Catfish Sweep Through Playoffs for 2025 Championship!

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PREVIEW

Lafayette Aviators (37-21) vs Cape Catfish (38-20)

Matchup History: The Catfish and Aviators have never met in the regular season.

Series History: The teams last met in the 2021 Championship Series. The Aviators took game one in Cape, and the Catfish took games two and three in Lafayette. 

Aviators Stats: AVG .272 (9th) | ERA 3.76 (1st)

Catfish Stats: AVG .288 (4th) | ERA 4.69 (3rd)

Aviators Key Hitter: Gavin Smith - .293/.373/.454

Catfish Key Hitter: Matthew Cash - .311/.431/.463

Aviators Playoff History: 3rd Appearance | 3rd PLCS Appearances (2017, 2021) | 1 Championship (2017)

Catfish Playoff History: 5th Appearance | 3rd PLCS Appearances (2019, 2021) | 1 Championship (2021)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND PREVIEW

Eastern Conference Championship - Lafayette Aviators (36-21) at REX Baseball (36-18)

Season Series: REX is 5-1 against the Aviators overall this season and 2-0 in Terre Haute.

REX Stats: AVG .278 (7th) | ERA 4.49 (2nd)

Aviators Stats: AVG .272 (9th) | ERA 3.76 (1st)

REX Playoff History: 7th Appearance | 4th Division Championship | 3 PLCS Appearances (2015, 2018, 2024) | 2 Championships (2015, 2018)

Aviators Playoff History: 3rd Appearance | 3rd Division Championship | 2 PLCS Appearances (2017, 2021) | 1 Championship (2017)

Western Conference Championship - Clinton LumberKings (35-19) at Cape Catfish (37-20)

Season Series: The Catfish and LumberKings did not meet in 2025.

Catfish Stats: AVG .288 (4th) | ERA 4.69 (3rd)

LumberKings Stats: AVG .301 (1st) | ERA 4.98 (5th)

Catfish Playoff History: 5th Appearance | 3rd Division Championship | 2 PLCS Appearances (2019, 2021) | 1 Championship (2021)

LumberKings Playoff History: 4th Appearance | 2nd Division Championship | 0 PLCS Appearances

DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND PREVIEW

Central Division Championship - Normal CornBelters (24-31) at REX Baseball (35-18)

Season Series: REX is 5-2 against the Cornbelters overall this season and 3-0 in Terre Haute. 

REX Stats: AVG .278 (7th) | ERA 4.49 (2nd)

CornBelters Stats: AVG .264 (11th) | ERA 6.54 (12th)

REX Playoff History: 7th Appearance | 3 Division Championships (2015, 2018, 2024)

CornBelters Playoff History: 3rd Appearance | 0 Division Championships 

Northeast Division Championship - Lafayette Aviators (35-21) at Johnstown Mill Rats (26-29)

Season Series: The Aviators are 5-3 against the Mill Rats overall this season, but the Mill Rats are 3-1 in Johnstown.

Mill Rats Stats: AVG .254 (16th) | ERA 5.23 (7th)

Aviators Stats: AVG .272 (9th) | ERA 3.76 (1st)

Mill Rats Playoff History: 2nd Appearance | 0 Division Championships

Aviators Playoff History: 3rd Appearance | 2 Division Championships (2017, 2021)

Northwest Division Championship - Burlington Bees (33-21) at Clinton LumberKings (34-19)

Season Series: The LumberKings are 8-7 against the Bees overall this season, but the Bees are 4-3 in Clinton.

LumberKings Stats: AVG .301 (1st) | ERA 4.98 (5th)

Bees Stats: AVG .301 (1st) | ERA 6.09 (11th)

LumberKings Playoff History: 4th Appearance | 1 Division Championship (2021)

Bees Playoff History: 1st Appearance | 0 Division Championships 

South Division Championship - O'Fallon Hoots (41-15) at Cape Catfish (36-20)

Season Series: The Hoots are 7-2 against the Catfish overall this season and 4-2 in Cape.

Catfish Stats: AVG .288 (4th) | ERA 4.69 (3rd)

Hoots Stats: AVG .289 (3rd) | ERA 4.93 (4th)

Catfish Playoff History: 5th Appearance | 2 Division Championships (2019, 2021)

Hoots Playoff History: 2nd Appearance | 0 Division Championships

PLAYOFF SEEDING & HOSTS
The first round of the Prospect League Playoffs is hosted by the first half Division Champions. The higher seed in each conference, based on overall winning percentage, will host the Conference Championship. In the Prospect League Championship Series, the lower seed will host game one, and the higher seed will host games two and three.

1. O’Fallon Hoots - .732 (41-15)

2. REX - .660 (35-18)

3. Cape Catfish - .643 (36-20)

4. Clinton LumberKings - .642 (34-19)

5. Lafayette Aviators - .625 (35-21)

6. Burlington Bees - .611 (33-21)

7. Johnstown Mill Rats - .473 (26-29)

8. Normal CornBelters - .436 (24-31)

About the Prospect League
The Prospect League is a premier, Midwestern, wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league with 18 teams spanning Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. The League provides college players with a professional setting, featuring excellent competition and high-quality facilities. More than 1.2 million fans attended Prospect League games in the past two seasons, achieving record-breaking attendance figures in both 2023 and 2024.

Formerly known as the Central Illinois Collegiate League (1963-2008), the Prospect League boasts over 60 years of tradition as one of the nation's original and most recognizable summer leagues. Its distinguished history includes Hall of Famers, NCAA and World Series Champions, over 200 Major League Baseball alumni, and more than 800 professional players worldwide. For more information, visit prospectleague.com and follow @prospectleague on social media.