Pistol Shrimp Sweep Through Playoffs for 2024 Prospect League Title

PROSPECT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PREVIEW

Best-of-Three: Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp (37-21) vs REX Baseball (34-23)

Pistol Shrimp Record: 35-21 Regular Season | 24-6 Home | 13-15 Away

REX Record: 32-23 Regular Season | 22-6 Home | 11-17 Away

Series History: The two teams have not faced off since 2022, when they were in the same division, the all-time series (2021 & 2022) is split 7-7.

Pistol Shrimp Playoff History: The Pistol Shrimp are in the Championship Series for the first time in their third playoff appearance. They lost in the Division Championship in 2019 and Conference Championship in 2022.

REX Playoff History: REX are in the Championship Series for the third time in their six playoff appearances. REX won titles in 2015 and 2018, sweeping the 3-game series 2-0 each time.

Pistol Shrimp Key Hitter: Kyle Gibson - .400 AVG | 21 2B | 63 R | 36 RBI | 26-30 SB | 1.006 OPS

REX Key Hitter: .269 AVG | 8 2B | 9 HR | 38 R | 43 RBI | 42-50 SB | .890 OPS

Pistol Shrimp Team Stats: .290 AVG (3rd) | 4.96 ERA (5th) | .956 FP (12th)

REX Team Stats: .243 AVG (16th) | 4.67 ERA (3rd) | .969 FP (1st)

Pistol Shrimp Key Stat: 1st in batting average against at .226

REX Key Stat: 2nd in stolen bases at 177

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND PREVIEW

Eastern Conference Championship - Chillicothe Paints (37-20) vs REX Baseball (33-23)

Season Series: The Paints are 4-0 against REX overall and 2-0 in Chillicothe. The Paints outscored REX 55-27 across the four games.

Paints Key Player: Eric Colaco - .396 AVG | 1.090 OPS | 53 R | 46 RBI | 38 SB

REX Key Player: Gabe Wright - .268 AVG | .893 OPS | 36 R | 43 RBI | 19 XBH

Paints Playoff History: The Paints are back-to-back Prospect League Champions. They have won 4 Prospect League Championships and have been to 6 Championship Series, the most in Prospect League History. The Paints are 2-0 in the Conference Championship since the format began in 2021.

REX Playoff History: REX just picked up their first playoff victory since 2018. REX has two Prospect League Championships, in 2015 and 2018. This is their first appearance in a single-game Conference Championship.

Western Conference Championship - Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp (36-21) vs REX Baseball (32-24)

Season Series: The Pistol Shrimp are 3-1 against Thrillbillies overall and 2-0 in the Illinois Valley. The Pistol Shrimp outscored the Thrillbillies 24-20 across the four games

Pistol Shrimp Key Player: Kyle Gibson - .385 AVG | .961 OPS | 60 R | 34 RBI | 17 2B

Thrillbillies Key Player: Jackson Lindsey - .299 AVG | .923 OPS | 36 R | 32 RBI | 16 XBH

Pistol Shrimp Playoff History: The Pistol Shrimp are back in the Conference Championship for the second time in the last three seasons. The Pistol Shrimp are looking to make their first Prospect League Championship Series. They lost in the Division Championship in 2019 and Conference Championship in 2022.

Thrillbillies Playoff History: Two seasons and two Conference Championship appearances for the Thrillbillies. Last season, the Thrillbillies defeated the Catfish on the road before falling to the Gems at home.

DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND PREVIEW

Northeast Division Championship - Chillicothe Paints (36-20) vs Johnstown Mill Rats (26-30)

Season Series: The Paints are 8-4 against the Mill Rats overall and 4-2 in Chillicothe.

Paints Key Player: Eric Colaco - .396 AVG | 1.090 OPS | 53 R | 46 RBI | 38 SB

Mill Rats Key Player: Max Humphrey - .329 AVG | .901 OPS | 46 R | 19 RBI | 18 SB

Paints Playoff History: This is the 12th playoff appearance in 15 seasons for the Paints. They have won 4 Prospect League Championships and have been to 6 Championship Series, the most in Prospect League History. The Paints are the defending Back-to-Back Prospect League Champions.

Mill Rats Playoff History: This is the 2nd playoff appearance in 4 seasons for the Mill Rats. They made it for the first time in 2022, falling to the Paints 16-0 in 7 innings in Chillicothe in the Division Championship.

Central Division Championship - Danville Dans (30-26) vs REX Baseball (32-23)

Season Series: The Dans are 4-6 against REX overall and 3-2 in Danville.

Dans Key Player: Sebastian Arguelles - .335 AVG | .837 OPS | 44 R | 33 RBI | 15 XBH

REX Key Player: Gabe Wright - .268 AVG | .893 OPS | 36 R | 43 RBI | 19 XBH

Dans Playoff History: This is the 10th playoff appearance in 15 seasons for the Dans. They have advanced through the playoffs multiple times in their 9 appearances but have only made the Prospect League Championship Series once, in 2010.

REX Playoff History: This is the 6th playoff appearance in 14 seasons for REX. It is the first appearance for REX since 2018 when they won their second Prospect League Championship. REX has two Prospect League Championship Series appearances, in 2015 and 2018.

South Division Championship - Thrillville Thrillbilllies (31-24) vs Cape Catfish (31-25)

Season Series: The Thrillbillies are 4-4 against the Catfish overall and 2-2 in Marion.

Thrillbillies Key Player: Jackson Lindsey - .299 AVG | .923 OPS | 36 R | 32 RBI | 16 XBH

Catfish Key Player: Lane Crowden - .314 AVG | .873 OPS | 34 R | 33 RBI | 46 SB

Thrillbillies Playoff History: This is the second playoff appearance in two seasons for the Thrillbillies. The Thrillbillies defeated these Catfish 10-5 in Cape in the Division Championship last season.

Catfish Playoff History: This is the 4th playoff appearance in 5 seasons for the Catfish. They have one Prospect League Championship and have been to two Championship Series, in their first two seasons in 2019 and 2021.

Northwest Division Championship - Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp (35-21) vs Clinton LumberKings (34-21)

Season Series: The Pistol Shrimp are 7-5 against the LumberKings overall and 5-2 in Peru.

Pistol Shrimp Key Player: Kyle Gibson - .385 AVG | .961 OPS | 60 R | 34 RBI | 17 2B

LumberKings Key Player: Jalen Martinez - .358 AVG | .938 OPS | 36 R | 33 RBI | 15 XBH

Pistol Shrimp Playoff History: This is the third playoff appearance in five seasons for the Pistol Shrimp. They have one Division Championship, defeating the Dans in Danville in 2022.

LumberKings Playoff History: This is the third playoff appearance in four seasons for the LumberKings. Their first appearance was in their first season in 2021, reaching the Western Conference Championship. Last season the LumberKings fell to the Gems at home in the Division Championship.