Season 15 World Series Preview by tk21775

Thanks to tk for putting this together. I had planned on doing it, but figured it made more sense to get an "unbiased" opinion since I am apart of it.


S15 World Series Preview

Representing the American League this season will be the Anaheim Trojans (84-78). Owner ajwalton is no stranger to the playoffs, having taken his team to postseason play 8 out of his 12 seasons and bringing home the trophy twice. The Trojans will be representing the Cinderella team as they managed to sneak into the playoffs as the 6th seed and final wildcard spot in a very tight race. Seeding means nothing to these guys though as they swept their 1st series with #3 seed Nashville Commodores (2 1-run games), took one game longer against #2 seed Salem Beavers by winning 3 in a row, and then had to go the distance against #5 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers in a tightly contested series. For offense the Trojans are going to have to rely on the homerun ball as they finished 3rd in the majors with balls hit out of the park, while finishing 20th in team batting avg., 12th in RBI, and dead last in stolen bases with 0. They will bring a team that features 4 players with 90+ power, 4 with 80+, and 2 with 70+ so no lead will be safe with this kind crushing bats at the plate. For pitching they’ll rely on the arms of Jake Randolph (post-season era 2.05), Davy Woods (2.89), and Miguel Barcelo (5.089). If Barcelo can get back to his regular season form this is a very solid trio to throw out on the mound.

Representing the National League in the World Series will be the Charlotte Tar Heels and owner hopkinsheel. This team is also no strangers to playing after the regular season, having made it to the playoffs 12 out of the franchises 15 seasons while also taking home the trophy twice. The Tar Heels finished as the #2 seed, receiving a first round bye and having a relative esay time getting through the playoffs. They went 4 games with the #3 seed Richmond Spiders and 5 games with the #4 seed Helena Grizzlies dropping the first game but winning the next 4. Offensively the Tar Heels are a dangerous team. They finished 7th in team batting avg., 5th in home runs, and 3rd in RBI. With a lineup featuring Bryant (8HR/20RBI/.410avg in playoffs), Pong (5/9/.412), Olmedo, and Hermanson there’s not too many easy outs. Finishing 7th in team pitching ERA, they’ll rely on their two young arms: Gimenez (2.08 in playoffs) and Prado (4.58).

Statistically I’d have to say the advantage on paper goes to the Charlotte Tar Heels. In the regular season they were near the top in fielding, pitching, and hitting. In the playoffs they’re still near the top in all categories. I think the Trojans have the pitching advantage in this series as far as starting pitching but will face a very tough lineup. If I were a betting man (CONFIDENTAL: which I am so trade chat your wagers for the series discreetly) I’d make the Tar Heels the favorites and have them pegged to hoist the trophy up after game 6. But since I’m not a very good betting man, take this all with a grain of salt. Both teams had a great season to make it here, so here’s to a good series between them. Good luck to both the Anaheim Trojans and the Charlotte Tar Heels in the S15 NCAA World Series.