#4 Stompers vs. #5 York Yaks

The Backstory: The rivalry between the Stompers and Yaks dates back long before there was a MAW. The two franchises first played against one another in tournament Wiffle®Ball 19 years ago, competed against one another in NJ and MD several times during those early years, and an exhibition ‘Best of 5’ series between the clubs in fall 2016 led directly to the formation of MAW in 2017. The Yaks and Stompers accounted for 4 of the 5 tournament titles in that inaugural MAW season, each winning two apiece (with ERL making up the difference) and the clubs split the regular/post-season titles (Yaks regular season, Stompers post-season). They matched up semi-regularly between 2018 and 2021, although generally without much fanfare.

The 2022 Story: There was not much separating these teams in 2022 on the surface, but a deeper dive reveals some differences.

The Yaks and Risers met 5 times during the 2022 MAW open tournament season, with the Yaks handily taking the season series 4-1. Each game was closely contested, with 3 games decided by a single run and a pair by just 2 runs.

Tournament for tournament, the Yaks fared better than their consummate rivals. MAW’s hometown team competed in 5 tournaments compared to 6 for the Stompers and yet only finished 1 ½ points behind them in the standings. Likewise, the Yaks made one more Final 4 (3 to 2) despite playing in one less tournament.

On the flip side, the Stompers have the better winning percentage (.560 to .522) and reached 2 tournament finals, while the Yaks did not make it past the semi-finals in 2022.

On Offense: Dan Potter rediscovered his fast pitch stroke in 2022. The veteran wiffler had struggled in recent years after being one of the best hittres in MAW through its first couple of seasons. He’s turned the clock back this summer and become the high contact, powerful, and clutch hitter that he’s been for most of his 20-year career. Potter has especially been on a tear lately, logging a 3 HR tournament in Staten Island and hitting 4 round trippers in Ocean City. When Potter is running hot, he’s a tough out in every situation and particularly the big ones. Along with Adam Milsted – who was one of the top hitters in MAW in both 2020 and 2021 – the Yaks have more than enough firepower to combat the Stompers’ quality and deep rotation, as they showed in a clean sweep of the Stompers in Staten Island.

Coming into the Championship, the Stompers lack a hitter as hot as Potter. That doesn’t mean they don’t have several candidates who could catch on fire on a moment’s notice. Sean Ryan’s clutch bat – along with his perpetual intensity – is his defining characteristic and a prime suspect to deliver at least one big hit for the Stompers on the 17th. When Nate Cruz is locked in he is a very tough out and Brice Clark has arguably been the team’s best hitter from June on. While more inconsistent than the others, Gino Joseph and Tom Gannon have been known to go deep on a moment’s notice.

If open tournament performance is a harbinger for the Championship Tournament, the Yaks are more likely to apply consistent pressure on the Stompers’s pitching staff, while the Stompers are more likely to get their scoring done in bunches via the long ball.

On Defense: If on nothing else but sheer quantity, the Stompers have the deeper pitching staff of the two teams. Although the impact of that factor on this series should be relatively minimal.

The Stompers will be able to choose from the trio of Clark, Joseph, and Gannon for this 3-game set. The Yaks hit Gino well in New York at the end of July but using him this series would also allow the Stompers to separate the two lefties. They have a lot of options and there doesn’t seem to be a wrong way to go about it for this series. Even if the series goes to a decisive game three, the Stompers may not burn all three pitchers right off the bat, but they do have the luxury of doing so if that makes the most sense given the situation.

The Yaks have one fewer pitching option than their opponents. Potter has thrown some this year but mainly in less pressure filled situations. It is almost certain the Yaks will ride Jarod Bull and Chris Scipione from start to finish. Bull and Skip formed an excellent pitching tandem during the open tournament season and both have proven capable of throwing 3+ games in a day. It is really a coin flip as to who starts game one of this series but given that Skip has been the slightly more consistent pitcher of the two he would seem to be the odds on favorite to get the nod. The Yaks could also choose to mix and match to start – perhaps Bull for 2 or 3 innings with Skip taking over at that point – in an attempt to get deep into the second game before the Stompers’ hitters have had a chance to get a full game worth of at bats against either one. Of course, the Stompers could employ a similar strategy as well.

The pitching matchup is essentially a coin flip for this series, especially considering that the Stompers’ one additional arm is unlikely to be as big of an advantage in the opening series as it could be later in the day if the Stompers advance on.

Both teams have a lot of sure-handed fielders who should turn most routine ground balls into outs. Cruz and Milsted can cover a lot of ground in the outfield as well, so do not expect a lot of errors to be made in this series.

Projected Rosters

Stompers: Brice Clark, Gino Joseph, Tom Gannon, Sean Ryan, Nate Cruz

York Yaks: Dan Potter, Jarod Bull, Chris Scipione, Adam Milsted