Playoff previews 2021: first round



The regular season has ended and the top 8 teams now know their opponents for the first round. 


(1) Manse PP v (7) IPV

The star studded Manse side finished top in the regular season and gained the privilege of choosing their first round opponents before anyone else. Manse chose 7th place IPV ahead of the team that finished in 8th (PattU). IPV have had their greatest season in 28 years, when they last made it to the playoffs. The powerful Manse lineup is likely to obliterate IPV, but the reds are in high spirits and their story may continue if they pull off the seemingly impossible once again.

Prediction: Manse 3 - 0 IPV


(2) Vimpeli v (8) PattU

Vimpeli have continued to look impressive at the plate and Sarrikenttä has been a tough place for opponents to visit - especially if they didn’t bring enough dry pairs of socks! PattU’s season has been fairly pedestrian and their final position in the top 8 came as a shock to many, in particular given the fact that they won their final game of the season and took 3 points against Sotkamo. Both teams have powerful reasons to win - Vimpeli’s Mikko Kanala took a period of absence to tackle his alcohol problems. The entire team are fully behind Mikko and will want to win for him. PattU’s Topi Kosonen announced his retirement prior to the final game of the season. Like Vimpeli, PattU will want to give Topi a strong performance (just like they did against Sotkamo).

Prediction: Vimpeli 3 - 0 PattU


(3) KPL v (6) Kempele 

Amongst all the other storylines this year, perhaps the most understated is how incredibly well Kempele performed this year. At the start of the season Kempele we’re being talked about as a potential playoff team; however their overall performance was much better than a team “just about” making the top 8 and their final position of 6th is a clear sign of this. Kempele have played some tough games and taken victories against some top opponents, but KPL’s consistent and solid performance will be their biggest test to date. Their most recent game on 14th August shows how tough these teams are - it took a single run in the scoring contest to hand KPL a hard earned 2 points. Whilst KPL will not be happy that they have Kempele in the first round, they will be much more relieved by the fact that they don’t have JoMa!

Prediction: KPL 3 - 1 Kempele 


(4) Sotkamo v (5) JoMa

This is the matchup that could have been the final… in fact, in 2019 it was. The teams are very different since then and there is a clear drive to win this game from both teams. JoMa’s pitcher, Ville Väliaho, was sidelined in 2020 to make way for Sotkamo’s current pitcher Aapo Komulainen. JoMa’s decisive victory over Sotkamo at home on 17th June marked one of the high points for Joensuu’s season. The 0-1 home defeat for Sotkamo on 18th August means that JoMa have won both of their matchups so far this season. Despite these hiccups, Sotkamo have on the whole performed well and Joni Rytkönen broke the record for runs scored in a single season with an astounding 81 from 28 games. All eyes will be on this series, which for the first time in a while, could spell a first round exit for the reigning champions Sotkamo.

Prediction: Sotkamo 3 - 2 Joensuu


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