South Atlantic League playoff preview

The Southern Division has ruled the roost in the South Atlantic League playoffs over the last three seasons. Asheville took two of those titles (2012, 2014) and Savannah claimed the championship in 2013. Both have the opportunity to continue that trend after the Tourists won the Wild Card on Labor Day. The Sand Gnats, meanwhile, swept both halves of the division and finished with the best overall record in the 14-team Class A circuit.

Hickory and West Virginia have intentions of ending that trend. The Crawdads won the Northern Division's first half before the Power cruised to the top spot in the second half. In order for one team to snap the South's victory streak, Hickory would have to win its first SAL championship since 2004, when the Crawdads won their second title in a three-year span. The Power is looking to earn its second SAL crown after the franchise claimed its first in 1990.

Hickory Crawdads (81-57, Northern Division first-half champion) vs.
West Virginia Power (87-52, Northern Division second-half champion)

West Virginia won the season series, 5-3

Game 1 at West Virginia, Sept. 9 at 7:05 p.m. ET
Game 2 at Hickory, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. ET
Game 3 at Hickory (if necessary), Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. ET

No team has enjoyed the taste of home cooking more this season than the West Virginia Power. Manager Brian Esposito's club established a franchise single-season mark with 87 victories overall, including a Minor League-best 48 home triumphs, at Appalachian Power Park.

The last team to win that many games at home in the South Atlantic League was Savannah in 2011; the Columbus Catfish established the circuit standard with 50 home wins in 2009.

"Having your season extended and getting the chance to play in the postseason is always a great reward for every member of the team," Esposito said. "Our fans and the city of Charleston have been great to us throughout the season, and we really enjoy playing at home. It's something we're really looking forward to."

The Power can expect to have plenty of support in the best-of-3 lidlifter Wednesday night. Through Tuesday, the team gave away free general admission tickets to all fans who picked them up in advance as part of a local promotion. That lure, as well as the fact that the team drew 160,429 fans over the course of the campaign, representing its highest total since the 2011 season, means there is a good chance the Power will be energized by their local supporters once again.

"Our fans have really made this a home-field advantage for us," Esposito said. "They come out, they're loud, and they cheer for us, which is exactly what you hope to have when you play at home."

The Power's starting rotation is led by Yeudy Garcia, who was tabbed as the SAL's Most Outstanding Pitcher after posting a 12-5 record and leading the league with a 2.10 ERA. Garcia went 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts against Hickory on the season. West Virginia was also represented on the circuit's year-end All-Star team by right fielder Michael Suchy, who batted .275 with 10 home runs and 76 RBIs, good for second in the league.

Contributing to Hickory's cause throughout the season has been pitchers Collin Wiles (11-3, 2.96) and Ariel Jurado (12-1, 2.45 ERA). Outfielder Luke Tendler ranked fourth in the SAL with 73 RBIs and 202 total bases and tied for fourth with 49 extra-base hits. He also paced the team with 15 home runs, one more than catcher Jose Trevino, who added 63 RBIs while providing outstanding defense behind the dish. Given the talent found on the Texas Rangers' Class A club, Esposito knows that manager Corey Ragsdale's Crawdads will be a formidable foe.

"I'm really proud of the way these guys have gone about their business all season and made the most of their opportunities to improve every time they take the field," Esposito said. "We've talked at times over the course of the season about how great it would be to win a championship. Now that we have that opportunity, we hope to make the most of it."

Savannah Sand Gnats (84-53, Southern Division champion) vs.
Asheville Tourists (72-67, Southern Division Wild Card)

Savannah won the season series, 13-7

Game 1 at Asheville, Sept. 9 at 7:05 p.m. ET
Game 2 at Savannah, Sept. 11 at 7:05 p.m. ET
Game 3 at Savannah (if necessary), Sept. 12 at 6:05 p.m. ET

Savannah joined West Virginia as the most consistent teams in the SAL this season while becoming the first club to win both halves in the league since Lakewood swept the Northern Division in 2010. Despite having 19 different position players and 28 pitchers take the field, the Sand Gnats led the circuit with a 3.12 ERA and placed fifth in fielding (.973) and sixth in hitting (.263).

"I've enjoyed every minute of it," said Jose Leger, who was named SAL Manager of the Year for 2015. "The start of the season wasn't that pretty when we were playing under .500 for the first three weeks or so. The guys turned it on after that and have played really good baseball. I've been pleased about everything in the way they have gone about their business. They have been working their butts off and they have been rewarded."

Pacing the starting rotation and getting the ball in Game 1 is right-hander Martires Arias (7-5, 2.43 ERA), who led the SAL with an opponents' batting average of .205 and was second with three complete games and 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Fellow righty Corey Oswalt (11-5, 3.36 ERA) was first in walks allowed, issuing only 1.4 free passes per nine innings. Casey Delgado (8-4, 3.17 ERA) and Josh Prevost (6-4, 3.75 ERA) have also been steady, while Chris Flexen (4-0, 1.45 ERA) has been stellar since joining the team Aug. 8.

"The pitching has been great," Leger said. "We play in one of the hardest ballparks to hit in, so having good pitching and defense is a beautiful thing. It allows the pitcher to get away with a few mistakes, especially on hard-hit balls where our outfielders can go get them. As a result, our pitchers aren't afraid of making mistakes, because our guys are going to make the plays behind them."

Signed out of the independent ranks in 2014, second baseman Jonathan Johnson topped all SAL players at the keystone with a .980 fielding percentage. He also placed second in the league with 76 walks, third with a .396 on-base percentage and fifth with 73 runs scored. Johnson meshed well with Luis Guillorme, the SAL Most Valuable Player who paced the circuit's shortstops with a .972 fielding percentage while finishing second in the SAL with a .318 batting average and 142 hits and fourth with a .391 on-base percentage.

"Jonathan's brought a lot of energy to our team and been one of our biggest leaders in the clubhouse and on the field," Leger said. "He's been great at the top of order by drawing walks and getting timely hits. He sets up the rest of guys, including our middle-of-the-order hitters, who have hit well. We have had a good, balanced lineup all year long, and Jonathan has been a big part of that.

"Luis, meanwhile, played well both defensively and with the bat. He did everything from the second spot in lineup. There is no doubt in my mind that he is our MVP."

Leger adds that the Sand Gnats made winning the SAL championship their ultimate goal throughout the season. They also are well aware of what Asheville is capable of doing after the two teams met 20 times during the campaign. In fact, the Tourists handed Savannah its first loss -- a 4-1 decision on Aug. 25 -- after the Sand Gants won 18 straight before having the streak stopped with a 1-1 tie versus Kannapolis.

"I've stressed all season that every game should be approached in the same manner," Leger said. "When we start the playoffs, there are going to be some butterflies in their stomachs, but at the same time the baseball is going to be the same size and the bases are going to be the same distances apart, so their mental approach should not change at all. These guys are excited and they want to win the championship, just like they want to win every time they take the field."

In brief

Asheville back in the postseason: The Tourists earned their fifth playoff appearance in the last eight seasons when they outlasted Greenville by a half-game based on both teams' cumulative records over the course of the campaign. Asheville played one game fewer than the Drive due to a cancellation at Lexington on July 7. The Tourists lost on Labor Day, 5-4, to Greensboro but clinched the playoff spot when Savannah topped the Drive, 4-2, shortly thereafter.

Hoelscher sweeps slash lines: Asheville third baseman Shane Hoelscher won the SAL batting championship with a .328 average. He also led the league with a .529 slugging percentage and a .422 on-base percentage, giving the Rice University product a Triple Crown of sorts. Hoelscher was a member of the SAL year-end All-Star team, joining Asheville center fielder Omar Carrizales and closer Josh Michalec. Michalec paced the league with 30 saves, becoming only the third player in franchise history to reach that mark.

Historic swan song: The playoffs could mark the end of professional baseball at Savannah's Historic Grayson Stadium. The Sand Gnats are slated to move to a new ballpark in Columbia, South Carolina, next season and become the Fireflies. Grayson Stadium opened in 1926 and has struggled to maintain Minor League Baseball standards in recent years. With the Sand Gnats announcing their move to Columbia earlier this year in May, Savannah ranked 13th in the 14-team SAL with a total attendance of 125,587.