2022 Prospect League season
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(Playoffs: August 7 – August 14)
| 2022 Prospect League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Prospect League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | June 1 – August 6 (Playoffs: August 7 – August 14) |
| Number of games | 60 (480 games in total) |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| Ohio River Valley Division | |
| League champions | Chillicothe Paints |
| Wabash River Division | |
| League champions | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp |
| Great River Division | |
| League champions | Quincy Gems |
| Prairie Land Division | |
| League champions | Alton River Dragons |
| Prospect League Championship | |
| Champions | Chillicothe Paints |
| Runners-up | Alton River Dragons |
The 2022 Prospect League season was the 13th season of collegiate summer baseball in the Prospect League, a collegiate summer baseball league in the Midwestern United States, since its creation in June 2009. There are 16 Prospect League teams, split evenly between Eastern and Western Conferences. These conferences are then split up between the Ohio River Valley, Wabash River, Great River, and Prairie Land divisions.
The Cape Catfish entered the season as defending champions, having defeated the Lafayette Aviators, two games to one, in the league's 2021 championship series.[1]
Very little changed for the 2022 season, with the only difference in the team lineup being an ownership and name change for the Springfield, Ill. franchise as the Sliders became the Lucky Horseshoes. A new franchise for Jackson, Tennessee, was announced, which will take the field beginning with the 2023 season at the former home of the class Double-A Jackson Generals, The Ballpark at Jackson.[2]
The 16 teams in the league are split evenly between two conferences Eastern and Western. These two conferences are then split up into four divisions, Ohio River Valley, Wabash River, Great River, and Prairie Land.
The season will be played with a 60-game schedule, which is split between two halves, with the first-half ending on July 4 and second-half ending on August 6. The first-half winners in each division will host the second-half winners in a one-game divisional championship round. (If the same team wins both halves, the team with the next-best second-half record makes the playoffs).[3]
Regular season standings
First half standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Chillicothe Paints | 31 | 21 | 10 | .677 | -- |
| 2 | Johnstown Mill Rats | 31 | 12 | 19 | .387 | 9.0 |
| 3 | West Virginia Miners | 29 | 11 | 18 | .379 | 9.0 |
| 4 | Champion City Kings | 29 | 9 | 20 | .310 | 11.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Danville Dans | 30 | 21 | 9 | .700 | -- |
| 2 | Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 31 | 20 | 11 | .645 | 1.5 |
| 3 | Terre Haute REX | 30 | 19 | 11 | .633 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Lafayette Aviators | 30 | 14 | 16 | .467 | 7.0 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Quincy Gems | 32 | 19 | 13 | .594 | -- |
| 2 | Clinton LumberKings | 31 | 15 | 16 | .484 | 3.5 |
| 3 | Normal CornBelters | 30 | 14 | 16 | .467 | 4.0 |
| 4 | Burlington Bees | 31 | 11 | 20 | .355 | 7.5 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Alton River Dragons | 31 | 18 | 13 | .581 | -- |
| 2 | O'Fallon Hoots | 32 | 17 | 15 | .531 | 1.5 |
| 3 | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 31 | 12 | 19 | .387 | 6.0 |
| 4 | Cape Catfish | 31 | 12 | 19 | .387 | 6.0 |
Second half standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Chillicothe Paints | 29 | 17 | 12 | .586 | -- |
| 2 | x – Johnstown Mill Rats | 29 | 17 | 12 | .586 | -- |
| 3 | Champion City Kings | 28 | 14 | 14 | .500 | 2.5 |
| 4 | West Virginia Miners | 28 | 9 | 19 | .321 | 7.5 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Danville Dans | 27 | 19 | 8 | .704 | -- |
| 2 | x – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 28 | 18 | 10 | .643 | 1.5 |
| 3 | Terre Haute REX | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Lafayette Aviators | 29 | 11 | 18 | .379 | 9.0 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Normal CornBelters | 29 | 17 | 12 | .586 | -- |
| 2 | Clinton LumberKings | 29 | 13 | 16 | .448 | 4.0 |
| 3 | Quincy Gems | 28 | 12 | 16 | .429 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Burlington Bees | 28 | 9 | 19 | .321 | 7.5 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 29 | 15 | 14 | .517 | -- |
| 2 | Cape Catfish | 28 | 14 | 14 | .500 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Alton River Dragons | 29 | 14 | 15 | .483 | 1.0 |
| 4 | O'Fallon Hoots | 28 | 11 | 17 | .393 | 3.5 |
Full season standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Chillicothe Paints | 60 | 38 | 22 | .633 | -- |
| 2 | x – Johnstown Mill Rats | 60 | 29 | 31 | .483 | 9.0 |
| 3 | Champion City Kings | 57 | 23 | 34 | .404 | 13.5 |
| 4 | West Virginia Miners | 57 | 20 | 37 | .351 | 16.5 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Danville Dans | 57 | 40 | 17 | .702 | -- |
| 2 | x – Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp | 59 | 38 | 21 | .644 | 3.0 |
| 3 | Terre Haute REX | 60 | 37 | 23 | .617 | 4.5 |
| 4 | Lafayette Aviators | 59 | 25 | 34 | .424 | 16.0 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Normal CornBelters | 59 | 31 | 28 | .525 | -- |
| 2 | x – Quincy Gems | 60 | 31 | 29 | .517 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Clinton LumberKings | 60 | 28 | 32 | .467 | 3.5 |
| 4 | Burlington Bees | 59 | 20 | 39 | .339 | 11.0 |
| Pos | Team | G | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Alton River Dragons | 60 | 32 | 28 | .533 | -- |
| 2 | O'Fallon Hoots | 60 | 28 | 32 | .467 | 4.0 |
| 3 | x – Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 60 | 27 | 33 | .450 | 5.0 |
| 4 | Cape Catfish | 59 | 26 | 33 | .441 | 5.5 |
- y – Clinched division
- x – Clinched playoff spot
Statistical leaders
Hitting
| Stat | Player | Team | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR | Eddie King | Alton River Dragons | 15 |
| AVG | Blake Burris | Alton River Dragons | .361 |
| H | Alec Brunson | Terre Haute REX | 84 |
| RBIs | Alec Brunson | Terre Haute REX | 59 |
| SB | Blake Burris | Alton River Dragons | 47 |
Pitching
| Stat | Player | Team | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| W | Nick Lallathin, Connor Lockwood | Chillicothe Paints, Champion City Kings | 6 |
| ERA | Jake Curtis | Springfield Lucky Horseshoes | 2.86 |
| SO | Connor Lockwood | Champion City Kings | 73 |
| SV | Garrett McClain | Terre Haute REX | 7 |
Awards
All-star selections
Eastern Conference
|
Western Conference
|
End of year awards
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Eddie King Jr. | Alton River Dragons |
| Pro Prospect of the Year | Khal Stephen | Danville Dans |
| Starting Pitcher of the Year | Josh Leerssen | Danville Dans |
| Relief Pitcher of the Year | Landon Tomkins | Danville Dans |
| Manager of the Year | Eric Coleman | Danville Dans |