Knights to Face Black Bears in WCL West Divisional Series.

Corvallis to Open Best-of-Three Game Playoff Series at Cowlitz

Trevor Frank (pictured) hasn't started a postseason game since his days at Valhalla High School in his hometown of El Cajon, Calif.

That drought ends on Saturday for the Corvallis Knights talented right-hander. The rising senior at UC Riverside is coach Brooke Knight's choice to start against Cowlitz in Game 1 of the West Division playoffs and to jumpstart the Knights quest for a repeat West Coast League championship.

"I'm excited, I'm ready to go and show what's up." said Frank, who was 1-1, 0.61 in 29 innings over six starts since joining the club in mid-June. "I haven't pitched in a playoff game in a long time; at UCR we haven't made a playoff game yet."

Game 1 in the best-of-3 showdown is set for 6:35 p.m. Saturday at David Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash. Game 2 is at 6:05 p.m. Sunday at Goss Stadium; if necessary Game 3 is set for 6:40 p.m. on Monday, also at Goss Stadium.

Frank defeated the Black Bears 8-2 on August 2 in his most recent start. He allowed just three hits over seven innings, with six strikeouts in his longest outing since a 60-pitch pitch count predicated by a heavy workload as UCR's No. 3 starter this spring was lifted.

"It helps a lot to have pitched against (Cowlitz) recently, because I know if I hit my fastball spots, if I keep the ball down, that I can get them out," he said. "Keep them off-balance with the change, throw in my curveball every once in a while to change their eye level, and I'm OK.

"The advantage is always with the pitcher" in such situations, he added. "The hardest thing in baseball is hitting. They've seen me a little bit, but they still have to hit it. I'm going to come out harder than last time, and hit my spots."

The Knights are seeking their fifth divisional playoff title, and their third WCL championship, since moving to Corvallis from Gresham in 2007. They have played in four of the last five WCL Championship Series, and won titles in 2008 and 2011.

Corvallis swept all seven regular-season games from the Black Bears, and outscored them 24-3 while winning 8-2, 14-0 and 2-1 at Goss Stadium August 2-4.

Knights' pitchers threw 15 consecutive hitless innings over a three-game stretch, highlighted by Greg Mahle's no-hitter on August 3.

That series, and four previous wins in Cowlitz in June, mean nothing on Saturday, however.

"Cowlitz will be ready," Knight said. "Both of their starters are plenty capable of throwing well. But we've been swinging well and pitching well and if we get a couple of timely hits, hopefully there's no reason we can't be playing next weekend.

"I like where we're at, we're playing well in all facets. Our energy level has clearly picked up; you have to have that going into the postseason."

Oregon signee/WCL all-star Cole Irvin, a 6-4 lefty from Servite High School in Yorba Linda, Calif., is Cowlitz's projected starter. The Black Bears are making their first postseason appearance since joining the WCL as an expansion franchise in 2010.

Corvallis ended the regular season as one of the WCL's hottest offensive teams. Led by Connor Hofmann's .524 average, the Knights hit .326 and scored 43 runs over their final six games, with 20 extra-base hits.

"Hitting is contagious," said Dane Lund, a junior-to-be at San Jose State, one of seven Knights with a .318 or better average over the six-game span. "Our energy is good. Nobody wants to go home. Everybody wants to win it."

The Knights are 9-2 in their last 11 WCL games and 11-2 in all games since a 4-1, 11-inning loss to Klamath Falls on July 25 trimmed their West Division lead to one game. They captured the West Division title by six games over Cowlitz and Klamath Falls.

"We've hit our stride again," Lund said. "Everybody is meshing well, we're all good friends. I think we're really tough to beat right now."

Top-seeded Wenatchee and second-seeded Bellingham open the East Division playoffs in Bellingham on Saturday night. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) will be in Wenatchee on Sunday and Monday.

The victors advance to the WCL Championship Series, which starts Wednesday night at the West representative's ballpark. Thursday is a travel day; Game 2 is Friday night and Game 3 is Saturday night, in Wenatchee or Bellingham.

WCL WEST DIVISIONAL SERIES

SATURDAY: Corvallis (Frank 1-1, 0.61) at Cowlitz (Irvin 5-1, 2.56), 6:35 p.m. (KEJO 1240 AM, 6:20 p.m.).

SUNDAY: Cowlitz (Murray 4-4, 3.15) at Corvallis (Dittrick 4-1, 1.10), 6:05 p.m. (KEJO 1240 AM, 5:50 p.m.)

MONDAY (if necessary): Cowlitz (TBA) at Corvallis (TBA), 6:40 p.m. (KEJO AM 1240, 6:25 p.m.)

Notes: Corvallis has never swept a WCL West Divisional Series. Corvallis played Kitsap in the 2007 Divisional Series, Bend in 2008-2011 and will play Cowlitz in 2012. The Knights were swept by Bend in 2010 and won all its other Divisional Series appearances 2 games to 1.