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CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PREVIEW



92-70 102-60
ARIZONA SANDMEN LEADERS

Team Leaders AVG H. Zimmerman .315 J. Hamilton .282 R. Jones .265 A. Pujols .254 H. Gowdy .220	Team Leaders HR J. Hamilton 18 A. Pujols 15 R. Jones 13 W. Wells 11 H. Gowdy 10	Team Leaders RBI J. Hamilton 85 H. Gowdy 73 A. Pujols 71 W. Wells 69 R. Jones 68
Team Leaders W D. Leonard 19 J. Verlander 17 D. Casey 15 S. Paige 13 A. Sanchez 12	Team Leaders ERA D. Leonard 2.87 D. Casey 3.23 A. Sanchez 3.50 J. Verlander 3.89 S. Paige 4.18	Team Leaders K J. Verlander 185 D. Leonard 178 S. Paige 158 A. Sanchez 148 D. Casey 133

NEW ORLEANS KNIGHTS LEADERS

Team Leaders AVG P. Rose .329 D. Murphy .311 S. Thompson .275 R. Barnes .272 B. Horner .256	Team Leaders HR B. Horner 30 D. Murphy 21 S. Thompson 19 C. Tracy 16 2 tied with 13	Team Leaders RBI D. Murphy 105 B. Horner 100 S. Thompson 90 F. Carroll 60 R. Barnes 59
Team Leaders W D. Willis 23 H. Vaughn 17 M. LaCoss 14 M. Lolich 12 R. Harden 9	Team Leaders ERA D. Willis 2.94 E. Bedard 2.95 H. Vaughn 3.76 M. LaCoss 3.96 M. Lolich 4.03	Team Leaders K E. Bedard 134 D. Willis 129 M. Lolich 103 R. Harden 94 H. Vaughn 88

SEASON SERIES: New Orleans won 8 of 10

Their ace Mark Prior went down for the year with elbow surgery after posting an 0.65 ERA over his first six starts. So Dontrelle Willis stepped up from very good to great and replaced him.

Relief stalwart Bruce Sutter went down for the season, too, after an 0.25 ERA over 25 appearances. Ricky Nolasco was plugged in as setup man, and while not Sutter, won four games in 10 appearances with a 2.61 ERA.

Now the PBL's alltime RBI leader, Sam Thompson, will likely miss the first round of the playoffs with an oblique strain. The assumption is that whoever the Knights plug in will get the job done.

"Everyone they plug in gets it done," Arizona manager Dick Howser said of the New Orleans Knights. "That speaks to what Walter [Alston] has done there these past few years."

The Knights' attempt to win their third PBL Championship Series crown starts with the Southern League Championship Series against Arizona, a staff boasting five starters who won at least 12 games and the #2 alltime closer in Jose Valverde (only Brendan Donnelly has saved more).

New Orleans ranked second in both offense and pitching. Arizona's staff ranks at the top, but their offense ranks only 7th. But it features two very motivated players.

Albert Pujols (.254-15-71) and Josh Hamilton (.282-18-85) each had down seasons. But now they have a chance to carry their team into the PBL Championship Series where they will likely face the team that discarded them - the Chicago Hitmen - just as it was reaching its goal of success.

"They made a decision," Pujols said of the Hitmen's pair of trades last season. "We hope to make them deal with the repercussions."

Prediction: Arizona makes the best storyline, and the loss of Thompson will hurt New Orleans. But Arizona's sub-.500 September doesn't inspire confidence they will flip the switch. Good series, but New Orleans wins in 6.