After 27 regular season games, our Division-2 semi-finalists have been decided.
The two best-of-three game series will kick off on Wednesday night, with teams competing for a place in next week's Grand Final series.
After 20 wins and two draws on the season, Sunshine enter this year's finals series as favourites. The Eagles, who earned earned automatic promotion into Division-1 for next season after finishing the season as Minor Premiers, will have no easy task against an in form Williamstown outfit.
The Wolves are arguably the form team of second half of the season, storming into contenting with 9.5 wins from their past eleven games.
The Eagles have been led at the plate this season by Lewis Wheldon, hitting a team leading .455 with three long balls and 26 RBIs but he's not alone and has plenty of offensive support. Rory Meddick (.333), Brent Davis (.329), Jordan Young (.319) and Jared Van Hoon (.304) round out an extremely dangerous hitting line-up but despite the firepower, Sunshine's pitching has been their biggest asset this season, conceding just 62 runs on the season, 36 less than second placed Upwey FTG.
Jared Van Hoon's six wins and 1.01 ERA in 53.1 innings has been superbly supported by Griffin Weir who holds a 1.70 ERA through his 58.1 innings of work this season.
For Williamstown to win this series they'll need the bats to fire and they have the cattle to do it. The Rogers boys, Jarryd and Kile are hitting .381 and .369 respectively. Look for the Williamstown baserunners to build pressure throughout the series with speed a feature of their game, combining to steal 89 bases as a team in 2016/17.
In the other series it's Werribee taking on Upwey FTG. Werribee's start to the season had them leading the division for the majority of the season only to finish third. Werribee have been a powerhouse Division-2 Club for a number of years and will continue to push for a Division 1 berth with veterans Oliver Box and John Curnow leading the charge for the Giants. Box has turned back the clock this season with his five home runs leading all comers in Division 2. Add to that his .378 batting average and 35 RBIs and Box shapes as arguably one of the most dangerous hitters this finals series.
Upwey FTG's strength comes from their ability to hit one through nine with eight hitters recording 20 hits or more this season and seven of those eight hitters recording a .300+ batting average. Look for Upwey build pressure of Werribee's defence by putting a lot of balls in play. Jarrod Turner (1.55 ERA) is likely to get the nod as Upwey's Game 1 starter in what's shaping as a fascinating series that will be packed full of offense.
