After last Sunday’s duel between the top two teams in the north, the southern conference will have their big matchup this week. The BUCHBINDER LEGIONAERE are hosting the HEIDEKOEPFE. Game one will be played on Friday evening, one of the few night games this season Germany. The second part of the series resumes Saturday afternoon. Both teams have 17 wins this year with HEIDENHEIM having lost two more. They already have clinched the playoffs and will probably also getting home field advantage in the quarterfinals. But the race for first place is still open with REGENSBURG being in the pole position.
The LEGIONAERE will probably turn to Mike Bolsenbroek and Martin Almstetter as starters with Craig Crow, Philipp Hoffschild and Benedikt Antwi available in the bullpen. On the offensive side they will miss one of their better players, because Jerin Harper is back in the United States due to family reasons. They hope that he is back right in time for the playoffs. The HEIDEKOPEFE are bringing Peter Dankerl, Markus Winkler, Sam Whitehead, Hagen Raetz and Mike Hartley to the mound. Although the twin bill could also turn into a slugfest with Simon Guehring, Keith Maxwell, Ryan Lilly (all three HEI), Dan Husband, Klaus Hopfensperger, Alex Lauterbach and Mic Weigl (all four REG) in midseason form.
HEIDENHEIM also gets help from another former Major Leaguer, as De Wayne Buice is visiting buddy Mike Hartley and already took over first base coach duties last weekend. The first duel between these two teams in May ended in a split. We can expect similar things this time.
{mrb-schedule:2008-06-27|2008-06-29|DE}
{mrb-standing:germany-2008}