Mainers Clinch Northern Division Title, Home-Field Advantage
Sanford hosts Game one on SaturdaySanford. ME- For the second time in club history, the Sanford Mainers late Wednesday night were crowned the NECBL’s Northern Division champions. Despite being idle, Sanford clinched first place due to a North Shore Navgators loss in game two of a doubleheader against the Holyoke Blue Sox. With the Navigator’s defeat, the Mainers also clinched home-field advantage all the way through the NECBL championship series.
Sanford’s 28 wins in 2008 is tied for a club all-time high. The Mainers were 28-13 in 2003, when they last won the Northern Division title and lost in the second round of the NECBL postseason. Sanford can set a club record for Coach Joe Brown in the regular season finale with a win at Lowell on Thursday afternoon. Brown is now 53-29 in the regular season as the Mainers’ skipper dating back to 2006.
The NECBL’s Northern Division playoff field is set, with North Shore, Keene and Vermont already qualifying for postseason play. Besides Sanford clinching the top spot, the rest of the seeding has yet to be determined.