SBL resumes Monday

The Blue Jays’ Noel Cabrera checks the first base before delivering a pitch during their game against GSM in the first round of the 2018 Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield. The Blue Jays will meet GSM anew at the resumption of SBL action on Monday. (Jon Perez)

Action in the 2018 Saipan Baseball League will return on Monday at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield.

The league took a break to give way to the CNMI Baseball Team that competed in the 9th Micronesian Games in Yap and will resume with the 6:30pm match featuring the Blue Jays and Go See Mark.

Go See Mark is currently ranked second in the team standings with its 13-3 mark and is one of the only two squads assured of a playoff berth. The Chalan Kanoa Bears are the other team all set to advance to the semifinals with their league-best 15-1 mark. The Bears have also clinched the pennant with their two-win lead over the second-running GSM.

The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are out of playoff contention as they are in eighth spot in the team standings after earning a 4-10 mark before the league took a break.

Titanium (9-8), Ballistics (5-11), Indians (2-13), and Outlaws (0-16) are the other eliminated squads, while the Mariners (10-5), Falcons (10-5), and defending champions Aces (10-6) will battle for the two remaining semis tickets. The Ballistics, though it played only 16 games and has two more left, will no longer play, as it has been booted out of the competition for forfeiting two matches earlier this season.

Besides the Blue Jays-GSM tiff, also scheduled for next week are the matches between the Bears and Indians (Aug. 7), Falcons and Blue Jays (Aug. 8), Aces and Mariners (Aug. 9), and Blue Jays and Outlaws Aug.10).

Then the two remaining games in the regular season will have the Indians facing the Mariners on Aug. 13 and the Aces dueling the Falcons on Aug. 14.

For the Aug. 15 and 16 play dates, SBL have set both for make-up games. However, if all matches in the double round-robin elimination are completed by Aug. 15, SBL is allotting the Aug. 16 play date for Game 1 of the semis series.

The Final Four pairings are No. 1 versus 4 and No. 2 against No. 3 teams. Each series is a best-of-three affair, while the championship showdown has a best-of-five format. Semis playoff matches will run from Aug. 17 to Aug. 24 (if each series reaches Game 3. Games 1 and 2 of the finals are slated for Aug. 27 and 28, while Game 3 will be played on Aug. 30. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, will be held on Aug. 31 and Sept. 3.