Urheilu’s baseball expert Sami-Petteri Kivimäki is looking forward to the men’s semi-final series between Kouvola’s Ballonlyöjie and Sotkamo’s Jymy starting on Tuesday with great interest.
– The signs are that we will see really high-quality baseball. And nothing is going to come for free when two great outdoor teams face off. There are a lot of really interesting fighting pairs in this semi-final, says Kivimäki.
The expert expects an even series, where the winner does not advance directly to the finals with three wins.
– Now we are asking about tenacity and enduring difficult moments, which is often asked about in the playoffs. When both teams can find it, that also means that there will be really even twists, says Kivimäki.
Jymy has almost the same team with which it won the championship last year. If you want to win the championship, you have to know how to grow. One part of that growth is the difficulty faced in the playoffs.
SEMI-QUARTERS (with three wins to the finals):
Manse – KeKi wins 0-0
KPL – SoJy wins 0-0
Tue 27.8. KPL – SoJy 17.00
Wed 28.8. Manse – Wed 17.00
Thu 29.8. SoJy – KPL 17.00
Fri 30.8. KeKi – Manse 17.00
Sat 31.8. KPL – SoJy 16.00
Sun 1.9. Manse – Wed 13.00
If necessary:
Tue 3.9. SoJy – KPL 16.30
Tue 3.9. KeKi – Manse 16.30
Thu 5.9. KPL – SoJy at 16:30
Thu 5.9. Manse – KeKi at 16:30
– It can be a situation where you lose right away in the series at home and have to go away to tie the series. Sotkamo already had this situation against Joensuu. Jymy reacts victoriously and routinely to this, praises the expert.
In recent history, Kouvola also has examples of playoff series where it has been able to rise from a small hole.
– With the difference that KPL has not been able to win the championship. Everything done so far, however, speaks of the fact that Kouvola has mentally found a good balance for his own work. For Kopla, the key thing is that it continues in the same, relaxed, active way forward.
According to Kivimäki, there is no reason to change things that have been found to be good at this point.
– It’s just often the case that the further we go in the playoffs, the more the simple basics – who does them better – decide. That’s how matches are won. The things that the team relies on must be preserved especially here, the expert points out.
A duel between lockers
The battle between the young players is interesting in advance and partly decisive for the victory of the whole series.
– Jymyn Aapo Komulainen has of course already been able to win the championships and in previous years played himself among the best runners in the series.
– KPL’s Elias Pitkänen has played a really strong season after his long, difficult injury, i.e. hand surgery, and met the expectations that have been built around him, praises the expert.
Kivimäki points out that in addition to the lock game, Pitkäse has become a very good number three for Kouvola.
– I see that Pitkänen has been one of the decisive factors in Kouvola’s good season.
Meeting the number one jokers will not leave you cold
In the struggle between the jokers, the attention was drawn to KPL, who are making a hard mark on the stick to Patrik Wahlsten and Jymyn Roope Korhosen.
– Kouvola basically has a wider repatriation force than Sotkamo. But these two gentlemen are showing direction in their own ways.
– Especially when hitting the first run, the eye turns to these number one jokers. And that is one big theme in terms of the final result of the pair of matches, points out the expert.
Which one is sharper in the outdoor game?
Kivimäki reminds that KPL and Jymy play a very strong outside game.
– Both of them show especially great defense of situations at the back. The deciding factor is which one is better able to break the other’s back situation.
In the semifinals, Kouvola was convincing, and Kitee didn’t get much time to celebrate with home runs.
– I can’t say much now, how much it was Kitee’s weakness. Kouvola’s outside game even ate up Kitee’s inside game exceptionally effectively, praises the expert.
Home advantage is not decisive
Kouvola has a home advantage in the semifinals, which, according to the expert, does not necessarily play a big role.
The teams met three times in the regular season, and each time the away team won the home match with a score of 2–1. KPL won twice in Sotkamo, Jymy once in Kouvola.
– They were incredibly even games. Kouvola seems to have lost once or at most twice in the entire season, which means that the team has been playing for victory in practically every match. Similarly, Sotkamo has been able to do that, even if sometimes there was a little less work to do in the game, Kivimäki says.
The pair of matches between Kouvola and Sotkamo has been seen in past years before. There have been situations when Kouvola has been forced to win in Sotkamo and still managed to win. Also the other way around.
– I wouldn’t consider the home advantage as significant as you might think. It’s certainly clear that Kouvola would like to start the series with a home advantage, but I don’t see it as decisive in this pair of matches, points out baseball expert Sami-Petteri Kivimäki.
The fact that for a long time Kouvola’s Ballonlöjien game director also brings an interesting nuance to the series Iiro Haimi will now come to Kouvola for the first time in real games as Sotkamo’s game director.