A few teams I wanted to highlight for their exploits on the field this season (all numbers through week nine)

Highest Scoring Offenses:
1. Love Garden Squids – 190 (highest total in the league since we started putting stats online in 2012)
2. Muddy Waters – 164
3. Johnny’s Tavern – 160
4. Kansas Tree Care – 155
5. Lawrence Shirt Factory – 147

Stingiest Defenses:
1. Lawrence Shirt Factory – 34 (if they pitch a shutout in week 10, they are statistically the best defense in KVKL history. KTC gave up 35 in 2016)
T2. Muddy Waters – 42
T2. KTC – 42
T2. John Denver Experience – 42
5. Jackpot! – 52

Longest Winning Streak:
1. Kansas Tree Care – 8
T2. Free State Growlers – 6 (ACTIVE)
T2. Jackpot! – 6
T2. Chalmersiz – 6
5. Six teams tied at 5 wins in a row

Biggest Improvement (Rank Play)
1. Kicking Assets from the 6’s to the 3’s
2. Repetition from the 6’s to the 4’s
3. Drop Stoppers from the 5’s to the 3’s

Biggest Improvement – Win Total (’18 win total / ’17 win total)
1. Sacred Sword +3 (4 / 1)
T2. Hurtz +2 (8 / 6)
T2. JDE +2 (8/ 6)
T2. Corksuckers +2 (5 / 3)
T2. Grandstand +2 (2 / 0)

Pick ‘em challenge picks (I plagiarized myself wherever possible from last weeks column)

Hurtz Donut D-Holes (8-1/4-0) vs. John Denver Experience (8-1/4-0)
YSC #1, 7:00 PM
The winner of this could jump one, or even two teams in the #1 seeds depending on how everything plays out. D-Holes seem to be peaking at the right time, shaking off that bludgeoning at the hands of KTC at GOTW, while JDE is putting up better offensive numbers in Rank Play than they did in pool play, though they only scored six runs in 15 innings against Red Legs, so the boots can still be hit or miss. I still think Hurtz has a bit more talent than the Goats, but this should be a tight affair.
Prediction:
D-Holes – 9
John Denver Experience – 7

Brewballers (2-7/2-2) vs. Grandstand (2-7/2-2)
YSC #3, 5:00pm
The winner of this games finishes third overall in the #6 Pool, which is old hat for Brewballers but would truly be monumental for Grandstand. Grandstand had never before won multiple games in a season since 2012, and are now already sitting on two W’s with a chance to grab a third and head into the tournament on a winning streak. Brewballers are better on paper, but confidence is a hell of a thing and the Glasskickers are full of it right now.
Grandstand – 12
Brewballers – 9

Johnny’s Tavern(6-3/4-0) vs. Jazzhaus (6-3/4-0)
YSC #4, 5:00 PM
We are in for a doozy of a matchup to decide the winner of the #4’s. Johnny’s won the #4’s last year and are 14-0 in Rank Play since their inception in ’16, while Jazzhaus took a slight step back this year, dropping from the #3’s to the #4’s. This is also a rematch of last season 16-17 matchup in the playoffs, won by Johnny’s. There are going to athletes galore on the field for this one, and the winner has a chance to hurdle a couple of teams in the #3’s. I’m going to go with the veteran team here.
Prediction:
Johnny’s – 16
Jazzhaus – 12