[NolaSola7]

Michigan Ironbacks 17-18 5th place

Michigan seems to suffer from depth in its staff and could be better served building up that aspect of the club. Jin-haeng Kim is actually not an electric starting ace, but he does have solid control and a top change-up. Munyaki Mori looks more like a fourth rotation guy as he has balance but all on the cusp of average stuff. SP Ikki Ichikawa has elite control and an elite slider, has big league stuff, but his movement is so poor that big leaguers see their balls go over the wall way too often. Hun-hyeon Park is adequate as a fourth pitcher but that is all. American closer Buck Williams stands at 6'6 245, and has top stuff and impeccable control with his arsenal of a cut-fastball and a slider, and fellow American Daniel Taylor has elite control and adequate stuff as well. But the rest of the bullpen is nothing to write home about.

There is one name that stands out in the Ironback line-up, that is Dominican Jorge Benavidez. The 37 year old star has amazing recognition and provides top quality power and hitting all-around, a treasure to fans for a brief end to his career in the IBL.

Lead-off hitter Kyung-bok Lee is a powerful base-stealer and Johnathan Watts is an all-around adequate player, but the line-up is suffering for more that even the fourth hole is manned by a contact professional hitter and not a game-changing slugger in switch-hitting Calvin Binns. Benavidez does have little help from fellow Domincian Miguel Castillo in the power department in the fifth hole, though.

Washington Potomacs 25-10 1rst

The Potomacs are an offensive force, and they are lead in pitching by Mexican Juan Grajales who has good stuff with his slider, cutter, and elite change-up. The remaining starters are all just barely sufficient, but sufficient nonetheless. Grajales has fellow Mexican Cris Fisueroa on staff at the final rotation spot.
Tadasu Sato is the closer with a fastball, slider and elite stuff.

Herve Chardon is often leading things off for the Potomacs. The Canadian native is a slow lead-off hitter and otherwise merely average player, but his ability to fight balls off gives the opposing pitcher a tough out and his team the ability to see pitches from the opposition early on at the start.

Following Chardon is Aussie Rodney Vernon, Aussie Harold Acret, LF American Andy Watson, 2b Kazuhiko Kuno as a series of players with low contact but power to boot with Kuno being extremely selective and patient.

The rest of the line-up is lacking, but Ricardo Valdes is a nice contact Puerto Rican catcher. And the line-up closes with 1B Craig Ingram and Aruban CF Umberto Wolthaus having large powerful swings if nothing else.

Fusueroa and Park face lots of powerful swingers in this game. It may serve to be a game of last man connecting big to see who prevails today at 2:05 PM