The Healdsburg Prune Packers will have a chance to end their summer campaign next week with a championship for the fourth straight year. The Packers will conclude the inaugural season of the Pacific Empire League next week as host of the final games of the PEL Championship series, which is set to start July 30.
The Packers (22-5, 36-6) finished up their PEL campaign on Wednesday, falling 4-3 to the Lincoln Potters, but have still clinched the top seed for the upcoming playoff series. They were set to finish out the regular season on Sunday with a nonleague game against the Alameda Anchors.
The Packers dominated the California Collegiate League in recent years, winning the last three titles before leaving the league to form the PEL this summer. The six-team PEL is consisted of teams mainly located in Northern California, while many of the top CCL teams were based in Southern California. Bringing more games to local fans has worked wonders for the PEL in its first year, said Prune Packers head coach Joey Gomes.
“It has been absolutely packed,” said Gomes. “I think people care a lot more about regional-based teams and leagues. … The competitiveness in our league, and playing on the road in front of, like, 1,000 fans has kind of made the atmosphere really cool.”
While the league is different, the Packers’ success on the field has remained unchanged. Once again loaded with Division 1 college talent from all over the country, the Packers won their first 18 games of the year, currently hold a scoring differential of 354-121 and just this week shattered their prior program single-season home run record (67) with 74.
“This has probably been the most magical season we’ve ever had,” said Gomes. “The group that we’ve had, just absolutely spoiled rotten. … This is probably one of the most dominant offenses we’ve ever had.”
The PEL Championship will be a best-of-three series taking place at two locations. The first game on July 30 will be hosted by the No. 2 seed Lincoln Potters (15-11, 35-15), which clinched the final playoff spot on Saturday night.
After the series opener, teams will get July 31 as a travel day before the second game on Aug. 1 at Rec Park in Healdsburg at 6 p.m. A third game, if necessary, will also be hosted at Rec Park on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m.
Gomes said tickets to the Aug. 1 game are still available but will go fast and he expects a capacity crowd.
“It’s going to be a sellout,” said Gomes. “We’ve already sold a few hundred tickets. We’re not letting anyone in without a digital ticket just because we have a capacity cap with the city.”
Y ou can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JustGusPD.
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