Madison, Battle Creek and Eau Claire All Have Chance to Clinch South Tonight

(Rochester, Minn.)  As the Northwoods League enters its final day of the first-half of the season, the South Division has four teams that could end up with the best winning percentage in the division or tied for the best winning percentage in the division. Meanwhile, Mankato clinched the First-Half Championship in the North Division earlier in the week.

After working through the Northwoods League tie-breakers, three teams still have a chance in the South. Madison is the only team that controls its own destiny.

South Division Playoff Scenarios
Madison clinches South with win
Battle Creek clinches South with win AND Madison loss
Eau Claire clinches South with win AND Battle Creek loss

Here’s how these scenarios came about.

For Madison, it’s clear. They currently have the best winning percentage and will maintain it with a win. However, a Madison loss means there would be an Eau Claire win since those two teams match up in Eau Claire tonight. Elsewhere, Battle Creek is at Wisconsin and Green Bay is at Wisconsin Rapids.

Green Bay is not in playoff contention even though they can finish in a first place tie with Eau Claire or in a 3-way tie with Eau Claire and Battle Creek. Green Bay loses the head-to-head tie-breaker with Eau Claire and loses the 3-way tie-breaker with Eau Claire and Battle Creek.

A 3-way tie is broken by first eliminating one team based on head-to-head winning percentage among the group of teams that are tied.

The head-to-head winning percentages of the three teams are as follows:

Eau Claire .556 (3-1 vs GB; 2-3 vs BC = 5-4)
Battle Creek .500 (3-2 vs EC; 2-3 vs GB = 5-5)
Green Bay .444 (3-2 vs BC; 1-3 vs EC = 4-5)

Because Green Bay’s winning percentage is the lowest after comparing head-to-head records, they are eliminated from the 3-way tie. For the sake of this tiebreaker, only Eau Claire and Battle Creek remain tied.

Battle Creek .600 (3-2)
Eau Claire .400 (2-3)

Therefore Battle Creek would win the 3-way tie with Eau Claire and Green Bay. They also win the head-to-head tie-breaker with Eau Claire should there be a 2-way tie for first.

Come Thursday, all teams return to 0-0 as the second half of the season begins.

Each division’s first-half champion will meet the second-half champion in a best-of-three Divisional Playoff Series in August. The winners then play for the Summer Collegiate World Series in another best-of-three series.

The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America.