Superpesis roundup

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...

Tahko couldn’t build on their rally in the second jakso as a controversial call cast a shadow over the game Hyvinkään Tahko v Sotkamon Jymy 0-2 (1-2, 3-4) The next regular season game that I attended was the matchup between Tahko and Sotkamo. Despite a strong first jakso in their last game, Tahko were overwhelmed by Manse’s firepower. Whilst Sotkamo does not have the same style of offence as Manse, Sotkamo has consistently manufactured runs. Lauri Rönkkö has had a strong season so far and Toni Laakso has slotted into the lineup well. Sotkamo’s last game against Seinäjoki however proved that defensively they can be vulnerable, as they almost blew a 4 run lead in the 4th inning of the second jakso.  In Tahko’s last game, Manse took great pleasure in exploiting the inexperience of Joona Iivonen and put 19 runs past them across the 2 jakso. The team needed to reset and focus on this game, as the struggle for a top 8 spot intensifies. Tahko were 7th in the table going into this gam...

Sotkamo were top of the class this year, but their performance wasn’t all plain sailing Places 1-5 Now that the season has finished, it is take to take a look back at how the teams performed in 2020. This first post focuses on the top 5 as they finished in the regular season and considers how they performed in the postseason. Some general observations for the top 5: Joensuu had the world at their feet coming into the postseason, and they feared no opponents. With a winning streak that went to 23 games in total, they looked almost unstoppable, only their local rivals (Kitee) proved to be a challenge. But the bubble burst with a short series against KPL who unlocked Joensuu’s defence at Kerubi in game 1 and Joensuu imploded, losing to KPL and the bronze series to Vimpeli. There was clearly a lot of expectation in the Joensuu ranks, as there had been all year, but a spirited KPL were determined to seize the moment. The moment however may never have been, if Kitee had clinched the se...

Sotkamo celebrate their first championship in 5 years Sotkamon Jymy (2) v Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat (4) Review: Despite a shock home loss to open the series, Sotkamo stunned KPL at KSS before putting on a powerful performance to win their first title in 5 years. The series was exciting and dynamic, but in the end Sotkamo blew their opponents away. Game 1 saw both teams testing the waters and trying to figure each other out, as (for the first time ever) the 2 teams had never met in the regular season. A slender 1-0 lead from Sotkamo was extinguished in the 3rd inning of the first jakso before Jere Dahlström gave KPL the go-ahead runs in the 4th inning. Sotkamo came back from the break looking more composed and put 5 runs on the board before KPL could score. It was Jere Dahlström again who flexed his bat and started to turn the tide with 2 RBIs in the bottom of the 2nd inning. By the 4th inning, Sotkamo’s lead was crumbling fast and saw KPL level the score and with the game thanks to a 2 ...

Sotkamon Jymy (2) v Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat (4) Head to head: As curious a season this is, there has never been a final where the 2 teams haven’t met in the regular season. In fact KPL hasn’t played Sotkamo since 5th September 2019 when Sotkamo won the semifinal series in game 5! It is hard to imagine how these 2 teams will shape up in this series against each other; KPL has a number of high profile players this year that they didn’t have last year and Sotkamo are placing their faith in 17 year old Aapo Komulainen who makes his Superpesis debut this year. Form: KPL took the opening game of their series against Joensuu down to the wire; a scoring contest win gave them the platform for Game 2 at home with the chance of advancing to the final. Up until that series Joensuu hadn’t lost a game since 9th July this year, with 23 straight victories. KPL are arguably on their best form of the season at exactly the right time. Prediction: KPL to win 2-1. Sotkamo to win the opening game. Su...

Perttu Ruuska valiantly tried to keep Vimpeli in the hunt, but Sotkamo were just too much to handle Joensuun Maila (1) v Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat (4) Review: Joensuu’s winning streak came to a dramatic end when KPL won Game 1 in a scoring contest (kotiutuskilpailu). After 2 RBI’s from Aleksi Rautiainen in the 1st and 3rd inning, KPL were held scoreless and it looked like “business as usual” for Joensuu, taking the first jakso. The second jakso however saw KPL put the first score on the board as Tommi Mäentausta reached home off Matti Latvala’s hit. Despite 2 more RBI from Aleksi Rautiainen, Joensuu could do nothing more than level the score by the bottom of the 4th inning. KPL then secured the jakso with a Matti Latvala RBI to face the extra inning. The supervuoro was scoreless and the game went to a scoring contest. Reminiscent of Joensuu’s opening loss to IPV, KPL scored the only run in the Kotiutuskilpailu to put them in the driving seat for the series when Tommi Mäentausta was bro...

Can anyone stop Joensuu? Or are they Untouchable... Joensuun Maila (1) v Kouvolan Pallonlyöjat (4) Head to head: Joensuu continues to dominate, but now they face some serious competition in the form of KPL. Both of this season’s games between these 2 teams saw Joensuu take away 3 points comfortably, you may be forgiven in thinking that this will be an easy win for JoMa; however KPL have a lot of experience and talent in their ranks. Historically, the matchup has been 6-4 in favour of Joensuu, although KPL’s last win came on 30th May 2019.  Form: I will repeat what I said in the last preview for Joensuu - their form is immaculate; they haven’t lost a game since 9th July this year! That’s now 23 straight victories. Whilst their wins against PattU in the quarterfinals were not the most elegant, Joensuu manage to do exactly enough to win games. KPL seemed to step up a gear in the post season, brushing off a slightly muted end to what promised to be. KPL put some solid numbers up ...

KPL overcome a competitive Kitee side to advance Joensuun Maila (1) v Pattijoen Urheilijat, Raahe (8) Review: Joensuu maintain their winning streak and advance to the quarterfinals. PattU showed grit and determination to make it into the top 8 at the end of a frustrating season for them; however their chances against Joensuu were always slim. In Game 1 confidently took a 4-0 lead in the the first jakso, leaving PattU to climb a mountain. A conciliation run from Juuso Keski-Koukkari was all PattU could do to dent the reigning champions lead. The second jakso however was quite different; PattU came to the plate with clear heads and Juuso Keski-Koukkari drove Miikka Matikka home to give his team a 0-1 lead that lasted until the 4th inning when a wild throw saved Joensuu from extra innings. With the second jakso tied, PattU struggled to mount an attack and keep the game alive - the story of their season. In Game 2, the first jakso had echoes of the end to game 1, where this time Jari T...