By IAN WILSON
The playoff races are ramping up and team identities are taking shape in the Western Canadian Baseball League.
The result in the WCBL Power Rankings may not mean a lot of movement this week, but there is still time for squads to seal their fate … or change it.
While the positions have largely held steady compared to the last edition of the Power Rankings, here’s a look at why the teams are where they are:
1. SYLVAN LAKE GULLS: At 38-12 with a .760 winning percentage, the Gulls remain the team to beat in the WCBL. They are first overall in the WCBL standings and in top spot in the West Division. The Gulls are riding a four-game win streak.
2. OKOTOKS DAWGS: The Dawgs are right there pushing the Gulls for top spot, but they have not been able to catch Sylvan Lake. Okotoks has a 35-14 record and both the Dawgs and Gulls are 7-3 over their last 10 games.
3. LETHBRIDGE BULLS: Flip a coin between the Bulls and the Red Sox right now. Lethbridge is 33-16 with a three-game unbeaten streak as they try to chase down the Gulls and the Dawgs. The Bulls have also won nine of their last 10 contests.
4. REGINA RED SOX: The East Division leaders are poised to hold onto their top spot as they fend off Medicine Hat and their Saskatchewan rivals. They also have a three-game win streak going and sit at 34-16 heading into the final week of action.
5. MEDICINE HAT MAVERICKS: The Mavs have not been able to make up ground on Regina over the last week and are .500 over their last 10 games. Medicine Hat is likely to retain second spot in the East Division heading into the postseason.
6. SASKATOON BERRIES: After getting hot at the right time, the 26-23 Berries look like a team that’s ready for the playoffs, but their seeding is up in the air. Currently in third place in the East, Saskatoon has to contend with the Miller Express for that position. Both teams have secured postseason berths, but who they will face in the opening round has yet to be determined.
7. MOOSE JAW MILLER EXPRESS: The Millers have been a consistent team in the WCBL over the last few years and they’ll look to prove themselves in the last week of the regular season. Can they catch the Berries for third spot or will they remain in fourth in the East Division?
8. FORT McMURRAY GIANTS: Fort Mac was the only team to rise in this week’s Power Rankings. They did so by leap-frogging the Brooks Bombers, the team they’re duking it out with for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division. The 19-31 Giants have lost three in a row but they have the narrowest of leads for the last postseason berth. Can they hold on?
9. BROOKS BOMBERS: The Bombers are a .500 team in their last 10 games. They’ll have to do better than that to overtake Fort McMurray and secure their second postseason appearance in franchise history.
10. SWIFT CURRENT 57’s: The 57’s have some great players who are among the individual statistical leaders in the WCBL, but the team has been unable to put it all together this summer. Now that they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs, they’ll collectively try to avoid finishing in the basement of the East Division.
11. WEYBURN BEAVERS: Meanwhile, the Beavers will look to save face by catching Swift Current and avoiding last in the East. They are 13-36 on the season and 3-7 over their last 10 contests. Do they have more to give?
12. EDMONTON PROSPECTS: They are locked into last place in the West, but the Prospects can still avoid finishing at the bottom of the overall league standings. With just one win in their last 10 games, head coach Jordan Blundell will try to squeeze whatever is left out of the tube of toothpaste and claw their way to a few more victories.
The WCBL Power Rankings are a weekly feature that examines how all 12 squads are playing. You can find the East and West Division standings, as well as team and individual statistics on the league’s website. The WCBL This Week: Red Arrow Report also provides weekly updates, highlights and analysis from around the league.
Tales of Baseball 