South Atlantic League Champions

The Asheville Tourists went to Greensboro and won two straight games, 9-0 and 10-4, to bring home the South Atlantic League Championship. This is Asheville's first championship since 1984. The Tourists hit four homeruns in the 9-0 win and Tyler Anderson threw 7 innings of shutout baseball. Jordan Ribera was the hitting star in the second game as he drive in four of the ten runs. A five run top of the seventh put the game away for the Tourists. It was quite a season for the Tourists. They had the best overall record of any team in the minor leagues. I believe this may have been Manager Joe Mikulik's last year with the Tourists. He has spent thirteen seasons with the Tourists, which is unheard of at this level of baseball, and he intimated in an article in the Asheville Citizen-Times earlier in the season that he was thinking of trying to move up in the organization or entertaining other job offers in baseball. He has developed so many players that have made the Major Leagues but he also became an important part of the Asheville community. If and when he does decide to move on, he will be greatly missed. I am glad that he was able to win his first championship.

Bring On Greensboro

The Asheville Tourists defeated the Rome Braves on Saturday night 4-3 featuring some batting heroics from Jordan Ribera and some pitching heroics from relative newcomer Seth Willoughby. Ribera hit a two-run homer to right field in the bottom of the 7th inning to give the Tourists the lead for good 4-2 and Willoughby struck out the Rome clean up hitter with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning to preserve a 4-3 lead. Willoughby only had three games of pitching experience with the Asheville Tourists before the Rome series. The Greensboro series is a best of five with games #1 and 2 being played in Asheville Monday and Tuesday night.

When In Rome

The Asheville Tourists start the playoffs against the Rome Braves on the road tonight and it should be an interesting matchup. The Tourists are leading the minors in wins with 88 and send Ben Alsup (14-5) to the mound for Game #1. He is a gutsy pitcher who won't overpower anybody but has the ability to pitch out of tight spots. He led the team in innings pitched with 156. The Rome Braves have a rehabbing Shortstop from Atlanta named Andrelton Simmons who was the National League's Rookie of the Month for June. The Tourists have a first round pick of their own at Shortstop, Trevor Story, who is having a great season in his own right with 18 homeruns and a .277 average. The Tourists return home to McCormick Field Friday night for Game #2.