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 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...

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...

  Can Kitee turn a newly refurbished Rantakentä into a field of dreams? Joensuun Maila (1) v Pattijoen Urheilijat, Raahe (8) Head to head: Joensuu hold all the cards in this matchup - PattU has only beaten them once since 2015, which was on 30th July 2019. Whilst Pattijoki tied the first jakso in their first of the 2 games against JoMa this season on 18th July, they have posed no real threat to one of the most solid defences in the league. Form: Joensuu’s form is immaculate; they haven’t lost a game since 9th July this year! That’s 21 straight victories. Curiously both of Joensuu’s losses this season have been at home, so they have 100% away record. In their last 5 games, Joensuu dropped points to IPV and Kitee, but went 2-0 in the other 3 games - including their most recent game against PattU on 20th August. PattU’s form has been pretty poor all season; however they have won 4 of their last 5 games (their last defeat in fact was against Joensuu). Prediction: Joensuu to win 2-0....

Congratulations to Joensuun Maila - 2019 champions Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019 Superpesis final review - round 4 Joensuun Maila (4) 3 - 1 Sotkamon Jymy (2) 2-1s (0-2, 7-4, 3-1) Prediction: In our preview we suggested that the series would be tight, with Sotkamo winning 3-2. Joensuu won the series in the end, but it was not as tight as we predicted. Each game however was anyone’s to take and all bar one was won on the narrowest of margins. In the end, the force of Joensuu’s momentum and consistency won out in the end. Joensuu’s defence was impeccable Photograph from Joensuu Facebook (c) Joensuun Maila 2019 Summary: The series headed back to Joensuu after a dramatic end to game 3 which saw Sotkamo fight back and keep the series alive. With tensions high the first jakso was nerve wracking and both sides struggled to take an advantage. The stadium was a sellout and the flecks of purple and orange showed that a good number of Sotkamo fan...