The top four teams from the round-robin phase will face off. The second-place team from Pool A (Toulouse) takes on the first-place team from Pool B (Montpellier), while the second-place team from Pool B (Sénart) goes up against the first-place team from Pool A (Montigny).
This is a best-of-five series. The first team to secure three wins advances. The first two games will be played on the home fields of the second-place teams: Toulouse and Sénart. The third game and any subsequent games, if necessary, will be held on the home fields of the first-place teams (Montpellier and Montigny) during the weekend of September 2nd and 3rd.
Firstly, note that three out of the four teams were in the play-downs last year. We’re witnessing a real shift in the level of teams in Division 1. Only Montpellier, which chose to focus on its flagship team (at the expense of D2), retains its spot in the play-offs. The Barracudas finish the regular season with the best statistics in almost every category. Six players from the U23 European Cup team will join the squad, eager and enthusiastic, returning from Austria with a bronze medal around their necks. However, this is a weakness in the medium term, as several of them will leave for their American colleges or universities before the end of the final stages. Their coach, Owen Ozanich, will be able to head to Toulouse to kick off the quest for a spot in the final. As a pitcher, he can rely on the team’s strong pitching, particularly their left-handers. Indeed, the advantages of a left-handed pitcher are often underestimated, not just for at-bats but also for preventing stolen bases.
The Stade Toulousain had a solid season, consistently leading their pool except for the last day when Montigny snatched the top spot. They do have vulnerabilities, particularly in their roster depth, which could hurt them (the failed France Challenge, the last confrontation against Rouen with a forfeit due to lack of players…). However, for the first two games, they will be at home against Montpellier and can certainly snag a win. They can count on Mendoza and Perdomo to spark the offense. Their two aces (Keyvi Rojas ERA: 2.15 and Jhon Garcia ERA: 2.91) each have a 50% chance of winning their match.
The other semifinal features Montigny and Sénart. These two teams have shown throughout the season, as well as during the France Challenge, a solid core. Montigny’s ace, Yorfranck Lopez, has only lost two games this year and boasts a very respectable 1.62 ERA. He can continue this streak and help the Cougars aim to win two games in a best-of-five series. If he falters, Sénart has the firepower with a strong offense (four players batting around .300: Mizuno, Ruiz, Brown, and McDonald) to reach the final. They will do everything to achieve at least this result and have a score to settle after losing to Montigny in the France Challenge.
The editorial team at Baseball TV France isn’t taking a strong stance:
- Split decision between Toulouse and Montpellier
- Split decision between Sénart and Montigny
