Continental Baseball Federation OOTP 22 8-tier promotion/relegation sim: 1950-onward

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The best record in the First League entering June belongs to the Chicago Cubs at 40-16, boasting a well-rounded lineup and ace Ray Tamez. Minneapolis has kept pace at two games back in the Midwest Division at 39-19 with defending division champ Cleveland is three back at 37-19. Detroit at five back is in the playoff mix early on, but there’s a solid drop to fifth place St. Louis. Grand Rapids (21-37) and Indianapolis (22-38) are battling for last right now with Cincinnati and last year’s Second League champ Columbus not safe by any means.

The East is a toss-up through two months with a three-way tie for first at 32-27 between defending conference champ New York Yankees, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Seven teams are within 2.5 games of first though so a good run could launch anyone. Montreal at 19-40 is firmly in last and with a competitive division, is in danger of very quickly being in an insurmountable hole.

Mexico City’s John Domec and Jonah Martin have arguably been the best two hitters in the West-South Conference to start 1952, giving the Diablos the division lead at 40-19. Per usual, Miami (38-21) is close behind in the South, while San Juan, Dallas, and Atlanta are in the early playoff mix. Houston and Charlotte are tied for the last place spot.

Phoenix holds the West lead at 40-18 with defending World Series Champ San Francisco the next closest at 35-23, five back. Edmonton is third with Vancouver and Portland both early in the mix. Four teams; Oakland, San Diego, Denver, and Hollywood, need some momentum to get out of the race to the bottom.



In the CBF Second League, Pittsburgh remains the leader overall at 44-15, but Eastern Division rival Buffalo has mostly kept pace at 41-18, only three back. Newark at 19-40 sits in the last place, four games from eighth place Virginia Beach. Much like last year, Windsor has built an early sizeable lead in the Midwest, with their 38-20 mark a full seven games up on Omaha. No one else in the division is above .500 entering June, although Winnipeg is a distant last at 14-43.

Tijuana has the best record in the West-South Conference at 40-17 atop the Western Division, but Calgary (38-18) and Juarez (39-19) are right on them with three others above .500. Seattle (23-35) holds the last place spot, 3.5 away from Colorado Springs. The Rainiers are currently in line for back-to-back relegation and even worse off are San Antonio, last by six in the South at 16-43. Santo Domingo leads the division at 38-21 with only St. Petersburg (33-25) currently holding a winning record behind them.



Gary at 44-15 has the best record in the Third League EMC with only Des Moines and their eight-game win streak to end the month as competition thus far in the Midwestern Division. Providence holds a slim lead in the East with Albany and Stamford right behind. Hartford and Maidson have the last place spots for now in their division.

In the Western Division, Salt Lake is first at 41-17 but Irvine is 2.5 back and three others are having solid years so far. Long Beach is last but regained a little ground after an atrocious April with the Los Angeles Angels only four games away. Raleigh has built a 6.5 game lead for first in the South, taking firm control after Arlington’s collapse. The Aces went from the division lead to seven below .500 as they closed May on a 14-game losing streak. Fort Worth (17-42) is still a distant last, nine games away from Arlington.



The Springfields have found success in the Fourth League with division leads for both entering June, although neither are unreachable. Spokane closed May on a 10-game win streak to have the best record in the 4L at 47-11, 7.5 up on a strong Henderson. Tallahassee holds the narrow lead in the South. Las Vegas, Jersey City, and Dayton are all in the danger spot of back-to-back demotion, while multiple teams are stinking up the bottom of the South.



Of note in the Fifth League is Norman atop the Southern Division, impressive since they won only 60 games last year and narrowly escaped relegation. The WSC divisions are all very tight as is the East, while Columbia (MO) in the Midwest has the most comfortable lead. The biggest reversal is Riverside, second place last year in the 5L but narrowly above last so far in 1952.



In the Sixth League, Port St. Lucie and Mexicali have built up nice division leads in the South and West, while a couple are right in the mix in the EMC.



Over in the Seventh League…



And the Eighth League…

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The Top Five in the final 1952 Associated Press poll had Cal State Fullerton first, followed by Virginia, Detroit Mercy, San Diego State, and UCLA. Winning back-to-back conference titles were Northwestern (Big 10), Delaware (Yankee), and Tennessee (SEC). The final four from the 1951 season all didn’t make the 1952 postseason field.


East Region
Big Ten: Northwestern
Eastern Intercollegiate: Princeton
Southern: The Citadel
Missouri Valley: Detroit Mercy
Yankee: Delaware
Mid American: Toledo
Top Independent: Boston College

South-West Region
Big Eight: Nebraska
Southwestern: Rice
Southeastern: Tennessee
Pacific 10: UCLA
Atlantic Coast: Virginia
Skyline: Montana
Border: UTEP
West Coast: Loyola Marymount
Big West: Cal State Fullerton

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The big upsets of the double-elimination round included #2 ranked Virginia. Unranked Mississippi State shut them out 2-0 in the first game. After ousting #16 Loyola Marymount 10-3, the Cavaliers were knocked out in a rematch with the Bulldogs 8-7, won in walkoff fashion.

#9 Rice went down 4-2 to #4 San Diego State in the first round. The Owls eliminated Alabama 14-7, but had to meet the Aztecs again after they fell to top ranked Cal State Fullerton 5-2. SDSU walked-off Rice 2-1 to oust the Owls. #10 Montana also went down with two defeats to #24 Auburn. The rest of the Top 10 all advanced to the Sweet 16.

In the Round of 16 in the East Region, #8 The Citadel beat unranked Ohio State 2-0, Unranked Army upset #15 Princeton in three, #25 Central Michigan swept #23 George Washington, and #3 Detroit Mercy swept #12 Evansville. In the South-West Region, #7 Nebraska swept Mississippi State, #6 UTEP edged #5 UCLA in three, #13 Tennessee swept #24 Auburn, and in a classic, #4 San Diego State beat #1 Cal State Fullerton in three. The Aztecs won game one 7-4 in 15 innings, the Titans took game two 7-6, then SDSU shutout CSF 3-0 to advance.

In the Quarterfinal, #8 Citadel dropped game one 1-0 to Army, but bounced back with a 7-3 game two win and 3-1 game three win. In Game three, likely region MVP Tyler Vredeveld won the game on a two-run home run. #25 CMU took game one over #3 Detroit Mercy 4-1, but the Titans took the next two 11-1 and 3-2 to advance. On the other side, #7 Nebraska swept #6 UTEP with 7-2 and 2-0 wins. #13 Tennessee upset #4 SDSU on 4-2 and 4-1 wins. Game one was a 13-inning affair with Carter Wilson hitting a two-run walk off bomb for the Volunteers.



In the East Region Championship, #3 Detroit Mercy won in two over #8 The Citadel. The Titans won game one 5-4, then in 11 innings took game two 4-3 with Lane Biggs scoring the winning run on a wild pitch. The South-West Region went to #7 Nebraska as the Cornhuskers downed #13 Tennessee 4-1 and 3-0



The 1952 College World Series had the Big Eight Conference champ against the Missouri Valley champ. Detroit Mercy took game one 6-0 with 8.1 scoreless innings and 11 strikeouts by junior Enos Kornreich. Game two was a 19-inning slugfest, ultimately won 9-8 by the Titans on a walk-off single by Lane Biggs.

Game three was a pitcher’s duel with Detroit Mercy’s Tom Baker tossing eight scoreless with two hits allowed. The Titans finally broke through against Huskers pitcher Don Agtarapin the top of the ninth on a RBI single by Ponticus Jasso to score Alfred Diaz. The 1-0 win gave #3 Detroit Mercy the national championship with a sweep and a second title in three years for the Missouri Valley.

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The 1952 end of season NCAA awards are below.



San Diego State’s Max Francis earned South/West Region MVP as the sophomore was a two-way stud as a third baseman and starting pitcher. He put up 3.7 WAR as a hitter in 50 games and 3.9 WAR in 11 starts, making Francis the top prospect in the 1953 class. The Citadel’s freshman centerfielder Tyler Vredeveld won the East Region MVP with impressive power; half of his 64 hits were home runs.

Toledo righty Johnny Alajandro won East Region Pitcher of the Year. The junior from the Philippines has two excellent pitches in a sinker and slider and is expected to be a closer in the Majors after being a starter in his junior and freshmen seasons. Auburn sophomore Liam Chaumont was the South/West Pitcher of the Year.


Here is the First Round draft order and the 1952 Draft Pool.

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At the 1952 All-Star Break in the First League, the Chicago Cubs have the best overall record at 66-28. Cather Eduardo Gomez, centerfielder Johnny Law, and left fielder Marcelo Camargo all were named All-Star starters for the Cubs with ace Ray Tamez in the mix for pitcher of the year. Chicago has a 7.5 lead in the Midwest Division over Cleveland (59-36). It’s a three-team race right now for the two wild card spots in the division with both Detroit and Minneapolis 1.5 back on the Spiders at 58-38. The Spiders lost some ground after outfielder Santiago Nero suffered a torn ACL, ending his season. Grand Rapids sits in the last place spot in the Midwest at 35-60, but Columbus (40-57) and Indianapolis (41-57) are still in danger with St. Louis and Cincinnati not safe yet either.


The Eastern Division is an absolute logjam with no one standing out. The New YorK Giants, who entered June in eighth, hold the lead at the break at 52-43. Toronto sits second at 51-44, one back. Boston is three back, Philadelphia four, three teams 5.5 back (Yankees, Baltimore, Brooklyn) and Staten Island at 9.5 isn’t out of it either even at 43-53. Truly anyone’s guess who emerges from there. Montreal, however, is a distant last at 32-65 and in danger of relegation unless they turn it around and someone in front of them falls apart.


Miami and Mexico City remain at the top of the South Division with the Makos at 62-35 with a half-game lead on the 62-36 Diablos. Dallas had the big drop in June and July, going from five above .500 to seven below. Atlanta had a strong run into the break to sit third at 55-41, 6.5 off the lead. San Juan is a close fourth with a decent drop to fifth place Austin. Charlotte at 25-71 has the worst record in the First League, but with the second worst record Houston also in the division
(32-63), the Knights aren’t completely buried yet.

Edmonton was third, 6.5 back on the Western Division lead entering June, but sit at the top at 60-36 at the break. Phoenix is one back at 59-37 with defending World Series champ San Francisco third at 56-40, four back. Portland is only 4.5 back on the final playoff spot with Vancouver, Hollywood, and San Diego all around the .500 mark. The Stars and Padres had a winning mark in June and July to escape possible relegation danger. Oakland at 35-62 is last, 6.5 away from eighth Denver, the only other current team somewhat close.

For the 1952 All-Star game, Mexico City’s John Domec was the top WSC vote getter, while catcher Eduardo Gomez of the Cubs the top vote getter in EMC

East-Midwest Conference All-Star starters
1, Woody Lido (2B, Detroit)
2, Marcelo Camargo (LF, Chicago)
3, Steven Archambault (1B, NY Yankees)
4, Eduardo Gomez (C, Chicago)
5, Gideon Rivas (RF, Baltimore)
6, Marte Houston (3B, Detroit)
7, Haywood Lamar (DH, Columbus)
8, Johnny Law (CF, Chicago)
9, Barney Puente (SS, Brooklyn)
P, Paul Knox (NY Giants)

West-South Conference All-Star starters
1, Josh Evans (CF, Dallas)
2, Noah Leslie (1B, Dallas)
3, Wakefield O’Hara (DH, Atlanta)
4, Kendrick Rosales (RF, Denver)
5, John Domec (3B, Mexico City)
6, Breslan Doman (LF, Mexico City)
7, Zachery Short (SS, Houston)
8, P.J. Ochoa (C, San Francisco)
9, Tim Frost (3B, Hollywood)
P, Jack Prichard (Austin)

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

To the Second League, Buffalo went from three games away from first in the Eastern Division to a 2.5 game lead, as the Bisons have the best overall record in the 2L at 67-29. Pittsburgh is still close behind at 65-32 and now Richmond (five back) and Quebec City (8.5) have made up ground. Newark has gone 6-31 since the start of June, making them a distant last at 25-71. Windsor holds a comfortable 12.5 lead in the Midwest at 63-33, although they had a similarly large lead last year before Columbus went on their tear. Winnipeg played some winning baseball to get out of last, now currently held by the Chicago White Sox at 35-59. However, the Wildcats and Kansas City are only two games out with both Lexington and Wichita within six games of the bottom spot too.

Santo Domingo has the best record in the West-South Conference at 65-32, now holding a 10.5 game lead in the South after St. Petersburg petered out a bit. San Antonio is still last at 24-74, 7.5 games away from eighth place Tampa. Meanwhile, the Western Division has gotten even tighter with seven teams within six games of first. Tijuana (58-36) holds the narrow lead over Calgary (0.5), Juarez (1.5), Honolulu (3), San Jose (4), Boise (5), and Albuquerque (6). Seattle is a distant last at 35-61.



In the Third League, Albany has gone 28-9 since June to move into first in the Eastern Division, carrying a nine-game win streak into the break. The Capitals are 66-30 with Stamford 4.5 back and Providence 7.5 away. Ottawa (31-66) and Hartford (33-64) are entrenched in a two-team battle for last. Gary has grown their Midwest lead at 72-25 with the best record in the 3L. Des Moines (62-34) remains solid, but 9.5 away from the lead. Madison (32-64) is last, but has room the climb out with Saint Paul and Peoria within six games.

The South has Raleigh at the top at 56-40, but a climbing Birmingham is 1.5 away at 55-42. Fort Worth is a distant last at 27-71. In the West, Irvine is first at 67-30, one game ahead of Guadalajara and 6.5 over a slumping Salt Lake. Long Beach is last at 34-62, five away from Anchorage and 6.5 from Los Angeles.



Springfield (MA) lost their 5.5 lead in the Fourth League East heading to the break with Yonkers first at 61-34, one up on New Haven (61-36) and 1.5 on the Storm (1.5). Erie, Bridgeport, Hamilton, and Chesapeake are all within nine games from first. Jersey City at 25-70 is a distant last at 25-70. In the Midwest, Springfield (IL) is still first (63-31), slightly growing the lead on Green Bay (4.5 back) with Lansing surging 5.5 back after a 30-7 run since the start of June. Sioux Falls (58-40) is still in the hunt at seven back. Dayton (18-77) is the worst record in the 4L, but Cedar Rapids (26-70) is pretty stank too.

Chattanooga has passed Tallahassee for first in the South with the Lookouts at 63-34 and the Threshers at 60-35, both growing a bit of a gap to third. Mobile is last at 28-70, 5.5 away from both Baton Rouge and Oklahoma City. Spokane has remained solid atop the West at 69-27. Henderson has kept pace, but still is 8.5 away at 61-36. Las Vegas at 21-75 lost 11 straight entering the break, making them a very likely that they get relegated for the third straight season.



The Fifth League East remains competitive with Manchester first at 62-34, but only 7.5 games between them and sixth place. Columbia (MO) leads the Midwest at 65-29 with Rockford as the only current threat eight back. Norfolk is basically locked into relegation for the third straight year, while Lincoln and Springfield (MO) are in competition for the bottom spot in the Midwest.

Plano has gone from fourth to first in the Southern Division at 58-39, but five other teams are within eight of the top spot. The West is even tighter with Regina first at 58-38, only two up on Billings and Santa Rosa and three on Eugene. Greensboro is on their way to a third-straight relegation, while Fresno is in danger but still could climb out.



The Sixth League East has Kingston still first at 66-32, two up on Moncton and seven on Arlington. Halifax is a firm last at 27-70. Kalamazoo is first in the Midwest at 58-37 but only a half-game better than Rapid City and Independence, while Fargo a far last place at 28-67. Port St. Lucie (66-31) holds a solid 9.5 lead in the South with Mexicali (68-28) up 11.5 in the West. Fort Lauderdale and Reno hold the demotion spots but aren’t for sure doomed yet at 6 and 4.5 games from eighth, respectively.



The Seventh League division leaders at the break are Trois-Rivieres, Appleton, Daytona, and Pueblo. The last place spots are Roanoke, Great Lakes, Columbia, and Bend, but all divisions have plenty of room for movement.



Meanwhile in the Eighth League, the largest division lead anyone has in first is 2.5 games as many teams want to make that jump upwards.

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The first pick in the 1952 Continental Baseball Federation draft was Dwaine Harkes of the University of Michigan. The San Antonio native was picked by his home town Missions, as they hope his strong contact hitting ways will make him a strong starter in the outfield.



The highest touted amateur free agents in 1952 were infielder Joaquin Macareno of Chile and outfielder Rha Jin-Hyeon of South Korea. Macareno signed the maximum bonus of $56,000 to sign with Hollywood. His nickname “Big Thunder” is a bit ironic since he stands at a whopping 135 pounds. Rha joined Dallas at about half that price.

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The top spot in the First League entering September 1952 belongs to the Chicago Cubs at 93-43, going 27-15 since the all-star break. The top four records in the East-Midwest Conference are all in the Midwest Division and Detroit, Cleveland, and Minneapolis have played well. However, the Cub lead is eight on the Tigers, 9.5 on the Spiders, and 11.5 on the Millers. Barring a big shift, this leaves three teams to battle for the final two playoff spots in the division. Ray Tamez is the leading candidate for pitcher of the year, as the Cubs have the fewest runs allowed in the conference and third-best runs scored.

The Tigers have the most runs scored, while Cleveland has an excellent rotation and Minneapolis is well rounded in the hunt. Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Columbus are out of the playoff race, but pretty well safe from relegation. Grand Rapids is last in the Midwest at 48-89, but not dead yet as they’re four away from Indianapolis (52-85).

The East Division remains very up for grabs with seven teams within seven games of first. Most of the teams in the mix have played around .500 since the break with the exception of the defending champion New York Yankees, now first at 74-63. They only lead the New York Giants and Philadelphia by two, Toronto by 2.5, and Boston by four. The Red Sox suffered a big blow to end the month though as top hitter Aidan Forbes went down to a herniated disc, ending his regular season.

Baltimore is still alive too at 5.5 games back and even Brooklyn at 67-70 is only seven back on first and five away from a playoff spot. Staten Island was in the mix but fell off a cliff post break, going 12-30 to fall to 55-83. They’re still 7.5 games away from last place Montreal, currently due for relegation at 47-90

In the West-South Conference, Phoenix has the best overall record at 89-47 thanks to a First League best 30-10 record post break. Defending World Series champ San Francisco has matched it at 30-11 post break, keeping within striking distance at 3.5 back with an 86-51 record. The Firebirds have the most runs scored in the conference while the Seals are second. San Francisco’s Jonah Weber tied the First League record with nine RBI in their August 24 win at Edmonton. Weber was 5-5 with three home runs, five runs scored, and nine RBI.


Edmonton lost their division lead from the break, but at 83-55 are not out of the mix at seven back and are comfortably ahead (12.5 games) of fourth place Portland. Oakland is now well back in last at 45-93 after an abysmal 10-31 run post-break and a respectable 20-22 mark for eighth place Denver.

It remains a two-team race in the Southern Division with Mexico City first at 86-51 and Miami one back at 85-52. The Diablos did suffer a big blow to end August as MVP candidate John Domec suffered a fractured finger, ending his regular season and possibly a chunk of the playoffs. The gap from second to third is 11.5 games with Atlanta in that spot at 73-63.

The third and final playoff spot is still up for grabs with the Crackers only two ahead of San Juan, 3.5 on Dallas, and 5.5 over Austin. After a rough patch, the Rangers in particular rebounded post-break with a 26-14 record. Charlotte is well in line to be relegated at 35-102, the worst record in the First League after a 10-31 slide post break. Houston, who was still in some danger post break, have done okay enough to build a 14 game gap and likely keep their spot.



To the Second League, the East division has become a four team race after Pittsburgh has been just above .500 and Buffalo below since the break. The Pirates have the lead at 87-50, a 0.5 game better than the Bisons. But a strong run for Quebec City has put the Bruins within three games and Richmond is within four. To avoid relegation, Newark needs to erase a nine game hole to Virginia Beach

Windsor still holds the Midwest lead at 86-51, up 9.5 on Louisville despite a solid run post-break for the Colonels. Winnipeg now is in the bottom spot after a 15-29 run post break, putting them at 52-86. Kansas City is 6 games from last with the Chicago White Sox seven away and Wichita 7.5, but a .500 mark by the A’s and winning run for Chicago have given them space from the Wildcats.

Santo Domingo has continued to pull away in the South Division with the 2L’s best mark at 89-48, 13.5 ahead of St. Petersburg. San Antonio is last at 40-97, but a really bad 11-30 mark post break has Tampa only 1.5 ahead of the Missions. An even worse 8-32 by New Orleans has them only seven away from last.

Tijuana has been the best team in the West by a narrow margin post break, putting them first at 85-53. Six teams are within eight games of first though with Juarez closest at 3.5 back and Honolulu five back. Seattle is last at 55-82 with even a .500 run not giving them much relief in a strong division, still 10.5 away from Colorado Springs.



Gary is the first to 100+ wins in the Third League at 101-37, 11 games ahead of Des Moines in the Midwestern Division Madison faces relegation at 45-91, 5.5 away from Peoria and 7.5 from Saint Paul. Albany has gone on a 31-11 tear to build a 10.5 game lead atop the East at 97-41. Ottawa and Hartford are locked in a fierce battle to avoid demotion with the Otters (44-93) one better entering September than the Herons (43-94).

Irvine’s 31-10 run post break has them at 98-40 leading the Western Division, but Guadalajara has kept up, 3.5 back at 94-43. Long Beach is last at 46-90 but both Anchorage and Los Angeles are within six games. It’s a two-team race atop the South with Birmingham (80-57) a game-and-a-half over Raleigh (79-59). The rest of the division is in the 60-win range minus the Third League’s biggest loser in Fort Worth (39-98).



The Eastern Division in the Fourth League remains a tight one with Yonkers first (86-50), with Springfield (MA) one back, Erie 1.5 back, New Haven 5.5 back, Bridgeport seven back, and Chesapeake 8.5 back. Jersey City at 38-99 is basically resigned to back-to-back demotion. Springfield (IL) has been the best in the conference post-break at 31-13, now 10.5 games ahead of Lansing in the Midwest with a 94-44 mark. Dayton (30-107) is on their way to back-to-back drops as well.

Tallahassee and Chattanooga have been battling for the South Division with the Threshers 31-10 post break and the Lookouts 28-12. This has given Tallahassee a 91-45 record and Chattanooga 91-46. Four teams are still in the last place mix with Mobile the worst at 40-97, although Oklahoma City and Baton Rouge in particular are within reach. Spokane has run away with the West, holding the 4L’s best mark at 100-37 and a 20-game lead. Las Vegas at 32-104 are to be condemned for the third straight season.



The East is also a toss up in the Fifth League as Scranton (86-52) leads Poughkeepsie and Manchester (both 85-52), Burlington (84-54), and Charleston (81-56). Norfolk is still deep in last at 33-104, but have played around .500 and can at least see struggling Trenton 8.5 games away. Columbia (MO) is close to clinching the Midwest at 94-42, 18 games up on Davenport. It remains a two-team race to the bottom between Springfield (MO) at 35-103 and Lincoln at 34-103.

The best in the 5L post break have been the Fayetteville Fire, on fire with a 32-8 tear. Combined with Plano playing .500 ball and the Fire now at 88-49 have an 11 game lead in the South. The West is still up for grabs with Regina (82-54) only a half game up on Santa Rosa, two on Eugene, and four on Billings. Greensboro has secured a third straight demotion, while Fresno will do the same barring a huge shift.



To the Sixth League, Kingston has the East Division lead at 88-49 with Moncton 2.5 away at 86-52. Kalamazoo led the Midwest at the break, but a horrendous 11-31 record since the break has dropped the Growlers to a distant fifth. It’s now a two-team race at the top with Independence first at 85-51 and Rapid City 4.5 back. Halifax and Fargo are firmly on their way to relegation in the EMC.

Both WSC divisions are largely decided with Port St. Lucie at 92-45 in the South, 10.5 ahead of Athens. Mexicali at 93-43 is 14.5 ahead of Chandler in the West, priming both the Palms and Monkeys for back-to-back promotions. The last place spot in both divisions are in flux with three in the mix in the South and four teams in the West.



In the Seventh League, Trois-Rivieries leads the Eastern Division at 90-47, 3.5 ahead of Ktichener and five on Niagara Falls. Wilkes-Barre is last at 41-95, but only 1.5 from Newfoundland. Canton leads the Midwest at 87-51 with Appleton only three back and Eau Claire at 3.5 back thanks to a 29-13 run for the Cavaliers. Great Lakes is last at 44-93, but are still only three away from passing Overland Park and avoiding the drop.

The South is basically decided with Daytona at 93-44 and a 16.5 game lead, plus Columbia last at 37-100 and 19 games away from safety. The West is tight though with Victoria now in first after a 28-16 mark post break. The Vipers are 86-52, two over Pueblo and four over Hermosillo with both Salinas and Santa Fe not dead yet. Two teams are fighting for last; recently promoted Bend at 50-86 and Idaho Falls at 51-86.



And the Eighth League, Delmarva leads the East at 87-50 with Gatineau three away and Alexandria 6.5 away. Livonia leads the Midwest at 88-48 with O’Fallon 3.5 away and Champaign seven back. Myrtle Beach leads the South at 84-53, 3.5 ahead of Tuscaloosa, 6.5 on Sandy Springs, and seven on Fort Myers. Fremont leads the West at 98-39, 8.5 ahead of Grand Junction.