." He might regret that- and look, yelling into center field as he's rounding second! The ump says something to him, tells him to keep running. He crosses the plate and pounds his chest in the general direction of the Ranorian dugout- and he's tossed from the game! For showboating! THank God he's already rounded the bases. Wow. The temperature is dialing up folks, but Sadiiq Xoosh may have just won it for Banija!

And indeed, he did win it for Banija. That was all we'd score in the top of the 9th, but that's all we needed- Oyella Lagum had a perfect 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th inning to get the save.

The WBC also announced that Xoosh would be fined for showboating, and warned- but they declined to suspend him for Game 3 of the WCS. What a series we have one our hands. And Xolile Gola on the mound tomorrow, in a mouthwatering matchup. Can she put the Banijans ahead in this series here in Game 3?

[South Newlandia]

Breaking news – Four-nation era of Llamaphant Pro Baseball is over

In a press statement released by Llamaphant Pro Baseball, fans were informed that starting from the upcoming sixth season, the LPB will no longer feature the Chromatik and Ko-orenite associations.
According to the release, a variety of factors has led to the decision to terminate the agreement between the Esportivan and Anaian countries after just three seasons over six years.
For the Chromatik association, the primary factor seems to have been the missing of complicated financial requirements, while the Ko-orenite association had bad vibes.
Additionally, there were a variety of factors that caused predictable difficulties; most notably, difficulty with travel between Anaia and Esportiva on both a team – and player level.

The sixth season of Llamaphant Pro Baseball will only have the South Newlandian and Super-Llamanean associations. More details, including the fate of Anaia-based LPB players, as well as the specifics of the new schedule, will be released as they become known.

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Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Chromatika, Ko-oren and especially Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from all of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them.

South Newlandian League

LPB Recaps: Elephant Valley Homers

Rebuilding

Last seasons:

+ Last season: 81-103, 3rd in SNLN

Expectations
After three consecutive seasons of winning the division, the Homers’ were entering a period of decline. Having utterly failed to squeeze out one more good season, the team had lost over 100 games, their first losing season in ages. Now, they were entering a complete rebuild, and were a team that moved more pieces than just about any other squad.
Their losses were mostly older players that probably we’re going to have a future here, but it is remarkable that the Homers had eight players depart without any kind of return. The most high-profile among those players was undoubtedly starter Darien Rodriguez, the former Drawkian international, who retired after the season. Also interesting departures to note were Peyton Arias of Bollonich, and both picks the Homers made in the first round of the contraction draft at the beginning of the LPB. Both Corner Infielder Albert Vaughn and starter Jack Beard ultimately didn’t perform nearly as well as the Homers had hoped, and were now moving on – Vaughn signed in Peninsulara in Free Agency, while Beard was actually cut by the team, and signed with the cross-town rival Snow Bears.
In exchange for that, the Homers’ 25-man roster included 14 players that had only arrived this season. Sure, a lot of the were minor additions, like Sneider and Smith, and three of them were their higher draft picks getting a spot. Three more are young players from other Esportivan nations getting a shot. That includes one of the youngest players in the LPB this season, Rosa Sánchez, as well as her Dod Rava teammate Feliks Korab; both of them impressed in South Newlandia for the Rawa Marineros. Converted cricket player Miles Haines of Drehda also falls into this group. The attempts by the Homers to bring in young talent from nations that don’t usually care too much about baseball extended to regions outside of South Newlandia as well, as Farf players Patiris Eká Molos and Thinerimo Yraskarjá prove. Those additions can very much be described as just throwing a lot at the wall and seeing what sticks.
The more impactful additions came from two traditional powerhouses. From Quebec and Shingoryeo, the Homers brought in two players that should hopefully anchor their pitching for years to come, while also adding manager Dana Hussel, who has experience having worked with both of them.
For future key pieces on the infield, the Homers turned to a pair of players from the Banijan Esportivan Territories. In general, it was an offseason full of fireworks, and Hussel would have the difficult task in turning this loose assembling of players into a capable unit.

Overview & Trade Deadline
It was always going to be a rebuilding season for the Homers, and few players or fans had serious playoff hopes. Early in the season, however, the team was performing surprisingly well, actually still at .500 16 games in. Even after a five-game losing streak, the Homers were generally not as bad as people thought they might be. That five-game losing streak is actually the perfect example, because the Homers were in all of those games, never surrendering more than five runs in any and scoring in each.
Despite some promising signs, the Homers soon started to drop out of view in the standings, finding themselves at 19-35 with just about a third of the season over; having most recently embarked on a much less competitive five-game stretch of defeats.
Calling it hope would have been generous, but the Homers actually had their best stretch of the season heading into the break. Powered by home wins over the Destroyers (10-0 and 9-2) as well as the A’s (14-2) to head into a relatively weaker part of the schedule, the Homers went 15-6 over the ensuring weeks. Thanks to a pretty poor SNL North, this was actually not that far out of the playoff picture.
Of course, it didn’t last long. Kicked by losing at the Snow Bears, 0-7, the Homers dropped six straight, and eventually entered the All-Star break at 39-53. They still had a pair of players attending the All-Star game, with Niles Pandolt being named as a reliever for the game itself, while Hye-Yeon Yi was selected as an All-Star alternate, her first LPB All-Star nod.

Now properly out of the playoff race, the Homers were open to experimenting even more than they were before. Trying if Jordan Jam-Jams can start? Sure. Giving more chances to young players like Korab? Obviously. Starting Rosa Sánchez? Why not. Just, a lot of Buntazzo for some reason. Calling up a clearly not ready Matteo Fischer for his first cup of coffee at the big league level? You name it. More Nathan Barker as well. Also trying Natalie Gray again, for some reason.
Now, most of those things didn’t exactly work to plan, but it didn’t really matter. It gave the Homers an opportunity to try which parts of their young group are going to be part of their future, and maybe lean into a juicy draft pick along the way. It also gave the fans of the Homers the opportunity to witness a lot of losing baseball, as the Homers continued to dig deeper. In the end stood only 70 wins, opposed to 114 losses, one of the worst records in the LPB. But it was never about this season, it was always about building for the future.

The RTC Trophy
Also cut for time

Jaffro Drawks               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Elephant Valley Homers      0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 X  3

Jaffro Drawks               0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  3
Elephant Valley Homers      0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1  4


Elephant Valley Homers      1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Ratzupalfu Rhinos           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  4

Elephant Valley Homers      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Ratzupalfu Rhinos           0 1 2 0 0 0 2 1 X  6

Recap: Pitchers

The pitching staff was the side of the team people initially had more confidence in, almost entirely because of the two established Quebecois starters. They could ultimately not prevent the team from surrendering a total of 883 runs, the second-worst mark in the South Newlandian League.
Kevin Buchanan, the veteran ace, was definitely still a good pitcher, but in a heavy workload, he was shown to be not entirely ageless. The right-hander had a decline year in Elephant Valley, and it’s going to interesting to see what his plans for the future are. Meanwhile, left-hander Hye-Yeon Yi, his Grim Reaper teammate, turned out to be the best starter on the Homers. Despite being still young, the left-hander was highly effective at turning weak contact, which frequently got gobbled up by the Homers’ infield.
One reason the Homers’ starting pitcher room wasn’t better than it was involved Myron Pacheco missing significant time with a labral tear. When she was out there, the Llamanean was a solid, back-of-the-rotation pitcher asked to be the #3 starter. While Percival Zappacosta of Lozho seems to have hit his ceiling in Elephant Valley, Thinerimo Yraskarjá of Farfadillis (more specifically being Indujan) turned out to be a quality addition that the Homers are probably happily bringing back. Sure, he wasn’t really an above-average LPB starter, but he has some decently crafty stuff to work with. With more development, he could easily carve out a career in the major leagues to be proud of.
One area that people had similar confidence in was the Homers’ bullpen. Throughout the first half of the season, while the Homers were actually somewhat trying, this worked pretty well. Chromatik veteran closer Niles Pandolt had another season of being one of the best closers in the LPB. The right-hander who the Homers took from the Eyrods Pilots arguably had a career year from the Homers, and was a good reason why the Homers were not out of the mix much sooner than they actually were.
Pandolt also gained a second-in-command in Benoit Everson. The Quebecois left-hander will likely replace Pandolt as the main closer pretty soon, having pitched a pretty stellar year as well.
For the relievers from Drehda and Dod Rava, there were some initial growing pains. Miles Haines used to be a cricketer for Drehda before some injuries, and he took the rare step of swapping over to pitching. The veteran brought some experience and unique approach, and was not the first former cricketer on this team. Despite that, there were some initial growing pains as the Drehdan adjusted to the highest level of baseball.
Dod Ravan Rosa Sánchez, meanwhile, was very much the opposite story. At nineteen years old, she has shown some very exciting upside, but she’s clearly far from ready to actually be the best player she can be. She’s going to be one player to watch for the Homers to hopefully develop – something they’ve struggled with in recent years. If she does eventually become what she might, her hard fastball and exciting off-speed stuff could turn her into a valuable starter in the future.
Also, Jordan Jam-Jams was there, and the reliever from Qasden surprised with a pretty good year. Sure, relievers always have a fair bit of variance, and his xFIP suggest that might’ve been the case here, but it was still nice to see him have a bit of a resurgent season.

Recap: Fielders

The bats were facing predictable struggles. Scoring only 734 runs was not surprising, but what was surprising was the way the Homers went about getting those runs.
Starting at catcher, Farf Patiris Eká Molos provided very solid play all around, standing out as a surprisingly good power bat. Perhaps its just the juxtaposition to Morgan Hunter, but the young catcher actually provided a real spark on both sides of the ball, and was certainly a piece in the success of Thinerimo Yraskarjá as well. Backup Morgan Hunter continued being horrible at the plate, but is a reasonable defensive backup.
At first and second base, the Homers had made big moves for Banijan players. Masango Ekangaki stands out as the kind of player the Homers have always loved – big power, big strikeouts, likable guy. He’s still young, and could easily develop into a great slugger. At second, Rubis was a good defender with a decent bat, certainly a key contributor for this team, though the upside is not as high with him.
Andrea Pellegrino responded fairly well to kicking out to shortstop. Despite playing second in college, she can clearly handle short, having mostly played second in college due to an older shortstop already taking that spot. She continues to hit well and defend well, and is on the fringes of an Elephants roster; maybe she can eventually break through to do that.
Devin Amalfi was given a shot to start as a young rookie, and was mostly bad; while he looks like a potentially elite defender, the Llamanean can’t hit a curveball to save his life, frequently just flailing around helplessly whiffing at any kind of off-speed. He surely needs a lot of development.
The real revelation of the infield was Feliks Korab. The slightly older, more refined of the two Dod Ravan players was a surprisingly pro-ready shortstop, and got plenty of development opportunities towards the end of the season. With a good swing, sure glove, and cannon arm, the Homers may have found a diamond in the rough there.
Because of the emergence of Korab, Pellegrino actually was DHing a lot, where Rezinald Zaratrianias wasn’t that good anyways. That doesn’t really suit him long-term, though; between Korab and Rubis, the South Newlandian is being squeezed out of the infield, and the Homers don’t really need more back-up there, either, so it seems very possible that they trade her somewhere in the offseason.
Unfortunately, an outfield that was hoped to be good was not that. Juriel Santos might’ve been the best outfielder on the roster, and he just might be the most forgettable player in the entire South Newlandian League. I’m not even sure who I was talking about.
Zed Zexair, who got to start a lot in Center Field, is a reasonably decent backup, while Kylie Zhaxi is a decent defender and runner while not being able to hit much of anything. For a third-round rookie, that’s fine; she’s basically a slightly faster version of Gena Smith.
Also, Francis X. Buntazzo was bad. Sad.

Awards
no

The future
The rebuilding will continue, and there are plenty of questions to be asked. Kevin Buchanan is a big one, and Niles Pandolt is probably the other important one, with Pellegrino also an interesting question. Beyond that, the rebuild will continue. The Homers have the third-overall pick in the upcoming draft, and a chance to maybe actually make a good draft pick for once. Dana Hussel has a long-term project on her hands, and the Homers will probably enjoy another turbulent off-season.

[Ranoria]

Ranoria City Penitentiary

"Ain't you lie', ricsch?" The comically massive new cellmate of Vick Hamilton asked, scratching his patchy beard and causing dandruff to rain down to Vick's bottom cot of the bunk bed. Why such a massive human was using the top bunk was beyond him, but whatever.

"I was," Vick mumbled, tossing an arm over his face. Partly to hide himself from the world, partly to cover up the ridiculously strong scent of onions that the man above him gave off.

"So why did you steal all that money?" He rolled over, and the creaking of the bed frame triggered Vick to jump, grabbing the posts at his side as it came just barely off the ground on one side. A thunk signaled an end to the danger, and he now pulled his shirt over his nose.

"I wasn't stealing," he said cautiously, slowly returning to a relaxed position. "It was a loan. I had lost a lot of money gambling, so I took some money from the network, I was gonna pay it back with interest once I won it back."

"What's a loan?" The brute managed, stretching his, again, ridicoulsly large arm up towards the ceiling and briefly blocking out the sliver of moonlight leaking through their window.

Vick smacked his head back into the pillow behind him, slowly dying inside even more than he had before, "It's when someone gives you money to get something, and expects you to pay them back."

"But they didn't give you money," again, the giant of a man scratched his beard, and Vick hid under his blanket as the dandruff made its way down, "You took it." The scratching stopped, and Vick came out from under the blanket only to feel the vibrations of his new friend's humming in his bones. And then it got worse. The large human shot his hand into the air with his realization. "So you stole it!"

With the sudden shift in weight, Vick could only scream his "NOOOOO!" As the bed flipped over, knocking them both onto the cold floor and covering Vick in the flakes of dandruff that his blanket had protected him from prior.

"You funny man," Vick spat out flakes and grumbled his thanks. It was going to be a long wait for trial.

---

@Halfdeadbeatmom I never imagined the depths of despair could drag me as low as they have tonight #SauerkrautSzn

@RCBugle Celebrity reporter Vick Hamilton was escorted from his home today after charges of embezzlement - apparently relating to his gambling. He alleged"The matrix is attacking me," as he was escorted off the property. Is the dude off his rocker?

---

Tensions Flare And Lions Roar:
Banija Draws Even With Ranoria As Players On Both Sides Make Their Competitive Spirit Known


Jorge Billing has done nothing in this Classic to erase his reputation as a playoff choker. In fact, he's been absolutely abysmal when it matters most

So Jorge Billing still hasn't quite remembered to do that thing he's been sensational at ever since his early childhood days, you know, throwing a baseball. He can do it, clearly, but doing it fast or with any direction seems to be a bit of a hitch in his step - we're sure he'll figure it out. But that's not what was exciting about this one - you can see our Banijan counterparts over at All-Banija Sports Magazine for a game breakdown - we're more interested in Jacklyn Flowers today.

In her second crack at the starting rotation, Flowers has pedigree after a strong start in WBC 56, where she never got to make her playoff debut due to her place in the lineup and a stark lack of five-game series. This go-round, she's seized that opportunity when it presented itself. The nineteen-year-old phenom is 3-0 in the knockout rounds and looks to continue that trend in her championship debut. She struggled at first against Cassadaigua in her first showing under the big lights, but settled in against Quebec and Shingoryeo and Super-Llamaland to put on strong showings. Momentum's on her side, but that's one heck of an ask for a young gun who's not even in her twenties yet. A bona-fide legend of the sport in his prime, Sadiq Xoosh, or plenty of others like Ugonna Akachi or heavy-hitting Madongo Kiribata are going to give her everything she can handle and more.

"They're going to get their licks in," Flowers said, staying modest unlike some of our other players, "I'll do everything I can to slip what punches I can though. I can't say it enough, but it's an honor to be getting to play on the big stage for the first time in Cassadaigua, and in a championship in the shadow of royalty - what more could I ask for?"

Concord Heights has gotten everything they could've asked for so far, be it the back-to-back one-run-games or a series' worth of drama in game two as Griffith and Rylan Rodgers Jr took their shots at the king in Sadiq Xoosh. Griffith has been vocal about placing the superstar as his target, and that drive to surpass him spilled out during the game. But you know what they say - if you strike at the king, you must kill him. And last night at least, they couldn't. Xoosh was the one to drive in the final run in a game that would make old-schoolers choke, with the eighth run of the game ending a 4-inning-long scoreless streak for both teams and proving to be insurmountable for our Krauts.

[Cassadaigua]

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57- CHAMPIONSHIP & 3rd Place

WBC 57 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(5) Banija vs (6) Ranoria
@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights

Game 3:

Ranoria                1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0  5
Banija                 0 0 2 2 0 2 1 0 X  7

Banija leads series, 2-1

---

3rd Place- (1) South Newlandia vs (10) Super-Llamaland @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland

Game 3:

South Newlandia        0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 1  6
Super-Llamaland        0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1  4

South Newlandia wins series, 3-0

[Banija]

Sadiiq Xoosh, at pre-game media availability

Sadiiq Xoosh sat down, waiting for the reporters. He knew what he was going to be asked about- he had been tossed from the game, and fined for his showboating actions.

"Sadiiq, here!" Said the first reporter. "From the Busukuma Post. Did you feel like your ejection was warranted?"

Sadiiq Xoosh sat for a second, thinking about that question. "Ejecting people from games like this... It's like that ump wanted to take the fun out of the sport. It was a big-time moment, it's a heated rivalry, it's an emotional moment on the biggest stage in baseball- I don't think I did anything that was out of the ordinary. However, it's his choice- I just look forward to making an impact in Game 4."

Another reporter raised their hand. "Hey Sadiiq- I'm from the Sisonke Eagle. There was certainly a lot of smack talk between you and Jesse Griffith, and you and Rylan Rodgers Jr., last night. Is that going to continue?"

"Well, you know, Banijans are not known for holding back our thoughts on the field- and I continue that proud tradition." He told reporters. "Rylan Rodgers- look, he's an elite running back. I can't deny that." Of course, underrated shade, since Rodgers Jr. is on the national baseball team for the Krauts. "And Jesse Griffith- he's a baller, I can't lie. A great argument to be the #2 baseball player in the world."

"Lastly, Sadiiq." Asked a TV reporter. "You've been getting support from all sorts of sources- including Lexi McGregor, the Cassadagan soccer star. What is your response to that?"

"Well, thank you to them. They understand that, at this elite level of sports, with these kind of stakes, the emotion is always going to drive you. I'm not going to start any fights- but they'll talk, we'll talk, and everybody will play ball."

When he was asked by somebody if he would apologize, he simply lauged. After the press conference, he left for his locker. He had a Game 3 to get ready for...

---

Banijans claw out 2-1 series lead in pivotal Game 3 win over the Krauts

CONCORD HEIGHTS, CASSADAIGUA- Game 2 went well for the Banijans- earning a wild win. Of course, there was plenty of the extracurriculars- always expected when these two meet, especially when the stakes are this high. Sadiiq Xoosh earning himself a late ejection, as well as a fine, was certainly one of the most talked about portions of Game 2. But what mattered the most, was his go-ahead, 9th inning HR. It meant that the Banijans had tied the series at 1, and were finally able to go back to our preferred ruleset- aka we can, for at least two games, stop suffering through Madongo Kiribata playing the catcher position.

The pitching matchup was an interesting one. Xolile Gola, the veteran, 38 years old. Opposite her, Jacklyn Flowers, a teenager. It'll look a familiar sight to local Dagan fans- two female pitchers in a head to head matchup, with a lot at stake. But that's where the similarities end. Xolile Gola has seen it all, done it all. And at 38 years old, is at the twilight of her career. In fact, after dominating the group stages (7-0 in 7 starts with a 1.24 ERA), she has largely struggled through the playoffs, with a 5.19 ERA over 5 starts. Isaac Oladipo, the manager, has been criticized heavily in Banijan circles for overuse.

And it might be true. Gola doesn't wear down easily- we knew that last time. But still, Father Time is undefeated. Getting 7 group stage starts at age 38? Pitching on short rest in the postseason at age 38? Probably a mistake. But of course, that's enough about Gola. Flowers is exactly half her age- at 19 years old. Gola even commented on it in pre-game media availability, saying how she was 'old enough to be Jacklyn's mother'. She's entered the start with a 3-0 postseason record, however- trying to get to 4-0.

Early Goings- Ranoria strike first

The theme of this series is that Ranoria consistently have scored early. Hell, both teams have. "We gotta figure out how to stop Ranoria from scoring in the first inning, damnit." Isaac Oladipo said after Game 2. "Can we at least make it through the batting order for the first time without immediately trailing?" HIs wish would go unfulfilled, as Ranorian bats scored in the opening inning for the second straight game- and score in the opening two innings for the third consecutive game of this WCS.

They would open the inning by having a leadoff hit- Vincent Veltrone leading things off by having a leadoff single. Then, the Krauts decided to get aggressive- the manager sent him running. Veltrone got a big lead, and then took off- and the throw from Nvunyi, our normal catcher, was not in time. Veltrone stolen base, Krauts staying aggressive. A fly out to center field from John Solomons allowed Veltrone to advance to third base. And Julian Breit would walk. Gola had 2 on and just one out, with Jesse Griffith up at the plate.

Griffith would hit a single into right field- scoring the runner. Another RBI for their star-studded player. Gola would get Grant Faulkner to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and limit the damage, but what was done, was done. Xolile Gola, after that, was able to really settle in a bit. The first inning was shaky, allowing three hits. But she was mostly in command for the rest of her time on the mound. The only real damage after that was via the long ball- the most tried and true method. Julian Breit would be the cause- launching one into the left field seats to lead off the fourth inning, after she had 1-2-3 innings in both the 2nd and the 3rd. That gave the Krauts their second run of the day, and tied the game at 2 runs a piece (more on Banija's run below).

Ultimately, she had a very good outing- 6 innings of 2 run baseball, scattering 4 hits and a walk. For an ace who has struggled so much this postseason, it's great to see flashes of her old self on the mound.

Banijan bats wake up, as Banija builds ourselves a big lead

So that's what happened on the mound- Gola keeping Ranorian hitters off balance, mostly. But what about Banijan hitters? Jacklyn Flowers was mostly impressive in the opening two innings. She weaved her way through trouble. She gave up a leadoff double to Atla Gadilefe in the bottom of the first- but she turned on the dominance, striking out the side to snuff out the threat. Then, in the second, she navigated two out singles from both Mutebi Nvunyi and Ocan Luzira. But in the 3rd inning, we finally got to her.

Top of the order up at the plate, again. Gadilefe popped up, but then Joanna Adoyo hit a one out triple. With a runner on third base, the opportunities were boundless for Banija. Sadiiq Xoosh up at the plate. He lined a fastball into the gap in left center- but Griffith, with a great chase down, was able to make a diving catch. Adoyo was able to tag up, of course, and score- but Griffith did rob Xoosh of extra bases. Griffith pounded his chest after that, robbing his rival of yet another extra base hit. Then, nothing like the old-fashioned solo HR, right? Gouta Rehana hit a towering shot to right field, to give Banija our first lead of the game, a 2-1 lead.

Akachi would strike out to end the third. But in the fourth, we would continue to work away on Jacklyn Flowers. The game was 2-2 now, thanks to Julian Breit's previously mentioned solo HR in the top half of the fourth. Madongo Kiribata up at the plate, leading off for the bottom half of the Banijan order- and he started mashing for the Banijans. He started the inning with a solo HR of his own- making it the third consecutive inning where somebody hit a solo home run. This gave Banija the lead again, a 3-2 lead this time. But, the team was not done.

The bottom of the order would continue to do damage. Nvunyi would double in his next at-bat, getting himself on base, and in scoring position, with the Banijans already leading, 3-2. Then, an Ocan Luzira single would put runners on the corners. Remember, there's still nobody out. Another single by Ipe Chafukwa would score Nvunyi, and meant runners on first and second, with nobody out. That's when the Krauts manager saw he had no choice- if he didn't give her the hook now, the Banijans would just pile it on. And with the top of the order up, he could not take that risk.

It was a smart decision for Ranoria. They brought on Corey Nielman to get through this inning. And they did. Nielman would strike out Gadilefe, and then get Adoyo to ground out into an inning ending 5-4-3 double play. A big-time relief appearance- but we still led, 4-2. Now, fast-forward to the 6th inning. The bottom of the order up again for Banija. When Ipe Chafukwa hit a one out double, it was easy to tell that this team was in business, and was going to do some more damage- continue to pad that lead.

With the second baseman on base, you then saw the rarest of things- was that Atla Gadilefe, displaying power? Yes it was! The man barely hits any HRs- but at this moment, he got a great swing on the bat. He barely lifted it over the right field fence, to make it 6-2. Everything seemed to be going Banija's way. We'd be able to cruise through the rest of this game, with this 4 run lead, into a Game 3 victory, surely?

Ranoria storm back against the Banijan bullpen, as we barely hold on

This Classic has been a bit different than most for Banija- especially this postseason. Usually, it's our starters that are elite, and our bullpen that struggles. But this time around? It's mostly been the opposite. But sometimes, it's nice to get back to your roots, to show the world who we truly are. Top of the 7th, out goes a dominating Xolile Gola, and in goes our middle relief. Taking out Gola after 6 might be controversial- but truly, Oladipo has probably overused her this tournament, and she's shown the effects of wearing down. So all in all, right call.

So out goes Gola, in goes the lefty, Diko Maatle. He immediately struggles. Jesse Griffith leads off the 7th- immediate solo HR. Suddenly, the score is 6-3, and things are not looking quite as dreamy for Banija as they were a few moments prior. He then got Grant Faulkner to strike out. That's good. But the bottom of this Ranorian order is quite nasty. Lukas Valentine singled to left field, to keep the pressure on. Then, Maatle threw a wild pitch- which advanced the runner. After eventually walking Clark Weaver, Oladipo had seen enough- out goes Maatle, in goes Sadiki Walulya. He's trying to navigate this with middle relievers.

RJ Hall would strike out- but Sadiki Walulya would give up a 2 out RBI single to Rylan Rodgers Jr. The runner scored, making it 6-4, the comeback truly on. Walulya would end up getting Veltrone to pop up, to end the inning, but they were doing some serious damage. Fortunately, in the bottom half of the inning, we would respond, as Ugonna Akachi would go yard, driving himself in with the solo home run. This offense is stacked, and it is absolutely raking- it is why Banija finds ourselves in the position we're in- playing for a world championship.

In the top of the 8th, our setup man, Sebaga Atla, came on. Top of the order up for the Krauts. John Solomons led off with a base hit. Then, Atla got Breit to strike out. One away. Griffith, who already had two RBIs on the day, lined one down the right field line. Solomons would score all the way from first on the RBI double for Griffith- his third of the game. A spectacular game for the Krauts star, 3 hits and 3 RBIs in a WCS game. Outplaying Xoosh at the plate for sure. Once Atla gave up a bloop single to Faulkner, Oladipo had no choice but to pull him- and throw on his closer, Oyella Lagum, for a 5 out save. Overuse? Maybe. But what choice did he have, with Atla threatening to give up this lead?

Oyella Lagum would come in and slam the door on the Krauts. He got Lukas Valentine to ground into an inning ending, 4-6-3 double play, to get out of the jam and get to the 9th. We didn't add any runs in the bottom of the 9th- but we didn't need to. He was dominant in the 9th. He struck out Clark Weaver. Then, he allowed a single to RJ Hall, the dual-sport star. Rylan Rodgers Jr. was at the plate. RJ Hall would successfully steal second, getting rid of the double play. But he got Rodgers Jr. to ground out to third, ergo holding the runner at second. And then, he struck out Vincent Veltrone to end the ballgame.

A hell of a game for Banija- final score would be Banija 7, Ranoria 5. "A hell of a game by our boys- what a way to take Game 3!" Oladipo told reporters. "Now, nothing's been won yet- although we've made significant progress. They're going to throw everything they have at us here in Game 4- we have to be prepared." Musabingo Vunaana will take the mound in Game 4 for the Banijans.

Banijan WBC 57 Stat Tracker

[Ranoria]

---

@BreitHitsBombs My elefriends got bronze! Huzzah! #SnowBearFriends

@VinnieVeltrone They had a few lucky games that's all #SuperLlamaneanLeagueStronk

"I'm Loving Every Minute,"
Says Griffith As Krauts' Best Falls Just Short In Game Three


Jesse Griffith lashed a home run down centerfield, but it wasn't enough to get the Krauts the win against the reigning champion lions

Dropping two games isn't fun, but this is, apparently, everything Jesse Griffith could've ever asked for. "I'm loving every minute," he laughed during the postgame, "There's a lot of urgency, but we're not out of the fight. I'm trying to get the most out of every minute, this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and we have to take advantage of it in the lifetime of that opportunity."

He's clearly not down after dropping back-to-back games to the Lions, with the most recent being a plastering against Jacklyn Flowers who suffered her first postseason loss in Classic play. Ranoria came into this series an underdog, and no one expected it to be easy, but all three games have been hotly contested to this point, with the only the most recent boasting a run differential of two after a spirited three-to-one run in the final three innings innings wasn't quite enough to take push it into extra innings, and it's far from an insurmountable deficit - our elefreinds in South Newlandia, who recently secured a bronze trophy to loft high in their trunks, fell to a 2-1 deficit against Zwangzug in Drawkland, and in devastating fashion - they fell nine to one. Still, they bounced back and as you all know went on to win back to back championships. As a good chunk of the stars on our roster have learned from them, hopefully they can mimic that bounceback after what's been a neck-and-neck series to this point.

It'll be Brady Behringer up next - the Wizard of Fire (he's a New Llama Wizard and a certified fireballer? Yeah, fine, it's a work in progress) has exceeded expectations by some margin so far this cycle, stepping back into the starting rotation after years as a reliever in strong fashion, and looks to do the same for the New Llama Wizards in the LPB. As you could probably guess from the fact that our pitchers were so atrocious in most of the first two games of the series against Quebec and Shingoryeo or the Tigers, he's been forced to play well to keep us alive. The veteran's going to have to be on point - if we fall down 3-1 going into game five, there's a chance the Krauts would run out their workhorse off short rest in Bohannon. That's a risky play, but if it potentially means extending their stay in the Classic, then Henderson Mausse may be the man to do it.

"We've got a horse, and we're going to ride him," the manager said to the press after the loss. In an ideal world, we win back-to-back games, and Bohannon runs out off plenty of rest to put the nail in the coffin. As things stand, the Krauts may have to flip a coin. Fortunately for them, the batting support will be there for Behringer - Griffith and crew have piled on a nice 12 runs in the last two games. Not quite the explosions they showed in the quarters and semis, but they haven't lost the spark on the plate that's driven them this far, or the ambition to go the distance.

"We're at the threshold," said Julian Breit, "We trusted the process. We've all grown, and we're finally here. We're one step away from baseball immortality, our stars are in our prime. This is our moment, and Baniija's as good a final boss as we could've asked for here. Even final bosses only have so much health, and I can keep swinging for days."

---

Prior to Game Four Of the World Baseball Classic Finals

Credit to both the fans from all over the world and the natives of Concord Heights - somehow Jesse Griffith and crew went undisturbed in the cozy little restaurant nestled not too far from Dagan Airways Stadium.

The superstar sat nestled with his wife, Astrid, in a booth, almost silently munching on fried pickles while his father in law, Tommy Verona, loomed opposite. The swish of passing cars and the chatter of the other patrons drowned out the silence at their table.

Griffith scooped up an blasphemous amount of onion dip and popped it into his mouth - eliciting what almost qualified as a scowl from Astrid before he slowly chewed on it, pondering on the masterclass of making healthy goods unhealthy - or maybe something else entirely.

His adam's apple briefly bulged as he swallowed, "Think we had a chance in those last two?"

Both of the Veronas offered a bewildered look in reply, and Astrid flicked the side of his head, "You lost by three combined runs, dork, of course you did - just didn't go your way."

"Did we? Or was our best just not quite enough? We only got them one in 56, I'm starting to wonder if just being able to keep it competitive is the outlier - like their dominating us is just one wrong step away every time we're out there. They're just on a different level than anyone else I've played."

"You've proven a point regardless," Tommy echoed, "That you can play with the best in the world, you've gone farther than my generation ever hoped to."

"No," he shook his head. "I've proven nothing. If I go home without a ring, then it's no different. I'll know that Xoosh got the best of me, that I'm still not the best of the world. That's not baseball immortality - it's a footnote to someone else's greatness."

"I didn't marry a footnote," Astrid pulled on a tuft of his hair this time, "Quit with the self-pity and stuff. Have you done everything in your power to be the best you can?"

He turned to make eye contact with her, wincing when it torqued his hair a bit more, "You know that better than anyone."

"Alright, then go win a world championship. Sheesh, I didn't even have to throw a pass when we beat these guys on the gridiron. Why are you having so much trouble with it."

Jesse's eyes narrowed to slits, "That's because you were the third string quarterback, babe. But thanks, I guess?"

"Easiest job in sports," she smiled and waved down the server, "Check please."

Both her father and husband went to protest briefly, but unfortunately for them, Astrid was faster, at least as wealthy, and in Cassadaigua.

"I love it here."

[Cassadaigua]

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57- CHAMPIONSHIP

WBC 57 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(5) Banija vs (6) Ranoria
@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights

Game 4:

Ranoria                0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1  4
Banija                 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0  3

series tied at 2

[Banija]

Sadiiq Xoosh, sitting with his agent

"Man, we shouldn't even be meeting- it's literally the middle of the World Baseball Classic Championship Series. It's tied 2-2!" Sadiiq Xoosh said. He wanted to keep his focus on the WBC- but of course, events surrounding could always prove to be a distraction at international tournaments. When your team had announced it was contracting from the league they were in, the LPB, that was not something that could be avoided, or put off.

"Yes, I know. That's why you have me, as an agent. I can handle most of the legwork for you- you play the game. I'll do all the contract stuff." Said Sadiiq Xoosh's agent. This, of course, was true. Nobody wanted to deal with switching clubs in the middle of an international tournament, and especially in the midst of the World Championship Series, but that is what it was going to be.

"Alright. You told me I'd get a release from my contract in Chromia. What are my options?" Xoosh said. "You know I want to stay in the LPB."

"Well, like you asked, my team and I have made ventures out to a number of LPB teams. We got you a number of offers- but we think the New Llama Cyclones one is going to fit you best."

"Alright- let me look it over." Sadiiq said. And he saw the offer, and read it through, line by line. It was about an hour and a half session- he asked numerous questions of his agent, and his agent answered them all, satisfactorily. And then, Sadiiq smiled. "Hell yeah, let's get er done. I'm glad to have this settled now." He told his agent. "When do I sign?"

"Ope- your focus is on the WCS. I'll tell them you've verbally committed- after the WCS is over, and any other WCS-related things, we'll fly you out to New Llama for a new signing ceremony. Nothing official yet." His agent replied.

"Hell yeah- I don't need any more distractions. Glad to have that settled- I didn't want to be thinking about my contract situation across the rest of this series." Sadiiq said. "Well, let's wrap this up- I need to hit the cages."

"Oh Sadiiq?" The agent said. "One more thing- please win us a title. You know I went to law school at Vricksinburg State, and my wife's Ranorian- her brothers are never going to let me live it down if we lose to you Ranoria, again. Gridiron was already bad enough. But baseball too? I'd just have to skip every family reunion until the end of time..."

Sadiiq just laughed, and then left the room to hit the cages. New team- check. Now, time to get a title for his current team...

---

Ugonna Akachi, Banija's starting right fielder, sitting with his agent

The Chromia Comets right fielder- or now, former Chromia Comets right fielder- was sitting in his chair, at the team hotel. Chromatika's withdrawal from the LPB had left both him and Sadiiq Xoosh, Banija's other starting corner outfielder, in a lurch. They were offered terminations of their contracts, which both of them had accepted. Akachi had no idea what Xoosh was going to do- Xoosh, of cousre, was his own man. But this wasn't like an Ice Chineze/Isaka Jawara situation- everybody knew that Xoosh was the best player on Banija.

Even Akachi himself was a big fan.

They weren't teammates in Chromia, of course. Hell they were rivals- one played for the Comets, the other for the Diamonds. But Sadiiq Xoosh was far more of an adventurous person than he was. During the season, of course, they never hung out- the grind of a baseball season was simply too much to be seeing dudes from other teams. When their teams would meet in the regular season, however, they'd occasionally go out for meals together. But Akachi had a much different personality than Xoosh. He was much more soft-spoken. Much more humble. Much less likely to get in your face and talk shit- and consequently, his decision-making process was a lot different.

He was somebody who hated being left in the lurch. And that's what this Chromatik situation had done to him. The Chromia teams leaving the LPB, and he had a choice to make- would he try to go to Esportiva, or would he return home. In the past, the decision would be obvious- go out abroad. But there was something about the adventurousness of the LPB. While he did like Chromatika, he was somebody who got seriously homesick. Akachi didn't even have an agent- he just let his Mom run things.

Some may call him a Mama's boy. His last girlfriend? Ended up breaking up with him because she thought he was too attached to his Mom. Just because instead of getting the couples package at the Varakoula resort in Tikariot for a trip, he decided to bring his Mom along in an adjoining room. It was a fun time for everyone! They fought about it for a while- and then, when he told her that he did the same thing for a trip to the Morehouse hotel in Jookrimpo, she said she was going to break up with him for not making it a couple's trip. When he offered to just bring her Mom along too- "Our Moms can bond while we bond- it'll be cute!" She just broke up with him.

Her loss?

Brutal regardless. But it was what it was. And he had no regrets. Anyways, his agent had sounded out offers from teams, on the LPB side and the MBL side. But with this new opprotunity, there was only one real option. He dialed the phone and called his most frequently called contact- his Mother.

"Hey Mama, how you doing?" He said.

"Great my son! 2-2 in the series- we're all rooting for you back home!" She was deathly afraid of planes, so she generally did not travel to his WBC games. His Dad and siblings were there- but she was at home, in the nation's capitol.

"Mama, you know how the Chromia contract is now up?"

"Mhmmm."

"Guess who I'm signing with now??" They paused on the phone.

"BUSUKUMA!" His mother yelled.

"Yup. It won't be official until after the tournament, of course. But I'm going to be a Rhino. And I will live at home!"

The two gushed on the phone, before Akachi had to eventually hang up and hit the batting cages himself. A seminal moment for Banijan baseball- a big-time LPB star moving back home. Even in these circumstances, a big coup for Banijan baseball- but for him, it was his opportunity to play in the big-time while being close to his Mother. Who could say no to that?

---

In wake of Chromatika leaving the LPB, Banijan players set to sign contracts with new clubs

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- Chromatika leaving the LPB has its biggest effect, from a Banijan perspective, on our starting corner outfielders- Ugonna Akachi and Sadiiq Xoosh. Both elite ballpalyers, especially Sadiiq Xoosh (who has a legitimate argument for being the very best in the world), have been working, behind the scenes, to secure new contracts.

Of course, neither player is discussing publicly- both saying how their focus is on bringing another world title to Banija. But these players have agents for a reason, right? At least, Xoosh does. But rumors are swirling- and well connected journalists are speaking via twii. The consensus on twii.tur seems to be that Sadiiq Xoosh will stay in the LPB, and take his talents to the already stacked New Llama Cyclones. Adding Xoosh to a team that's already a champion- it'll be a big-time deal.

Ugonna Akachi, on the other hand, seems to be coming home to Banija- and seems as if he will play for his hometown team, the Busukuma Rhinos. It's a big coup for the MBL, assuming this holds- he'll be the first-ever player to make the move from the LPB to the MBL. Big deal? I think so. MBL executives are mum on the deal, of course, as he hasn't signed any dotted lines, but it'll be a big win for them, surely. The players and their agents, and the aforementioned teams, are all mum about it right now- but from all our other sources, and off-the-record sources, are saying that both deals are basically a go. They have their new teams- can they bring Banija a fourth world title before they sign their new contracts?

[Ranoria]

A Second Best Day:
Rylan Rodgers Jr Plays Hero Ball To Stave Off The Threat Of Elimination


Rylan Rodgers' Jr sprinting on the most daring play of this WCS (so far)

It was said by Jesse Griffith that the Krauts would need to have their best day four times to come away with a world championship. They've done it twice now, and that means that it can be replicated.

After dropping the '56 Semifinals to Banija in just four games, fans would've been pretty disheartened if they lost three straight contests and were facing elimination with just one victory under their belt. Even Jacklyn Flowers took her first Classic postseason loss, ending any allure of an unbeaten pitcher on that front - and up stepped Brady Behringer to the mound. The former closer has been a nice story to follow and he didn't disappoint - he was called back up into the starting ranks for this campaign and all of a sudden, we're in a best-of-seven dogfight with the reigning champions.

Six straight innings he came away clean, although not without incident. Ugonna Akachi was responsible for the most anxiety-ridden at bat in the third inning. The former Chromia comet, with a two-one count, got a clean hit on Behringer's fastball and rifled it down the edge of left field. It looked as if it would glance off the foul pole for most of its foreboding arc before a fortunate gust of wind took it just a bit farther out...it passed a hair's breadth outside what would've given Banija first blood in this one.

Unphased, Behringer delivered another fastball and once again Akachi had a read on it. This one went right down centerfield, and it was Rylan Rodgers Jr tracking it down - all twenty one years old of him. The entire stadium offered a gasp, Akachi started his job, and Rylan sprinted like his life depended on it - it was just enough. The two-sport star bounded up, used his free arm to press himself up on the edge of the wall, and stuck his glove in the air as nothing short of a prayer with no view of the ball.

Miraculously - at least for our Ranorian-dominated workplace here at RSNN (except for our colleague Muhoozi, who shows up in Lions, Serpent Eagles, or Blue Thunder gear depending on season we're in), - the ball just barely hit below the top of his glove, and he latched on for dear life. Rylan's fall from the wall was one of the least athletic performances of his life and he couldn't care less, sprinting back to the dugout with RJ Hall and spiking his glove into the dirt on his way in - a glove Julian Breit graciously recovered. Rylan was called a potential x factor who's added juice could push this team to take the final step - his efforts in this game may well be the straw that broke the camel's back on that front, as he was crucial to Ranoria's efforts.

That was probably a sign of things to come though. Behringer escaped one more inning unscathed, winning enough time for Jesse Griffith to drive in Jullian Breit on an RBI double before some guy, you may have heard of him, we won't mention his name because he's relatively unimportant, did a thing that he's become pretty well known for. Anyway, Xoosh did break the game open with a two-score-line drive that hit someone in the crowd (thankfully in the chest), knocking her back enough for him to trip and flip over the chair behind him. (We have confirmed she's okay, don't worry)

With the scoring coming in bunches suddenly, it was RJ Hall who answered - the likely first overall pick in the upcoming LPB draft smashed a long ball of his own to take back the lead. That drove Musabingo Vunaana from the mound, giving way to ULI-alumn Kigongo Namatiwa.

As for Behringer, he'd make it through one more inning before he was pulled for Alabaster Cappa at the bottom of the eighth after letting up a third earned run. Overall, a great performance for a guy that probably hasn't fully acclimated to playing full games yet. So it was all tied up going into the ninth - anything new based on the way this has gone so far between these two teams?

Both Clark Weaver and a budding star in RJ Hall were surprisingly gunned down by Namatiwa in just seven pitches - we'd wager to say he was wanting his crack at Richardson Governor Rylan Rodgers Jr, who, despite being part of the first Governors' team to ever lose twice to ULI in one season, isn't exactly loved by the Blue Thunder between his recent comments towards Sadiiq Xoosh and his game winning run against them in NSCF 28. Everywhere you turn in any Banija-Ranoria matchup, you'll find such personal fueds that have welled up in the wake of the greater rivalry.

The first was a heater, well inside, and Rylan swayed back to avoid it, flashing Namatiwa a pearly grin - he got the message.

A strike on the next one, and The Butler settled in and picked his target. The third pitch wasn't the best hit, but it was enough. The ball went just high enough to get out of the infield and bounced its way to the right corner, where it was poor Ugonna Akachi having to deal with Rodgers Jr again. Akachi got to the ball with haste and in a motion that'd been muscle memory since childhood, came up to gun it to second. Unfortunately, it wasn't even close. Rylan didn't hesitate to round the base to third, and with a dive, managed to beat the throw to third base to make it a triple.

In typical Rylan Rodgers fashion, he got up and waggled his finger towards Namatiwa. It was a little hard to decipher, but most agree that the broadcast picked up a spirited, "Doing that joke of a uni proud!" from the first-time national teamer while he stood.

Namatiwa shrugged him off and got ready. With Vincent Veltrone at the plate there was a very real threat of a single knocking in Rodgers Jr.

He took a bit of time to collect himself, and Rodgers crept just a bit closer in his blind spot.

The windup started, and Rylan bolted. Veltrone stepped out of the way, offering a salute to the pitcher as he did, and Rodgers sprinted straight through the plate, leaping into the stands to hug his problematic snow bear Klaw. We're not sure how Dagan Airways staff were convinced to let him into the stadium after his incident during the group stage, but no one was complaining about the sight of Rylan practically hanging from the snow bear's thick neck. What they would later complain about would come when Rylan clapped hands with Veltrone, took the bat from his hands, and flipped it towards Namatiwa.

Namatiwa rushed him then, and managed to grab a handful of jersey just as the ump came in, both jawing at each other while he struggled to separate them, and Rylan was ejected from a game for the second time this postseason - no surprise, he's already Richardson University's program record holder for excessive celebration penalties. Namatiwa was pulled and the Lions got out of the inning without further incident, but down one, they'd have to get through Miellan Walker.

The closer for the Elephant Valley United hadn't been great in the LPB this past season, but he's on a comeback trail - and here, he'd manage to strike out Ugonna Akachi, who was just not having a good time tonight overall. No such luck with Madongo Kiribata. Middle of the order or not, this Lion lineup has danger everywhere, and Kiribata blasted a drive between right and left field. Judas Acker, getting his first action of the final with Rodgers ejected, managed to get a throw to second in time with things coming down to the wire. Mutebi Nvunyi, a phenom in his own right and the youngest player for either side in this series, was forced out with a hit to Jesse Griffith getting gunned right back to Veltrone.

Two outs, man in scoring position, and Ocan Luzira up to the plate. It's the type of scenario every little kid dreams of, a chance to hit a game-winning home run in the championship series. Miellan Walker was in the same headspace though, and he was determined to continue proving to the world that last season in the LPB was nothing more than a long slump - Luzira swung at a nasty curveball six pitches deep into the at bat, and that'd be game.

Walker offered a modest beating of his chest at his third save of the postseason, this one with two strikeouts, and the Krauts bench offered their applause to the closer who's quickly become a hero in his new role. With Behringer graduating back to a starting, Walker was clearly the best reliever left and it was only natural for him to take up the mantle - so far, we'd say he's doing swimmingly.

---

"Feels good to dunk on ULI," said Rylan Rodgers Jr at a post-game presser, "I knew the second they ran out Namatiwa we had a good chance, that school just produces soft guys that crumble under the lights, I'm not sure what it is."

That definitely won't come back to bite him come football season...

[Cassadaigua]

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 57- CHAMPIONSHIP

WBC 57 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(5) Banija vs (6) Ranoria
@ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights

Game 5:

Banija                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0  4
Ranoria                0 0 4 0 1 0 0 1 X  6

Ranoria leads series, 3-2

[Banija]

Odongo Lutaakome, the morning of Game 6

Odongo Lutaakome, Banija's starting pitcher for Game 6, woke up. His four starts this postseason had been, well, maybe disastrous is a strong word- but they have certainly not been up to par. Not up to his standards for himself. Game 2 of the WCS, Banija did get the win, yes, but no thanks to him- allowing 7 earned over 3^2/3s innings tends to not win you a lot of fans. His starts have mostly been good this postseason. In each of the first three series, he pitched well enough to pick up a win in each series.

But Game 2 of the WCS, as previously mentioned, went poorly. And fans... Tended to remember what has happened lately. Especially when you were pitching for a world championship. But after he woke up, and did his regular morning routine, he walked over to the manager, Isaac Oladipo's office. He knew the situation- after 5 riveting, insanely close games, the Banijans found themselves in an elimination in the Classic. Down 3-2 ahead of the Game 6, Lutaakome knew that he was in a must-win situation for Banija.

"Odongo. Please, take a seat." Isaac Oladipo told him. Lutaakome sat down.

"Insane that you're here, isn't it? Game 6, series on the line, survival on the line- you're getting the baseball. What dreams are made of, right?" Isaac Oladipo said.

"Of course." Odongo said. I mean, he knew it. Think- last cycle, during the World Championship Series, he got demoted in the rotation. He was the nominal #3 starter, but he was made the #4 starter- just one start, in game 4, of the WCS against Nova Anglicana. But now, this year, he had pitched well enough to avoid that demotion. Instead, Lutaakome had kept his place in the rotation, behind Banija's big 2 pitchers. And at 23 years old, he knew that he had lots of time ahead of him. Of course, lots of competition ahead of him, as well- and behind him.

But these types of games- they were the opportunity to really reset your reputation. Right now, his reputation within Banija was probably fair- a very talented, but young pitcher, and a little bit raw- he can freeze up in the biggest spots. He felt as if he was the natural successor to Xolile Gola as the future ace of the Banijan rotation. But of course, he was not the only young pitcher who thought that.

"Let's go through your gameplan today." And Oladipo broke out his notes from Lutaakome's last start, as well as how Ranorian hitters had approached things in Games 4 and 5. They went over those notes for an hour- strategies on how to deal with different hitters, ideas for how to pitch in various situations. Would it work? Who knows. But their backs were against the wall- it was a win or go home game for Banija.

"Thank you coach." Odongo Lutaakome said. He then went to find his catcher. He knew that the game would be a big one- and he was finding him to go over the gameplan. He knew that games like these, Game 6 of the World Championship Series, were some of those singular moments that could permanently make or break your reputation. If he had a dominant performance and led Banija to a win, and forced a Game 7? He'd almost certainly have the inside track out of any of Banija's young pitchers at leading this rotation in WBC 58. But if he got pounded? Well... He'd prefer not to think about that.

---

Banijans with their 'backs against the wall' ahead of Game 6 of the World Baseball Classic

CONCORD HEIGHTS, CASSADAIGUA- Every single game in this World Championship Series has been decided by 2 runs or less. The quality shown on the field, both on the mound and at the plate, has been insane. And how tight these two teams are? There's not much separating them at all. But there is only thing separating Banija and Ranoria right now- Ranoria 3, Banija 2. That's how many games each team has won as part of this best of 7 World Championship Series. So much at stake here- a rematch of last cycle's semifinal, Ranoria trying to punch through for their first ever world title in baseball, and Banija trying to truly showcase themselves as a dynasty with back-to-back titles.

Nothing comes easy. And now for Banija, we face a must-win Game 6. "Obviously, in our previous playoff series, we were able to get ahead of our opponents. But just because we trail, we are certainly not out." Isaac Oladipo told reporters. "This team is downright dangerous with our backs against the wall- we are going to be doing everything in our power to try and win this Game 6." And of course any manager would say that. But this team, despite Ranoria beating us the last two games, is absolutely dangerous. Sadiiq Xoosh, Ugonna Akachi, Joanna Adoyo, etc... Terrifying bats.

Game 6 is going to be interesting. Bohannon, who won Game 1 for Ranoria in a dominating, 8+ inning performance, will be back on the mound for an opportunity to win his country a world title. Facing him? Odongo Lutaakome. "Look- I know that if we can get it to Xolile Gola in a winner-take-all Game 7, we will be in pretty good shape." He told reporters. "It's my job to just work my way through this lineup, a few times, and limit the damage all of these dangerous batters can do. When you got a dude like Rylan Rodgers Jr. hitting at the bottom of the order... It's just stacked from top to bottom. But we will make our way through it. And Xolile, I make you a public promise- we'll go to hell and back to give you a chance to win this series for us."

Of course, you can't win Game 7 without winning Game 6- so the pressure's on now. We know who our difference makers are. Will one of our stars be the hero tonight? Or will we have some of the supporting cast take center stage to push us to Game 7? Or- worst comes to worst- will Bohannon and Jesse Griffith give us a Ranorian storybook ending?

Find out, tonight, on Public Television!

[Ranoria]

@Halfdeadbeatmom If the Krauts finish one of the next two games with a bigger number on the scoreboard than Banija's I will have achieved self-actualization

---

With A Championship In Reach,
Krauts Task Bohannon With Dropping The Axe In Game Six


The Cannon showcased his world-class arm to lead this team to a game one victory. Now, in an effort to avoid facing Xolile Gola in game seven, he'll be on the mound in game six

There have been a lot of dramatic moments during this run. Playing in and winning a group that cleaned out an entire side of the bracket in these playoffs en route to a team-record number of wins in the group stage, playing the hosting Cassadagan side - a rematch of last Classic's third-place game on top of all of their recent history behind hosting another major tournament. Our strongest international in Quebec and Shingoryeo's red-hot Grim Reapers and a semifinal group-stage rematch with Super-Llamaland both began with offensive explosions as Griffith and Breit muscled their way past those rounds. And squaring off with Banija, the reigning champions of the world, is the final step. It was always going to be our greatest rival - bars and restaurants all across Ranoria have been raking in profits as people flock there to watch these bouts, and plenty of fans from both sides have traveled to Cassadaigua to witness history.

We're in the championship rounds now - Ranoria is one win away from her first world championship on the diamond, and it'll be our ace in Bohannon taking the mound. After struggling against both Quebec and Shingoryeo and Super-Llamaland, the ace pitched a gem against one of the most terrifying lineups in recent history, allowing just a pair of runs despite a few scares to help his team get that first victory. If Ranoria had dropped game four, he likely would've been brought into our most recent game on short rest just to extend our stay. As is - he's fresh and he's ready to go.

"I won't shy away from it," said the younger assistant manager Jonas Nuhl in Henderson Mausse's stead, "It's not that we don't have a chance against Xolile Gola, but we have a better chance with her off the mound than on it. Rather than running Bohannon out in a do-or-die game seven and let those two superstars butt heads, we'll stack the deck as much as we can here, especially in such a tight series. The Cannon's going to be our executioner."

Whether or not he can drop the axe and replicate his game one showing remains to be seen - but based on our 6-4 win in game five, he'll have plenty of firepower behind him. In a series that's seen just one win for each team by a two run margin, Jesse Griffith was the one that delivered a backbreaker. After Parker Majors - a veteran in Banija's MBL - held the Lions down for three innings, Kopa Mosego found himself in a tight spot. After RJ Hall got in on a sac fly from Rylan Rodgers Jr, Vincent Veltrone, and Julian Breit manned the corners (to his credit, keeping Breit from hitting the baseball into the crowd is an achievement in and of itself). For those of you counting - that means Jesse Griffith was on the plate with two outs.

This is a guy who, rather than take a walk to win a championship series, swung at a pitch that likely would've been a ball to force a grand slam victory in his last ever game in the Federation of Ranorian Baseball. Even if they could intentionally walk him, it'd have to be a pretty egregious ball for him to not swing at the fourth.

Griffith stepped back after strike two, pulled the rim of his helmet down a bit lower. Back to his open stance, nodded. When the pitch came, he lashed out at it with all the force he could muster. That satisfying sound of perfect contact was the first warning, and Griffith followed up and through his swing, launching the ball on a rope towards the edge of the playing field. Even Sadiiq Xoosh didn't bother following it, watching Griffith as the Ranorian rounded the bases.

It has to be said that even amongst the optimistic fans of the team, a lot of them never thought their Krauts would be in a position to win a world championship. That kind of hope was, for the most part, limited to those inside the organization. Up until that swing, that is. Griffith's blasting of a three-run-bomb seemed to wake everyone up, this was possible, and the Ranorians in the crowd made themselves very known, filling the stadium with enough sound that, for a minute at least, it seemed as if it were a home game.

With momentum on their side, Parker Majors looked awesome going forward - he pitched a shutout through seven innings. RJ Hall drove in Clark Weaver to make it a five-zip lead in the fifth, and then Xoosh woke up. He's the best player in the world right now, and after Majors let up a pair of runs in the eighth he was pulled for Alabaster Cappa. No worries quite yet, but Joanna Adoyo earned herself a single, and we all know what usually happens with the next man up. Xoosh never gave Cappa a chance, teeing off his fastball and launching it into the upper deck to all of a sudden bring this thing within one. Cappa whipped his helmet off to accentuate a string of obscenities as Xoosh ran his lap and pounded his chest, and was immedietely pulled for Miellan Walker, our closer who's been on an absolute tear.

This time of course, he had the advantage of not facing off against that aforementioned RBI machine, and only had to earn four outs to get the victory. He's a guy who's shown plenty that he can perform as a long reliever in past Classics - this is no sweat off his back.

He gunned down twenty-two year old Gouta Rehana in four pitches despite a scare of a foul that could've turned into a triple, and Vincent Veltrone helped out with a solo bomb at the bottom of the eighth to give Walker some breathing room.

And then, as he's done thrice prior to this game during these WBC playoffs, Miellan Walker set his jaw and did his job. For all the tension in the ninth inning, knowing that this Banijan lineup was potentially two swings away from stealing this win, they never threatened a score. Walker mowed them down 1-2-3. Ocan Luzira shot one deep into right field, but with RJ Hall's speed, it was never in question, and the presumed future face of the Nikcoro Suns snagged the baseball in stride, grinning ear to ear and raising his glove to the sky in triumph while the rest of the fielders rallied around him.

There have been a lot of key players with standout performances in this series - Walker's just posted his second save of the series and fourth of the playoffs. Bohannon's incredible performance on the mound in the opening. Rylan Rodgers Jr's heroics in game four, and of course Julian Breit and Jesse Griffith have been sensational at hitting the ball a long way within the cone-shaped area that defines what a fair hit is. More than likely, Ranoria will need one more dominant performance, one more time of a player stepping up and exceeding all expectations, if they're going to close this thing out. But this is the kind of situation players dream of - every member of this squad wants to be remembered, and what better time to secure immortality than right now?