Oct. 18th, 2013 vs. Laurier Golden Hawks (Playoff Game 1)
Set-Up......................................Oct.18th vs. Laurier Golden Hawks @ 4:00 PM (Hastings Stadium, Guelph Ont.)
Season Series.................Brock Leads (2-1)
Last Meeting.....................Laurier (W) 1-0 Final Score
Follow @brockbaseball and @BrockBadgers on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.
 
**=Clinched Playoff Berth
FINAL OUA STANDINGS:
1.) Brock Badgers (18-6)**
2.) Western Mustangs (17-7)**
3.) Guelph Gryphons (17-7)**
4.) Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (14-8)**
5.) Waterloo Warriors (12-12)
6.) Toronto Varsity Blues (10-14)
7.) Queens Gaels (9-15)
8.) McMaster Marauders (6-18)
9.) Ryerson Rams (3-19)
 
OUA Playoffs Begin:
The OUA Playoffs are set to kick off Friday at David E. Hastings Stadium in Guelph, Ont. The #1 seeded Brock Badgers will take on the #4 seeded Laurier Golden Hawks while the #2 Western Mustangs and will face the #3 Guelph Gryphons.
 
New Champion in 2013:
For the first time since 2010, the OUA will see a team not named the U of T Varsity Blues take the OUA Playoff Championship home. After back-to-back championships, the Varsity Blues finished well outside a playoff spot after a disappointing 10-14 season.
 
Pitching, Pitching, Pitching:
As most OUA baseball fans know by now, when teams compete in the playoffs it is often the team with the most dominant pitching performances over the weekend that takes home the championship trophy. In 2012, the Varsity Blues were lead by their dominant pitching trio of Marek Deska, Drew Taylor, and Andy Orafankaos.
 
For the Badgers, the trio of Justin Ayles (Brampton, Ont.), Paul McKenna (Oakville, Ont.) and Johnny Hutton (Ancaster, Ont.) looks to be just as dominant and could provide Brock with an inside edge. Ayles posted a 4-1 record with a 1.75 ERA in his 41.0 innings pitched, McKenna went 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his 35.0 innings pitched, and Johnnny Hutton posted a 3-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in his 22 innings pitched. That being said, this year's playoffs are perhaps the most tightly contested in the last several seasons as all 4 teams feature dominant pitching staffs.
 
 The Badgers also feature a level of depth that some of the other teams may be lacking, with Luke Miller (Newmarket, Ont.), Daniel Veres (Burlington, Ont.) and Jeff Baggaley (Whitby, Ont.) all looking to figure into Head Coach Jeff Lounsbury's game plan when it comes to pitching this weekend. Brock also features one the league's top closers, Phil Owen (Richmond Hill, Ont.) who recorded 5 saves and a 1.42 ERA with 14 strikeouts in his 12.2 innings pitched.
 
Badgers Bats Start Fresh:
The 2013 OUA Regular Season was not one for the record books when it comes to the offensive side of things for the Badgers. Brock scored just 137 runs in their 24 games, the lowest of any other playoff team as Brock finished ahead of only Queens, McMaster, and Ryerson in that category in 2013. The Badgers still found a way to get on base though, drawing 121 walks a number which was 2nd only to Laurier's 134. While the team featured some strong individual performances this season, the Badgers will have to do a better job of capitalizing on those walks and will use the Playoffs as a fresh start.
 
Couple of All-Stars:
The OUA All-Star team was announced on Thursday afternoon, and the Badgers have 2 players headed to the Rogers Centre this May for All-Star action. Shortstop Phil Steer (Toronto, Ont.) and closer Phil Owen were among the OUA's top players this season at their respective positions. Owen's appointment as Top Reliever marks the 4th straight season a Brock player has won that honor.
 
Laurier Players to Watch:
The Golden Hawks biggest strength is their rotation. The Hawks allowed just 69 runs in 156.2 innings pitched while striking out 141 and walking just 69 batters. Jordan Petruska posted a 1.94 ERA in his 6 appearances this season, striking out 44 batters in 37.0 innings pitched, while Brett Van Pelt posted a 2.25 ERA with 43 strikeouts in his 32 innings pitched. There is no word yet who will be taking the mound for the Hawks vs. Brock but either way the Badgers will be facing an equally dominant pitching staff.