STATE COLLEGE, Pa.—The West Virginia Black Bears look to win their third Draft League Championship in four years as they head to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to play the first-half winners, State College Spikes. First pitch is scheduled for tonight at 6:35 p.m.
West Virginia enters the Championship game as the league's second-half winners with a record of 29-15 and on a hot streak against State College, having won six straight against the Spikes for a 9-2 season record.
Both teams enter this title game with strong pitching, as the Bears lead the league with a 4.09 team ERA, but the Spikes are right behind them with a 4.21.
The Black Bears' offense has been clicking on all cylinders in the second half of the season, finishing second in the league in runs scored with 266, and first in extra-base hits with 108. The Bears bats are led by WVU alum Jace Rinehart (.391 BA), who set a league record with a hit in 21 consecutive games.
On the mound, the Spikes will look to lean heavily on their pitching as they have allowed just 218 runs, the second fewest. The Spikes have been especially sharp on the mound to close the season out, allowing just four runs in their final three games, with two being shut outs.
Keys to the Game
Relief pitching – The Bears will look to rely on their dominant relief pitching to win the games, as they currently have five relievers with below a 2.40 ERA, led by Cameron LeJeune, who's been outstanding in the second half with a .67 ERA in 27 IP.
Scoring Early – Though the Spikes have been good on the mound, their bats have been a different story as they finished last in the league during the second half in runs scored with 228, and have shown to struggle at the plate, leading the second half standings in strikeouts with 422. If the Bears can rattle the Spikes early, they will put themselves in a good position to win the ball game
What's at stake
The Bears look to win their third championship in four years and complete what has been a dominant season for the Bears as they finished the year going 45-28, with the next closest team being the Spikes, who finished the year going 38-36. Meanwhile, State College looks to win its first Draft League Championship in front of its home crowd.
