The Atlantic League Bullpen, Playoff Edition
September 20, 2022 – Atlantic League (AtL) News Release
Lancaster vs. Southern Maryland (North Division Series)
Lancaster Barnstormers Overall Record: 73-58
Qualification: North Division Second Half Champion (44-21)
ALPB Playoff Appearances: 7th (21-14)
Division Championship Series Record: 3-3 (13-11)
2022 Team BA: .276 (1st)
2022 Team ERA: 4.47 (3rd)
2022 Fielding: .975 (4th)
Notes: The Barnstormers posted the best half-season record in club history at .677 (44-21) after a 29-37 first half… LAN led the league with a .276 batting average and 1,220 hits… The pitching staff led the ALPB with 1,153 strikeouts… The ‘Stormers excelled in the second half despite
the absence of 1st half All-Star Kelly Dugan and OF LeDarious Clark… Starter Nile Ball (11-5) has won four of his last five starts entering the playoffs while closer West Tunnell (6-1, 11 saves) has converted 11 of 12 save opportunities… Andretty Cordero was the ALPB POTM in August and finished with a .339 average and 118 RBI.
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Overall Record: 83-48
Qualification: North Division First Half Champion (44-21)
ALPB Playoff Appearances: 9th (14-26)
Division Championship Series Record: 2-6 (8-12)
2022 Team BA: .268 (7th)
2022 Team ERA: 3.98 (2nd)
2022 Fielding: .976 (2nd)
Notes: The Blue Crabs posted an Atlantic League record .727 winning percentage (48-18) in winning the North first half pennant and went 35-30 in the second half… SMD led the league with 45 triples and used the HBP as an offensive weapon, getting hit a league-high 115 times… SMD has the league’s second-best ERA at 3.98 and a pair of 10-game winners in Daryl Thompson (15-4) and Eddie Butler (12-6)… SMD’s pitchers issued the fewest walks in the ALPB in 2022… SMD won the season series from Lancaster (12-5), going 9-0 in the first half and 3-5 in the second… SMD was 7-2 at home vs. LAN and 5-3 at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Gastonia vs. High Point (South Division Series)
Gastonia Honey Hunters Overall Record: 88-44
Qualification: South Division 1st & 2nd Half Champion (45-21/43-23)
ALPB Playoff Appearances: First
Division Championship Series Record: First
2022 Team BA: .275 (2nd)
2022 Team ERA: 3.89 (1st)
2022 Fielding: .978 (3rd)
Notes: Gastonia won both halves of the South Division in dominant fashion and its 88 wins were not only the best in the league but the fourth-most ever by an ALPB club… The Honey Hunters were 45-21 in the first half and 43-43 in the second… Gastonia led the league with a 3.89 ERA and was second in batting average at .275… The Honey Hunters stole a league-record 305 bases and had two members of the 20-20 Club in Jake Skole (23 HR, 26 SB) and Zach Jarrett (21 HR, 32 SB)… Reece Hampton led the ALPB with 65 steals… The pitching staff is highlighted by a pair of 10-game winners in lefty John Anderson (13-4) and righty Sam Bordner (11-5) as well as ace closer Jesus Balaguer who co-led the ALPB with 25 saves in 2022… GAS went 20-14 vs. HP this year including a 6-1 mark in the first half and a 14-13 edge in the second half… Gastonia was 10-7 vs. High Point both at CaroMont Health Park and at Truist Point.
High Point Rockers Overall Record: 71-61
Qualification: Wild Card
ALPB Playoff Appearances: 2nd
Division Championship Series Record: 0-1 (0-3)
2022 Team BA: .265 (5th)
2022 Team ERA: 4.58 (4th)
2022 Fielding: .982 (1st)
Notes: High Point was the last entrant into the playoff field, earning the Wild Card berth on Sept. 15… High Point went 39-27 in the first half and 32-34 in the second half… The Rockers have the most home runs of any team in the playoffs with 161 and led the ALPB with a .982 fielding percentage… The Rockers get their power from three 20-homer hitters in Zander Wiel (32 HR, 98 RBI), Jerry Downs (22 HR, 83 RBI), and Quincy Latimore (21 HR, 79 RBI)… OF Ben Aklinski just missed the 20-20 Club with 19 homers and 20 stolen bases… The Rockers had the second-best September record of any ALPB club at 10-6 in order to gain the Wild Card berth… Closer Ryan Dull (7-1, 13 saves) had the second-most wins among ALPB relievers.
Recipe For Success: The four teams to reach the Atlantic League Playoffs in 2022 have two things in common: pitching and defense. The top four ERA teams in the ALPB are in the postseason as are the top four in fielding percentage. Gastonia led the ALPB with a 3.89 ERA and ranked second with a .978 fielding percentage. High Point led the league in fielding (.982) and was fourth in ERA (4.58). Southern Maryland was second in ERA (3.98) and third in fielding (.976) while Lancaster was third in ERA (4.47) and fourth in fielding (.975).
Postseason Managers:
Manager, Club Apps Record Div Series Lg Champ
Jamie Keefe, High Point 2nd 0-3 0-1 0-0
Mauro Gozzo, Gastonia 1st 0-0 0-0 0-0
Ross Peeples, Lancaster 2nd 2-3 0-1 0-0
Stan Cliburn, So. Maryland 3rd 5-6 1-1 0-1
Playoff Series: Youth will be well-represented in the 2022 Atlantic League Playoffs… Gastonia manager Mauro “Goose” Gozzo is making his first playoff appearance and High Point’s Jamie Keefe is in the postseason for the second time but looking for his first win after being swept by Long Island in 2019… Ross Peeples has guided Lancaster to the postseason for the second time after falling 3 games to 2 to Sugar Land in the 2018 Freedom Division championship… Southern Maryland’s Stan Cliburn has made the ALPB playoffs for the third time in his career… In 2015, Cliburn guided the Blue Crabs to a 3-1 series win over Lancaster before falling 3-1 in the League Championship series to Somerset… Cliburn also led So. Maryland to the North Division Championship series in 2021 where the Blue Crabs fell to Long Island 2 games to 1… Cliburn has a 5-6 all-time record in the Atlantic League playoffs… The only clubs which have met previously in the postseason are Southern Maryland and Lancaster in the 2015 Freedom Division Championship… The Blue Crabs, under Stan Cliburn, won 3 games to 1.
Hawkins Ties HR Record: Lexington OF Courtney Hawkins tied the Atlantic League record with 48 home runs in 2022, matching the mark set by Ozzie Canseco of Newark in 2000. Hawkins also set the ALPB season record for total bases (310). Additionally, Hawkins’ 125 RBI, 72 extra base hits and .655 slugging percentage were the second-best ever in an ALPB season. Hawkins’ 110 runs scored this season ranks fifth all-time.
Cordero Comes Close: Lancaster’s Andretty Cordero came as close as anybody ever has to breaking Lew Ford’s record of 189 base hits in an Atlantic League season. Cordero finished with 184 hits after collecting 65 hits in 42 games in August and September. He was second to Long Island’s Alejandro De Aza in batting average at .339 and Cordero’s 118 RBI are the fourth-most in league history.
Atlantic League Sets Precendent: Alexis “Scrappy” Hopkins became the second woman to play in the Atlantic League, and the second to earn a start, in the 9/16 game between the Lexington Legends and the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes… Hopkins, who has served as the Genomes’ bullpen catcher throughout the season, was in the starting line-up on Friday as the designated hitter… She grounded out twice and popped out to third after having been placed on Kentucky’s active roster earlier in the day… On Saturday, Scrappy started both games at DH and lined a base hit up the middle for her first professional hit… On Sunday, she was the starting catcher for the Genomes and recorded three putouts and two assists… Staten Island’s Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman to play in the Atlantic League earlier this year and played in 30 games earning multiple starts throughout the season.
Record Watch:
Statistic Player/Team Mark Record Record Holder, Team, Year
Walks Nellie Rodriguez, YRK 108 105 Telvin Nash, York, 2019
Total Bases Courtney Hawkins, LEX 310 303 Telvin Nash, York, 2019
Andretty Cordero, LAN* 283
Home Runs Courtney Hawkins, LEX 48 48 Ozzie Canseco, NWK, 2000
XBH Courtney Hawkins, LEX* 72 77 Telvin Nash, York, 2019
RBI Courtney Hawkins, LEX* 125 129 Ozzie Canseco, NWK, 2000
Andretty Cordero, LAN* 118
Hits Andretty Cordero, LAN* 184 189 Lew Ford, LI, 2015
Shutouts Mitch Lambson/Daryl Thompson, SMD 3 3 by many, most recently by
Matt Larkins, LI, 2017
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