Superpesis roundup

In 5 games we were treated to some tense games and superb defence, but in the end Manse PP managed to break through and seal their first men’s championship in the club’s history in a 1-0 win over KPL. Manse finished top of the league in the regular season and soon became favourites to reach the final; however they were soon faced with elimination from the playoffs when they unexpectedly lost the first 2 games of their quarterfinal series against IPV. In the end, neither IPV or reigning champions Sotkamo could stop the star-studded team from securing their first final in only their second season in Superpesis. In my predictions going into the final, I struggled to pick a clear winner, but ended up backing KPL. At that point, I was convinced that Manse hadn’t reached their true potential this season and thought KPL would exploit that. A few weeks later and it seems that Manse did indeed unlock their potential and showed the strength of their defensive game in ways we rarely got to se...

Can KPL go all the way this season and take gold in their second consecutive final? After some intense semifinal series, the finals are set, with Manse and KPL in search of gold, whilst Vimpeli and Sotkamo go head to head for bronze. The post season so far has been one of the most thrilling and exciting in recent memory, now we will we if Manse’s big spending can pay off, or whether KPL can end their long wait for a championship… (1) Manse PP v (3) KPL This has been the toughest series for me to predict so far. Both teams are worthy champions this year and I have gone back and changed my mind several times. Manse beat Sotkamo in 3 straight games, but it was far from being an easy series. The first 2 games went to a scoring contest! Manse executed their game plan well to defeat the reigning champions, but some uncharacteristic errors (like Puhtimäki walking in a run in game 1) that made things harder than they needed to be. In a scoring contest, Manse probably has the best batti...

The semifinals promise to be action packed and full of surprises… The first round of the playoffs are now over and the semifinals are set. Here is my preview of the last 4: (1) Manse PP v (4) Sotkamo Both of these teams played a tough series to reach the semifinals. Manse almost became the victims of a surprise series win by IPV; however Manse came back from losing their opening 2 games and won in 5 games. Sotkamo’s road to the semifinals had a substantially more threatening roadblock in the form of a hungry Joensuu side. If JoMa had home field advantage for the series, or the ball had bounced a certain way, this semifinal would look very different. Sotkamo’s regular season games against top 4 sides were not great and they lost more games than the other 3. Despite a dazzling performance at Kaupi on 30th July, Manse still got the better of the reigning champions in their most recent matchup. Manse now have to prove that they are the championship contenders they claim to be. Expect th...

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 fina...

  Two of the best pitchers in the game squared off in this match. Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat v Manse PP, Tampere 2-1s (2-3, 2-1, 4-2) This week’s featured game is another exciting matchup between KPL and Manse. Manse came into this game with maximum points from their games, contrasted with KPL who had started the season with a startling loss to SiiPe (who outplayed them to take 3 points). Manse are a very different team to the one that took to the field last year, but this rivalry certainly is one to look out for throughout this season. Last year, the opening game between the 2 teams saw Manse wrestle a point from KPL with the big bat of Juha Niemi on 3rd July. By the end of the season, Manse managed to beat KPL in extra innings on 28th August.  Manse’s star-studded lineup has found their stride coming into this game, with Henri Puputti having reached a significant career milestone (1000 career RBIs) in the last few days against Joensuu. KPL saw the return of retired captain An...