The first week of ranked pool play is in the books, and boy howdy do I have a lot of opinions! I got to watch 5 games of ranked play (and one forfeit), so I feel incredibly confident that I know everything about every team. On a personal note, it felt great to be reimmersed in the atmosphere of ranked play. Many teams throughout divisional play probably felt too sure one way or the other over how their game would finish; being able to approach every match moving forward with an achievable goal of victory creates an extra buzz around the park.
If you want the rundown of every game in Week 6, check out the KVKL Podcast; I’ll highlight one team per pool and tell you why you should be watching them:
#6 Seeds
Home Loans – One of the newcomers this season, Home Loans have fun playing and are a fun team to play against. It’s easy to see that they have the ability to win in this league and they almost squeaked out their first W against Reading Rockets, playing with 9 players all game. Their next chance comes against MaHomies at YSC 7 @ 5pm. Welcome to the KVKL, Home Loans! I’ll be rooting for you all season.
#5 Seeds
I’m going to be honest, the only 5 seed I’ve seen so far are Brew Tang Clan from divisional play, and I can confirm that they ain’t nothin to fuck wit. 5s, you all have done nothing wrong, ever, and I will make sure I find out more about you as the season goes on. That said, my team to watch is Kicking Assets. They have the ability to put up runs and I think they have a great shot to win the 5s. Their Week 7 matchup against Ghosts (YSC 7 @ 7pm, July 11th) could be an early decider for the top spot.
#4 Seeds
Sacred Sword played a great all-around game in their wire-to-wire win over Soda Jerks. They’re a solid squad that showed well in the 4s last year so they know what it takes to be successful in this pool. I think they have a great shot to win the division and their next matchup will test that sentiment. You were probably already going, but if not get your ass out to Hobbs Park at 915pm to watch Bunt N Grind @ Sacred Sword for the Week 7 Game of the Week on July 11th.
#3 Seeds
I don’t know shit about the 3s despite my team being in this pool this season and I feel like I’ll have too much to say about them by the end of it. I’ll give a shoutout to Woost; they put up 10 runs in divisional play against their higher seeds, 2nd behind Jazzhaus’ 11 in the 3s, and they pulled out what many consider an upset over the aforementioned Jazzhaus in Week 6. They bring the ruckus to the dugout and a great attitude to the diamond, so make sure you catch them at least once! Week 7 pits them against XXXoxo at YSC 8 @ 7pm.
#2 Seeds
If you’re looking for exciting play at a high level, look no further than Honey Badgers. This team is aggressive running the bases and they have the pure speed to play with anyone in the league. After winning the 3s last year and making it to the Twain semifinals, they continue to trend upward. I personally have them fighting for 2nd place in the 2s. Their Week 7 matchup (YSC 4 @ 7pm) against reigning “Week 6 Game of the Week” champions Love Garden will be an excellent test of both teams’ mettle.
#1 Seeds
There are no wrong choices here. All of the 1s deserve their rank and they are all fun to watch. That said, picking anyone other than Harpies for this exercise seems negligent. Their last loss was Round 1 of the 2019 tournament to Honey Badgers (10-0 since, outscoring their opponents 190-62 if I can count). They overcame some jitters against Post Haus in Week 6 before mounting a great comeback to garner their first ever win in their first ever game in the 1s. Harpies play with excellent situational kicking awareness and combine that with their ability to execute to create a fun product. You can catch the team du jour hosting Johnny’s July 11th at YSC 2 @ 5pm.
Who’s Gonna Win It
#6 Seed Winner – MaHomies
#5 Seed Winner – Ghosts
#4 Seed Winner – Bunt N Grind
#3 Seed Winner – Jazzhaus
#2 Seed Winner – Love Garden
#1 Seed Winner – Muddy Waters
The Boot – Home Loans
The Plate – Woost
The Twain – John Denver Experience
The Cup – Muddy Waters
Week 7 Game of the Week
Bunt N Grind @ Sacred Sword
Hobbs Park 9:15 pm, July 11th
Can’t make it to Game of the Week? Check out the live stream on our Twitch!
https://twitch.tv/kvkllfk