CALEDONIA, NY -- Winning is one thing the Oatka Quackers are acclimated to in August.

The Quackers blanked the heavily favored Washburn Workhorses in back to back games to clinch the franchise’s fourth consecutive World Series championship and improve their all-time August record to 13-2.  As predicted, the pitching controlled the pace of the series as both teams combined for 40 strikeouts and only allowed 10 hits.    

Tommy Taylor took control of Game 1.  He was accountable for 11 strikeouts and only allowed one hit on the mound.  At the plate, he tallied the only RBI of the game, which came in the third after a Regis Pollard single.  Taylor then retired 5 of 6 batters to earn the win.  

Eli Beard recorded the lone hit for the Washburn Workhorses.

Game 2 was a pitching showdown between ex-teammates Regis Pollard and Cody Hammond.  Both pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts.  Hammond made Pollard go hitless, but it was his other ex-teammate Jordan Shelton who brought him troubles.  A Shelton single scored Ian Hall which allowed the Quackers to clinch the World Series title by a 1-0 score.

Shelton led all hitters by going 3-4.  Eli Beard went 1-3 with 2 walks.

Tommy Taylor earned MVP Honors for the series, after hitting .286 and picking up the Game 1 victory.  The Oatka Quackers finished the year with an 8-3 record, and the Workhorses fall to 8-2.

The preliminary rounds of the 2015 WWL Playoffs are in the books.  The Oatka Quackers defeated the Burnwash Bombers to represent the Main St. Division by a score of 2-0.  In the East Ave Division, the Livingston Lightning advanced to play the top-seeded Washburn Workhorses due to a  Mumford Suns forfeit.  This is the second straight year the Mumford Suns had to forfeit their opening playoff game and they still remain as the most dangerous and mysterious team in WWL Playoff history.  The Workhorses would go on to beat the Lightning 1-0 to advance to their fourth-straight World Series and remain a perfect 9-0 on the season.

Quackers. Workhorses. Sound familiar?  This is the fourth consecutive year that these two teams have faced off in the World Series. Lets break down the numbers throughout the past three series.

The Quackers have outplayed the Workhorses over the last three years by outscoring them 32-8 and sweeping each series 2-0.  Three players have been a part of all six games between these two franchises (OAT: Regis Pollard and Jordan Shelton. WAS: Mike Anderson.), two have been a part of four of six games (WAS: Cody Hammond and Eli Beard), and four are rookies (OAT: Tommy Taylor, Alex Hall and Ian Hall WAS: Chris Wilson).

Cody Hammond opted to sign with the Washburn Workhorses instead of the Oatka Quackers this past offseason.  He has only seen time in the World Series as a Quacker and looks to be the extra spark that the Workhorses need to break out of the three-year slump.  Hammond’s career numbers at the plate are .320 with 3 Doubles, 4 Walks, 2 RBIs and 13 Ks.

Regis Pollard and Jordan Shelton have been propelling the Quackers to their success in the past.  The tandem has put together .493 average with 5 Doubles, 3 Triples, 2 HRs, 13 Walks, 19 RBIs, and 14 Ks in 6 games.

Expect this game to be a pitchers duel as some of the top pitchers in the league will make starts.  Regis Pollard leads all pitchers with 68 strikeouts, Mike Anderson trails him by recording 38, and Cody Hammond and Eli Beard combined for 31.  Ian Hall will see some time as he has had a successful year thus far recording 23 Ks.

Prediction:         Game 1:  Washburn Workhorses 4 - 2 Oatka Quackers

                             Game 2:  Oatka Quackers 3 - 2 Washburn Workhorses

                             Game 3:  Oatka Quackers 0- 1 Washburn Workhorses

Pitching has been the main strength of the Washburn Workhorses as they are coming off their best season in franchise history.   They have the best bullpen in the league and they have the chance to sweep the series.  However, the Oatka Quackers are a dangerous team when they are hitting and you can’t count them out.  They should find a way to come away with a win especially with Regis Pollard on the mound. Overall, the Washburn Workhorses should prevail and Mike Anderson will win his first championship as a manager.

2015 marks the third year that the Washburn Wiffleball League will return to Columbus, Ohio and play in the NWLA Tournament. 2012 was the most successful year for them as they were an out away from making it to the championship game.

Fresh off regional play, the Warriors seem to have returned to their winning ways as they put together an impressive 3-1 record. The Warriors finished in the top three in every offensive statistical category and lead all regional teams in On Base Average (.624) and Doubles (5). The Warriors were not happy with the outcome of the 2014 NWLA tournament and look to prove themselves in 2015.

The 2015 team features two Lightning, four Quackers and two Workhorses.  Four players will are making their debut in National Tournament play. The newcomers are Steve Gaffney, Tommy Taylor, Ian Hall, and Matt Condame.

Steve Gaffney and Tommy Taylor attended the regional play in St. Louis. Gaffney had a lot of success as he produced a .500 batting average with three home runs and 13 RBIs. Tommy Taylor hit .222 and is always ready to go in the rotation.  The other two newcomers are Ian Hall and Matt Condame. A Quacker and Lightning respectively, both players will be available to aid the Warriors pitching rotation when needed.

The returning four are Cody Hammond, Eli Beard, Regis Pollard, and Jordan Shelton. All players saw success at the St. Louis regional as they combined for a .464 average with 9 HR and 43 RBIs. Pollard, Beard, and Hammond all saw time on the mound combining for 27 Ks and a 2-1 record. The underdog Warriors may be overlooked this year but they are looking to make a statement.

Oatka Quackers

Key Additions: I. Hall, A. Hall, T. Taylor

Key Losses:  M. Condame, C. Hammond,  D. McGuire.

The 3-time World Series Champion Oatka Quackers look to return to their winning ways this season, but will have to do so with some new faces.  Manager Regis Pollard was only able to secure 1B Jordan Shelton from the roster a year ago.  Despite only returning Pollard and Shelton, the tandem produced 97 of the teams 158 RBIs in 2014.  

The biggest newcomer to the clubhouse this season is Tommy Taylor.  He will fill in the role that Cody Hammond left behind and be the #2 pitcher behind Pollard. He only pitched in one game last season but still managed to record 13 strikeouts.  The Quackers also picked up both Ian Hall and Alex Hall.  The Hall twins provide a lot of speed to the lineup and will replace Matt Condame and Darren McGuire.  Ian will be the #3 pitcher for the team, but has not appeared in a game since the 2013 season.  In 2013, he recorded 56 strikeouts in his 55 innings.

The Quackers are still the team to beat, but with a lot of changes this offseason, the team will need to prove itself yet again.

Projected Record: 8-4

Way Too Early Power Ranking: #4

Washburn Workhorses

Key Additions: C. Hammond

Key Losses:  B. Anastasi

Familiar faces return to the Washburn Workhorses this year as manager Mike Anderson brings back Sean Ancker, Chris Wilson, and Eli Beard.  These four combined to post a .507 AVG, 20 HR and 133 RBIs in 2014.  

The biggest addition to the team this year is Cody Hammond.  Hammond decided to test free agency this past off-season and was acquired from their league rival Oatka Quackers.  This could be the piece the Workhorses have been looking for, as they have lost to the Quackers in the World Series the past three seasons.  Hammond hit .415 with 5 HR and 33 RBIs as Quacker.

    Anderson should be dominant from the mound again, although the Workhorses won’t have him for long.  He is scheduled for knee surgery during the fourth week of play, and may not return to the team this season.  Anderson's availability will have a big impact on how this team performs in the second half of the season.

Projected Record: 7-5

Way Too Early Power Ranking: #1

Key Additions: J. LaFarnara

Key Losses:  J. Swan

The Mumford Suns come into this season looking to make a statement, as their postseason was cut short due to them not appearing at their playoff game a year ago.  Adam Pratt will have a strong season this year as he returns as the ace of the team.  He recorded 47 Ks in 21 innings pitched in 2014 and posted a 3-0 record.

The Suns return just about all of their players from the 2014 season, except Josh Swan.  They had the third best team-average in the league last year batting .492, which produced 126 runs.

Manager JT Williams made a huge move in the off-season by obtaining John LaFarnara.  LaFarnara won Rookie of the Year honors last season as a member of the Tenant Terrapins.  He recorded 24 Ks from the mound in 2014, and will take over the #2 spot in the pitching rotation behind Pratt.  He also can bring production to the plate as he hit .412.

Don’t sleep on this team or else you may get sunburnt!

Projected Record: 7-5

Way Too Early Power Ranking: #4

Preseason Power Ranking : #3

Key Additions:  M. Condame, J. Swan

Key Losses:  Jon Cappotelli, J. Kocher

Formerly known as the Hamilton Heat, the Livingston Lightning franchise is back again as they get ready for their second season in the WWL.  The last year they were in the league was back in 2013, and they struggled as they finished the regular season with a disappointing 0-12 record.  However, they recorded their first win in franchise history in the first round of the playoffs as they upset the Burnwash Bombers 24-14.  

The Lightning have revamped their roster and are much better than in the past.  The team is lead by captain Steve Gaffney.  He will serve as the spark to the storm, as he is the top player on the staff.  Last year, Gaffney posted a career high in strikeouts (39) which lead him to a 7-0 record.  The all-star collected many national accolades from his stellar performance last season including: National East Fielder of the Year and Gold Glove.  He struggled at the plate in 2014, but don’t forget that he brought home back to back Silver Slugger Awards in 2012 and 2013.

Joe Cappotelli and Matt Donegan will also look to have more success from the mound as well.  Gaffney and Cappotelli will be accompanied by some new faces this year, as they lost Jake Kocher and Jon Cappotelli.  They acquired Josh Swan from the Mumford Suns and Matt Condame from the Oatka Quackers.  Almost every player on the team has been a part of a championship team in the past, which gives them the experience needed in order to make a deep playoff run.  The only thing this team has to worry about is getting players to show up.  Commitment seems to be the issue with this franchise and it could hurt them dearly.

Projected Record: 6-6

Way Too Early Power Ranking: #3

Preseason Power Ranking : #4