British Baseball’s playoff places go down to the wire

Although some of the sides have been almost assured of their places in the post-season for a month, most of the final standings are still up for grabs on the last weekend of the regular season as one more team’s unbeaten season fell by the wayside.

That team was the London Marauders in Single-A South, who were pipped 10-8 in Enfield against the Old Timers. Always an incredibly heated battle between these two local rivals, no doubt there was no love lost by either side as they sought to secure their playoff places; the Old Timers now move within a game of first place in Pool A of Single-A after the Essex Archers lost for the first time on the field to Hove Tuesday, who remain unbeaten. The Essex Redbacks III lost to the Guildford Mavericks II, but it won’t be enough to alter their playoff future as they will have to be content with being bridesmaids this season.

Next weekend:

Herts Raptors at Richmond Dukes; Herts Eagles at Hove Tuesday; Guildford Mavericks II at Old Timers; Essex Archers at London Marauders; Tonbridge Bobcats at Essex Redbacks II

The Archers-Marauders contest could be a precursor for the post-season and both sides will want a victory to go through as group winners, something the Marauders can only do at the expense of Hove Tuesday who would need to lose against the Herts Eagles. The Raptors will likely beat the Dukes, but with the Old Timers winning last week the Herts side cannot go to the playoffs as I understand it, unless the oldies decide to forego the post-season for the third consecutive year.

The Guildford Mavericks retained their unbeaten season in AA South with an emphatic win over the Essex Redbacks II. Only four hits were allowed as they won through 27-3, and confirmed home advantage, and likely first place in Pool A. The Daws Hill Spitfires won both games over the Kent Mariners to move into a three-way tie for second in Pool B, while the Sidewinders stay top with a win over the Richmond Dragons. The London Mammoths didn’t play, as they were scheduled against the Thames Valley Bisons, while the Herts Hawks picked up a forfeit win over the Southampton Mustangs II. All of a sudden, Pool A’s two remaining playoff spots (behind the Mavericks and Poole Piranhas) became interesting as the Croydon Pirates III’s week off allowed the Latin Tigers to close in, which they did with a win over the Brentwood Stags. Thames Valley might be forced into forfeiting their eight outstanding fixtures, meaning three teams are fighting for the final two spaces, separated by just half a game.

Next weekend:

Herts Hawks at Daws Hill Spitfires (Double-header); Sidewinders at Thames Valley Bisons; London Mammoths at Southampton Mustangs II; Croydon Pirates III at Essex Redbacks II; Brentwood Stags at Guildford Mavericks; Brentwood Stags at Richmond Dragons

Herts and Daws Hill will play for second in Pool B, with the Spitfires slightly higher placed, but anything less than a sweep for either side will allow the London Mammoths to hijack the party as they’ll move half a game ahead of both sides should they beat the Southampton Mustangs II. The Mustangs II need to win to confirm their post-season berth, while Croydon Pirates III will also hope to get theirs with a win at the Redbacks II. The Latin Tigers will need to find opposition to face if they’re to earn a spot. The Sidewinders will confirm first place in Pool B with a win at Thames Valley, if the Bisons are able to play.

AA Midlands has already seen the Nottingham Rebels crowned champions, and after beating the Leicester Blue Sox, the Milton Keynes Bucks will join them in the AA playoffs. The Blue Sox are slightly ahead of the Birmingham Maple Leafs, who beat the Stourbridge Titans, and thus will likely have home advantage for the regional Single-A post-season battle.

Next weekend:

Birmingham Maple Leafs at Nottingham Rebels; Leicester Blue Sox at Stourbridge Titans

The only way for the Leafs to gain home advantage is a sweep of the Rebels, while the Blue Sox will still take third should they complete another win over the Titans. Once again, the Midlands division is nice and easy for everyone to understand. Good work, people!

Things aren’t so simple in AA North. With six games likely to go unplayed, the Sheffield Bladerunners swept the Manchester Torrent to all-but clinch the title. The Harrogate Tigers swept the Oldham North Stars while the Hull Scorpions did the same to the Newton Aycliffe Spartans, so things stayed where they were, relatively, this weekend.

Next weekend:

Sheffield Bladerunners at Harrogate Tigers; Hull Scorpions at Manchester Torrent; Oldham North Stars at Newton Aycliffe Spartans

Unless fixtures can be quickly rearranged and the Tigers win on the field, or claim forfeits, the Bladerunners will beat their cross-county rivals into second place regardless of the outcome on Sunday. Manchester need to sweep Hull to finish third, and win home advantage, but the final groups for the playoffs have already been decided here, just the opposition and locations to be confirmed. History, as I said earlier this season, will be made if the Spartans can win either of their set against the North Stars, while Oldham could complete their first sweep in memory with two victories in the north east.

AAA North again picked up some big results, but the Liverpool Trojans confirmed their third consecutive championship with a fortnight to go despite the matches against the Bolton Robots of Doom being washed out; unless by some miracle the games get played, the Cartmel Valley Lions (second) and Menwith Hill Patriots (third) won’t be catching them. The Lions and Patriots were washed out in the battle for second, and thus the chance to play the Trojans for an NBC place will go down to the final fortnight. The Halton Jaguars won both against the Manchester As to ensure they would finish higher in the standings.

Next weekend:

Halton Jaguars at Menwith Hill Patriots; Liverpool Trojans at Cartmel Valley Lions; Manchester As at Bolton Robots of Doom

The Jaguars can dent the Patriots chances of taking second, which are already slim following the rain at the weekend and the two forfeits they’ve conceded against the Trojans from earlier in the season. It makes the Trojans-Lions fixture likely to be repeated in a few weeks as they playoff for the NBC berth, with both sides sharing two wins and two defeats so far in 2012. The Robots of Doom will be playing for pride following their step up into AAA North against their nearest rivals, the As. Two wins could see them move out of the bottom spot.

AAA South playoff places will go down to the final fortnight of action after sweeps for the Oxford Kings over the London Metros, the Bristol Badgers over the Richmond Knights and the Cambridge Royals over the Latin Boys. The Boys, Metros and Knights now cannot make the playoffs, but Bristol and Oxford are tied while the Royals are a game behind the Essex Redbacks. Just guess who gets to play against each other on Sunday…

Next weekend:

Essex Redbacks at Cambridge Royals, Oxford Kings at Bristol Badgers

One win out of two for the Redbacks will secure them the NBC berth as Pool B winners, while Cambridge can only guarantee top spot with a sweep of their rivals. The Kings and Badgers will fight it out, but there is more to this tale – they’re set to play twice more on August 12, so unless one side sweeps the other, the Badgers and Kings will bring their party the following weekend as well.

The final standings in the NBL, like the other leagues, are far from sorted, but this weekend the Harlow Nationals all-but confirmed top spot with a couple of forfeit victories over the Lakenheath Diamondbacks. The Herts Falcons couldn’t make inroads with their games against the Croydon Pirates, winning the first before the second was washed out, while the Southampton Mustangs took control of the third automatic NBC spot by scooping two wins against the London Mets, forcing the side from the capital into fourth. In a relatively irrelevant match with regards the final standings, the Bracknell Blazers feasted on the Essex Arrows’ pitching, smacking five home runs, but couldn’t rise above the team from Waltham Abbey with two wins.

Next weekend:

Essex Arrows at London Mets; Southampton Mustangs at Bracknell Blazers; Lakenheath Diamondbacks at Herts Falcons; Croydon Pirates at Harlow Nationals

The Arrows will want to finish their season as they started – with a sweep – after nine losses from ten competitive matches has sunk their summer. The Mets need two wins to get back to form, while the Mustangs will be confident of securing third with a sweep at Bracknell. The Diamondbacks will gain vital top level competition prior to their playoff match when they take on the Herts Falcons, but the Falcons will hope to win both and for a minor miracle, as the Nationals can confirm the NBL pennant with two wins over the Pirates.