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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 5, 2048
'JACKS FAVORITE IN RU WEST
A two or three-team pennant race is the prediction in the Ruthlandian West this season in the preseason poll. The Forest City Lumberjacks without a pennant in the last 35 years got the nod in a close vote over defending champion Middlefield and Rocky Rapids, who tied for second with Volusia last season. The Stoner Stars are forecast for the fourth spot in the division this year.
Rounding out the rest of the RU West are the Colfax Blasters in fifth place, the Sligo Rovers in sixth, with Volusia strangely falling to seventh this season after tying for second a year ago. And winding up in last place will be the Fort Benton Defenders for the fourth straight season.
Forest City may have the the best starting rotation in the IPA, but the Lumberjacks don't put much on the scoreboard and could use some help in the bullpen. Rookie 3B Aron Robins is the best newcomer... Robins is a good contact/doubles hitter, but is not one to go deep much... great with the glove.
The Middlefield Roosters are coming off an impressive season... they lost in the Pro Cup Finals in seven games to Southport... the club is still strong on the hill and has rock solid bats and longball power... why they are not favored to repeat as flag winner is a mystery kinown only to the voting media... Middlefield cruised to the division title last year by 11 games and still has the same nucleus of players... the Roosters have five rookies on the roster, but none are expected to break into the starting line-up.
The Rocky Rapids Snappers have won the RU West twice in the last four seasons... they have top-notch starters, but could use a boost in offense. rookie right-hander Kip Golden could be a good addition to the staff, mostly as a reliever and spot starter initially... the Snappers are excited about freshman RF Dutch Leopold, who is labeled a big-time hitter with decent power... rookie SS Cal Cagle can play defense with the best of them but is only fair at the plate with no power... Rocky Rapids will be better this year... they should be a serious pennant contender.
The Stoner Stars were picked fourth in the preseason poll, but the are only a fair ballclub... they will not be serious contenders... the Stars were seventh last year and haven't added any rookies to the team.
Colfax is a second division team with two fine starters and little else... picked fifth this season, same as last year... rookie Dante Breeland will be in the starting rotation in the four slot... scouts say he could have a good and long career... Breeland has great stuff... the Blasters are also excited about freshman 2B Lon Downer, who can really put the bat on the ball with some power... Downer is a competent fielder and should get some a lot of playing time.
The number six choice, the Sligo Rovers, have good starters and fair bullpen, but the offense is lacking... best rookies are SS Chris Valentine and RF Sid Elmore... they should add some needed pop to the line-up.
On paper the Volusia Vigilantes don't appear to be a next-to-last place team, but that's where the baseball gurus put them in the preseaon prognostications... the V's are an aging ballclub with four solid starters and some rock solid bats... no genuine rookies made the team this season, but Mateus Branco is back after a year's absence and will be the number five starter... the scouts are saying he is a "can't miss" this time around.
The Fort Benton Defenders are just plain bad... very little pitching and very little hitting... they have finished last in the division the last three years and it looks like number four is on the horizon... but the club has a couple of bright spots in rookie 1B Todd Higginbotham and rookie hurler Steve Dagger... Higginbotham is a good contact hitter with very good power and is a solid fielder... Dagger has the makings of a very good reliever.
RUTHLANDIAN WEST DIVIISON PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
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