----------------------------------------------------------
Nuka News Update
Reporting on the NWL, APL, NWLR, and BBL Leagues
by Evan Guy
7 May 2306
NWL Preview
The 2306 season is about to get underway, and the predictions are in with a prediction of the Victory Cave Crickets versus the Quartz Star Force in the Nuka Series.
The 2302 and 2304 champions, the Cave Crickets are led for the third season by manager Trader Patterson. Patterson won the Nuka Series in his first season, but Victory dropped to 3rd place in the North Bradberton Division last season.
The Cave Crickets are led by SP Jesse Emacipated who is also projected to be the 2306 Nuka Cannon Award winner. He finished 2nd in voting last season. He last won the award in 2302. For his career in the NWL, Emacipated is 57-30 with a 3.46 ERA. That puts him two behind teammate John Diner (59-41, 3.44) for the NWL's all-time wins list.
The top hitter for Victory is LF Petit Frenchman. In his debut season for the Cave Crickets, Frenchman hit .272 with 18 home runs and 42 RBI in 73 games.
Quartz is expected to return for their third Nuka Series. The Star Force won it in 2299, the debut season of the NWL. Manager Night Train Patane returns for his second season with the club after a 42-48 second-place finish in the South Bradberton Division.
The Star Force will be led by their offense, especially two top players in 1B Antonio Toeclaw and 3B Daniel Rousseaux. Toeclaw is the pick to win the Nuka King Award in 2306 in his debut season in the NWL. Toeclaw was traded to Quartz from Salem of the CBO. In 10 seasons with the Witch Hats, Toeclaw hit .248 with 92 home runs and 375 RBI. He is a four-time Top Defender Award winner and a one-time All-Star in the CBO.
In three seasons with the Star Force, Rousseaux has been a . . . force. He led the NWL in Batter WAR and doubles the past two seasons. He also led in hits and runs in 2305.
Vim! View
Veracious, Vivacious, Vainglorious Vision of the Vim! Leagues
by Vikky Vail
7 May 2306
Dalton Farm Expected to Win It Again
The Dalton Farm Fog Crawlers are expected to win the Vim! League for the fourth-straight season. They are picked to defeat the Far Harbor Ghoul Whales in the Vim! Series for the second-straight season.
Top competitors for the MVP Award are CF Toppie Gunn and 3B Ryan Morris of the Fog Crawlers and 1B Edgar Virus of the Echo Lake Harbormen. For pitcher, players expected to compete for the Top Arm Award are SP Alex Ruder of the Gwhales, SP Phil Cecil of Dalton Farm, and SP Jason Woods of the Harbormen.
