AUGUSTA, Ga. -- In this city known as a legendary golf location, the West Virginia Power hopes to continue to tee off as it has throughout the second half of the Class A South Atlantic League baseball season.
It's easier said than done against the Augusta Green Jackets' pitching staff.
The Power and Augusta open the best-of-five SAL Championship Series here tonight at 7:05. West Virginia is in its second straight title series as Milwaukee farmhands because in a Northern Division edging of Lake County, the Power swung the bats as they had in winning the division title in the second half.
After a 13-hour bus ride from suburban Cleveland to Georgia after Saturday night's divisional series clincher, the Power opens the final series here.
The teams meet here tonight and Tuesday in Games 1 and 2. After a travel day to Charleston on Wednesday, the title series resumes with Games 3, 4 and 5 (the latter two if necessary) from Thursday-Saturday nights at Appalachian Power Park.
All games are at 7:05.
After a 10-4 home loss last Wednesday, the Power won 10-0 and 4-1 on Friday and Saturday in Eastlake, Ohio, over the Captains. In the series, the Power - which comfortably led the SAL in hitting this season - had 33 hits and batted .289 in the three games.
Augusta, meanwhile, batted only .140 but swept Asheville in two games for the Southern Division title. The pitching-strong GeeenJackets (a San Francisco farm team) were difficult earlier this half for the Power, too.
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- In this city known as a legendary golf location, the West Virginia Power hopes to continue to tee off as it has throughout the second half of the Class A South Atlantic League baseball season.
It's easier said than done against the Augusta Green Jackets' pitching staff.
The Power and Augusta open the best-of-five SAL Championship Series here tonight at 7:05. West Virginia is in its second straight title series as Milwaukee farmhands because in a Northern Division edging of Lake County, the Power swung the bats as they had in winning the division title in the second half.
After a 13-hour bus ride from suburban Cleveland to Georgia after Saturday night's divisional series clincher, the Power opens the final series here.
The teams meet here tonight and Tuesday in Games 1 and 2. After a travel day to Charleston on Wednesday, the title series resumes with Games 3, 4 and 5 (the latter two if necessary) from Thursday-Saturday nights at Appalachian Power Park.
All games are at 7:05.
After a 10-4 home loss last Wednesday, the Power won 10-0 and 4-1 on Friday and Saturday in Eastlake, Ohio, over the Captains. In the series, the Power - which comfortably led the SAL in hitting this season - had 33 hits and batted .289 in the three games.
Augusta, meanwhile, batted only .140 but swept Asheville in two games for the Southern Division title. The pitching-strong GeeenJackets (a San Francisco farm team) were difficult earlier this half for the Power, too.
In a 45-25 second half, the Power's longest losing skid was a three-game slide Aug. 11-13 at Augusta, before salvaging the finale of a four-game series. In those four games, Manager Jeff Isom's Power scored a total of six runs (including a 3-1 win) in those four games.
The 'Jackets were an SAL-best 28-7 at home in the second half, then added a playoff win. It didn't seem to matter much where the Power played. Including the three-game Northern Division series, West Virginia is 23-13 at home and 24-13 on the road.
Third baseman Zelous Wheelers leads the Power playoff hitting at .545 (6-for-11 with five RBI). Teammates Lee Haydel and Caleb Gindl (center and right fielders, respectively) are at .500.
Right-hander R.J. Seidel (9-5), the Northern Division series opening game loser, will get the Game start tonight for West Virginia.
Although Augusta hasn't announced its rotation, ace lefty Madison Bumgarner (15-3) is expected to start tonight, Bumgarner was named the SAL's top pitcher on the league's end-of-season All-Star Team.
While the Power is in its second straight SAL Championship Series (it was swept 3-0 by Columbus, Ga., last September, Augusta is making its second appearance in three years. The GreenJackets last won a title in 1999.
In the 22-year history of the SAL franchise in Charleston, the club has won only one title, by the 1990 Wheelers, managed by current Power hitting coach and Winfield native Jim Lett. This is the club's first consecutive-season appearance in the final series since the 1990-92 teams made it three straight.
