It’s been a wild and crazy FCIAC baseball season and, with the start of the league tournament 10 days away, only one playoff bid has been officially clinched.
The Vikings of Westhill own that distinction, and are in first place with three games to play, but as we’ve seen all spring, fortunes can change seemingly in the blink of an eye.
Here’s a look at the playoff contenders and where they strand heading into the final few games of the regular season.
1 – Westhill Vikings (11-2)
The Vikings became the first team to nail down a tournament berth when they shut out the Ridgefield Tigers, 5-0, on Wednesday. It was the second straight shutout for the Vikings, who beat Brien McMahon 12-0 on Monday, and their sixth shutout of the year. Westhill is close to clinching home game for the quarterfinal round, and owns a bunch of key tiebreakers.
Games Remaining (3): At Darien, At Stamford, Home vs. New Canaan
2 – New Canaan Rams (10-3)
The Rams have had the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat this week. They rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh and defeated rival Darien, 11-10, on a walkoff single by Griffin Arnone on Monday, but were then beaten by Ben Casaparius and the Staples Wreckers, 5-2, in Westport on Monday. The Rams are on the brink of clinching, but face a tough final three games.
Games Remaining (3): Home vs. St. Joseph, At Ridgefield, At Westhill
3 – Staples Wreckers (10-4)
Ben Casparius has lived up to his billing as the top player in the conference, if not the state, throwing a no-hitter at Stamford last week, and then picking up the win against New Canaan on Wednesday, when he also hit a tiebreaking home run. The Wreckers have had their share of nailbiters, with five games decided by one run this year (they’re 3-2 in those contests). Like New Canaan, they are also one win away from clinching.
Games Remaining (2): At Ludlowe, At St. Joseph
4 (Tie) – Norwalk Bears, Ridgefield Tigers, and Wilton Warriors (9-4)
This group is a perfect example of how tight the race is heading into the final few games. The big game for these teams in Friday, when Norwalk plays at Ridgefield.
Norwalk hit the skids a week ago when it lost three straight and dropped into the bottom tier of the standings, but the Bears have bounced with a three-game winning streak, including Wednesday’s 11-2 rout of Ludlowe.
The Tigers were sailing along at the top of the league, but have now dropped four straight, including three conference games to St. Joe’s, Staples, and Westhill. That’s put them in a tough spot with three games remaining — all against playoff hopefuls.
Wilton has been busy this week, beating Greenwich 3-0 on Monday, losing to Trumbull 1-0 on Tuesday, and then edging Stamford 1-0 on Wednesday. Out of the three teams in the fourth-place tie, the Warriors have the easiest remaining schedule on paper, as all three teams they’ll face are outside the playoff bubble at the moment.
Games Remaining
Norwalk (3): At Ridgefield, At Trumbull, Home vs. Darien
Ridgefield (3): Home vs. Norwalk, Home vs. New Canaan, At Warde
Wilton (3): At McMahon, At Danbury, Home vs. Ludlowe
7 – Darien Blue Wave (9-5)
The defending league champion has had a roller coaster ride this season. The Wave has had one three-game win streak, and one two-game win streak, and has lost consecutive games just once. Darien has won three of its last four, including Wednesday’s 7-2 win over St. Joe’s which ended the Cadets’ playoff hopes. The Wave has a tough finish, closing the regular season against two teams ranked ahead of them in the standings.
Games Remaining (2): Home vs. Westhill, At Norwalk
8 – Trumbull Golden Eagles (8-5)
Weren’t the Golden Eagles dead and buried in late April? Trumbull was 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the FCIAC on April 19, but have since gone 7-1 to rally over the .500 mark and into the eighth place in the conference standings. Trumbull is riding a five-game win streak and could be a hot and dangerous team if it can clinch a playoff bid.
Games Remaining (3): Home vs. Trinity, Home vs. Norwalk, At Danbury
9 – Danbury Hatters (7-6)
The Hatters just haven’t been able to catch fire this spring, trading short win streaks with short losing streaks over the past few weeks. Still, Danbury is just one game behind Trumbull and will face the Eagles in the regular-season finale with a possible playoff bid on the line. Stay tuned.
Games Remaining (3): At Greenwich, Home vs. Wilton, Home vs. Trumbull
10 (tie) – Ludlowe Falcons and Warde Mustangs (6-7)
The two Fairfield schools remaining alive in the tournament hunt, but time is fading. The Falcons and Mustangs will face each other on Friday at Ludlowe, with the loser likely eliminated, and the winner possibly staying alive for another game. On another note, Warde also needs two wins to officially qualify for the state tournament.
Games Remaining
Ludlowe (3): Home vs. Warde, Home vs. Staples, At Wilton
Warde (3): At Ludlowe, At Greenwich, Home vs. Ridgefield
CIAC Picture
The FCIAC has also had 10 teams qualify for the CIAC postseason, with a few more just a couple of victories away.
State Tournament Teams
Class LL – Westhill (13-3), Ridgefield (12-5), Wilton (11-4), Staples (11-7), Norwalk (11-6), Darien (10-7), Ludlowe (10-7), Danbury (10-7), Trumbull (9-8).
Class L – New Canaan (12-5)
Two Wins Away
Class LL: Greenwich (6-10) , Stamford (6-10), Brien McMahon (6-11), Warde (6-11)
Class M: St. Joseph (6-10)
