LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) – The Lancaster Barnstormers are the Second-Half North Division Champions for the second consecutive season and have a chance to win the Atlantic League Championship in back-to-back years for the first time in the organization’s history.
As a result of the second-half title clinch, the Barnstormers will be hosting the first and second games of the North Division Championship in Clipper Magazine Stadium.
The playoffs start tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. with the Barnstormers facing the First-Half North Division Champions the Long Island Ducks. They will play them at home again on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The full schedule for the North Division Championship is as follows:
(* = if needed)
- Game 1: Tues, Sept. 19 – Ducks at Barnstormers at 6:30 PM
- Game 2: Wed, Sept. 20 – Ducks at Barnstormers at 6:30 PM
- Game 3: Fri, Sept. 22 – Barnstormers at Ducks at 6:35 PM
- Game 4: Sat, Sept. 23 – Barnstormers at Ducks at 6:35 PM*
- Game 5: Sun, Sept. 24 – Barnstormers at Ducks at 5:05 PM*
If the Barnstormers win the best-of-five series over the Ducks, they will face the South Division champion for the 2023 Atlantic League Championship.
The schedule for the Atlantic League Championship Series is as follows:
- Game 1: Tues, Sept. 26 – HOME vs. South Division Champion at 6:35 PM
- Game 2: Wed, Sept. 27 – HOME vs. South Division Champion at 6:35 PM
- Game 3: Fri, Sept. 29 – AWAY vs. South Division Champion – Time TBD
- Game 4: Sat, Sept. 30 – AWAY vs. South Division Champion – Time TBD*
- Game 5: Sun, Oct. 1 – AWAY vs. South Division Champion – Time TBD*
The Barnstormers finished the second half of the season with a 37-24 record, edging out their neighbors the York Revolution who ended with a 34-28 record. The Ducks finished in second to last place in the North Division with a 29-32 record.
In the first half of the season the roles were reversed. The Long Island Ducks finished on top of the North Division with a 37-26 record and the Lancaster Barnstormers ended in second to last place with a 25-38 record.
This will be Long Island’s 16th postseason berth. The Ducks last won the title in 2019. In total, they own four Atlantic League Championships from 2019, 2013, 2012, and 2004.
Lancaster is the reigning Atlantic League Champion. The Barnstormers defeated High Point in a 3-0 sweep to take the crown last season. The victory marked their third title in team history as the Barnstormers were champions in 2022, 2014 and 2006.
Lancaster and Long Island faced each other in the postseason back in 2012 when the Ducks took the title after a 3-2 series. This year, when the teams squared off in the regular season Lancaster took the season series 13-9.
All-time, the Ducks lead the charge with a 180-176 record over the Barnstormers.
If the Barnstormers can earn a second consecutive Atlantic League Championship, they will be the first team to do so since 2013 when the Ducks grabbed their back-to-back league title.
The journey begins tomorrow with the action located in the heart of Lancaster at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
