2028 SIMBL FINAL POSTSEASON REPORT

ASHEVILLE WINS GAMES 6 & 7 ON THE ROAD TO STUN NEW YORK AND WIN 2028 SIMBL CHAMPIONSHIP

In A Classic Thrilling Series That Will Go Down As One Of The Best In SIMBL History, Smokies Earn First SIMBL Title

Asheville teammates celebrate with the bubbly after coming back from a 3-2 series deficit and winning Games 6 & 7 on the road in continued thrilling fashion to finally earn the Smokies their first SIMBL championship and to deny New York's attempt at being the first team in 20 seasons to repeat as SIMBL kings.  The series featured four two-run contests and two one-run games in what is already being regarded as one of the best, if not the very best, SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series in the league's 24-postseason history.

2028 SIMBL CS:
ASHEVILLE 4 NEW YORK 3

2028 SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series:
Game One: Asheville 2 New York 0
Game Two: New York 3 Asheville 1 (Adam Wilson Walk-Off Home Run)
Game Three: New York 2 Asheville 0
Game Four: Asheville 7 New York 3
Game Five: New York 1 Asheville 0
Game Six: Asheville 6 New York 4
Game Seven: Asheville 3 New York 2

In one of the greatest SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series in the SIMBL's 24-postseason existence, the Asheville Smokies, down three games to two and one game from elimination on the road for the last two games, won the last two games in New York to stun GM Chris Gattuso's Enforcers to deny New York of being the first team in 20 seasons to repeat as SIMBL champions and finally gave GM Pete McGowan's Smokies their first SIMBL championship.

The Smokies become only the 6th wildcard to win a SIMBL championship and the second straight with New York's wildcard title last season.  11 wildcards have advanced to the SIMBL CS in the league's 24-season history.

The series featured two one-run and four two-run contests and a lone four-run outcome in Game Four in Asheville.

This series will long be remembered and featured in an upcoming series on the very best classic all-time postseason series in league history.

Congratulations to Pete on his first SIMBL championship since entering the league on real-life date December 31, 2009 during the 2017 SIMBL season.  It's the first SIMBL title in franchise history after they lost to Calgary in six games in the 2025 SIMBL CS.

The league file is set on the 10/28/2028 league date and after the next SIM rollover the 2029 new off-season financials including new free agent money, new extension money and new budgets, etc...will be calculated by the game and announced league-wide as usual.  The national and local television contracts have been negotiated and have been renewed for three more seasons as well.

The 2028 postseason series MVPs will be announced shortly.  Then, the 2028 SIMBL GM Awards, 2028 All-SIMBL Team and 2028 Richard P. DeMarco Gold Glove Defense Awards will be announced as well as the official 2029 SIMBL Draft order and soon thereafter the official 2029 off-season SIM schedule as the league heads towards its 25th Anniversary Season.

2028 SIMBL CS GAME FOUR:

ASHEVILLE 7 NEW YORK 3
Series Tied 2-2
WP: Troy Sesco (1-0 4.91 ERA) LP: Justin Riley (1-2 4.82 ERA)
HR: New York: Adam Wilson (5)
Player Of The Game: Billy Goodwin 3B Asheville
3 for 5 0 R Three Singles 3 RBI

Again in what has been reflective of every game in this series thus far, the game between the UL and SL champions goes into the bottom of the 8th inning tied 3-3.  Asheville then jumps on former first rounder and New York ace Justin Riley.  Billy Lamb and veteran Cal Roberts singled then Riley came unraveled with a wild pitch to put Lamb at third and Roberts at second.  Riley then got catcher Ray Smith to strike out before walking Glen Short to load the bases in a 3-3 ballgame in the bottom of the 8th in front of a sold-out rocking Asheville home crowd.

Enter one of the Enforcers' bevy of bullpen talent and award winners, former 2025 UL Middle Reliever Of The Year Chad Bryan.  After intentionally walking reigning SL MVP Tommy Eagen, long-time veteran Hugo Latta then quickly singled in Lamb and Roberts to give Asheville a 5-3 lead.  Things just got worse for Bryan as he walked long-time Smokie Omar Romero to force in Short to make it 6-3. The next batter, former first rounder Billy Goodwin, then singled in Latta while the speedy Eagen was thrown out at home for the second out to give the Smokies a 7-3 lead.  

Rod Hart tried to extend the damage as he also singled off of Bryan though the speedy Romero was thrown out at the plate to end the inning but the aggressive base running game plan of Smokies GM Pete McGowan paid off with a four-run inning off of two of the SIMBL's best pitchers.

Another former first rounder, Asheville reliever Troy Sesco, shut down the Enforcers in the last 1.1 innings and earned the win to even the series at 2-2. This season's SIMBL ERA king, Alejandro Rosadio, went 7.2 innings allowing 6 hits, 3 runs walking 3 and striking out 7 to outduel Riley who was uncharacteristically tagged for six runs, five earned on 11 hits in 7.1 innings as the Smokies' offense finally awakened with 14 hits compared to New York's 6 in the game.

New York's red-hot Adam Wilson blasted his fifth home run of the postseason off of Rosadio in the 6 inning but it ultimately proved to insignificant compared to his earlier heroics in the series.

The crucial Game Five, the final game in Asheville is coming up.

2028 SIMBL CS GAME FIVE:

NEW YORK 1 ASHEVILLE 0
New York Leads Series 3-2
WP: Casey Barker (2-1 4.06 ERA) LP: Ed Turner (1-2 1.29 ERA) SV: Francisco Leon (4)
HR: New York: Adam Wilson (6)
Player Of The Game: Casey Barker SP New York
7.1 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 8 K

In another unbelievable and amazing pitcher's duel in what is becoming one of the best SIMBL CS in league history, New York stole a 1-0 game on the road and held Asheville to three hits to go up in the series 3-2.

New York former first rounder and ace Casey Barker outdueled Asheville's Ed Turner again by dazzling with 7.1 inning of three-hit scoreless ball while fanning 8.  Turner, in a hard-luck loss, hurled 8 innings allowing 4 hits, one run while walking just one and striking out 4.

Asheville killer Adam Wilson did the Smokies in again with the only run and the winning run being his solo blast in the top of the 7th inning.  It was Wilson's third game-winning hit of the series in all of the Enforcers' wins and one of only six hits in the game for New York.

All-Star relievers Clarence Foster and Francisco Leon then came in and held Asheville hitless in the last 1.2 innings to seal the win in front of a stunned sold-out crowd in the last game of the series in Asheville.

The series has now featured 2-0, 3-1, 2-0 and 1-0 thrillers in what already is being considered one of the best SIMBL CS in the league's 24-season history.

Games Six and if possible a Game Seven and a return to New York's Big Apple Stadium where roaring sellout crowds await.

2028 SIMBL CS GAME SIX:

ASHEVILLE 6 NEW YORK 4
Series Tied 3-3
WP: Brody McIllmoyle (3-0 2.15 ERA) LP: Dominick McGowan (1-2 4.50 ERA) SV: Dez Jordan (6)
HR: New York: Adam Wilson (7)
Player Of The Game: Pat Hamilton SS New York
2 for 4 1 R Two Singles 2 RBI

Down 3-0 on the road in the top of the sixth and facing eliniation, Asheville erupts for a series-best five-run inning to take a 5-3 lead in a face off between yet another two former first round starting pitcher draft picks.

Former first rounder and last season's SL MVP Tommy Eagen reached on an error with one out to start the sixth inning rally. Eagen stole second base while long-time Smokies shortstop Omar Romero walked. After a Billy Goodwin fly out for the second out, disaster struck for the Enforcers. On a 2-2 count Rod Hart reached on yet another error to score the speedy Eagen and move the equally speedy Romero to third.  Billy Lamb promptly then singled in Romero to make it 3-2.  Dominick McGowan then went south by walking Cal Roberts on four straight pitches to load the bases before walking Ray Smith to force Hart home to suddenly make it a 3-3 game. 

McGowan's night was ended as Glen Short delivered a two-run single on a 3-2 pitch scoring Lamb and Roberts to make a 3-0 New York lead a 5-3 Asheville rally.  New York's Dave O'Quinn, yet another former All-Star in the Enforcers bullpen, then stepped in to kill the rally before a sold-out silenced Enforcers home crowd.

Not to be beat so silently, the Smokies-Killer struck again. New York backstop Adam Wilson struck again to hit his fourth key home run of the series and 7th overall this postseason to close the defending SIMBL champions to a 5-4 deficit.

Asheville apparently decided that they had enough of epic low-scoring thrillers in the series and put it away with a Billy Goodwin sacrifice fly after Tommy Eagen walked and stole second and third base in the top of the eighth to provide some breathing room and a 6-4 lead.

The Smokies All-Star tandem of Troy Sesco and Dez Jordan then slammed the door the rest of the 1.2 innings by holding the Enforcers hitless with Sesco earning his 5th hold and Jordan his 6th save of the 2028 playoffs and sent a sold-out New York crowd that was hoping to celebrate their second consecutive SIMBL championship home disappointed and headed to the winner-take-all Game Seven that many SIMBL pundits expected in this series.

2028 SIMBL CS GAME SEVEN:

ASHEVILLE 3 NEW YORK 2
Asheville Wins Series 4-3
WP: Brian Irving (2-0 3.26 ERA) LP: John Williams 3-1 1.72 ERA) SV: Dez Jordan (7)
HR: New York: Pat Hamilton (2)
Player Of The Game: Brian Irving SP Asheville
7.1 IP 6 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 4 K

In a fitting end to a series that already provided 2-0, 3-1, 2-0 and 1-0 classics, a 3-2 end cap would be fitting.  

With a 0-0 tie going into the top of the 7th inning in a setting that had become normal for the series, Asheville struck first blood in Game Seven for all the marbles of the 2028 SIMBL season.  Former first round draftee Billy Goodwin was clutch again as he singled off of New York's John Williams who then walked Rod Hart and nailed Billy Lamb with a pitch to quickly and uncomfortably load the bases with none out.  Williams then walked veteran Cal Roberts to force home Billy Goodwin for a 1-0 lead and reloaded the bases.  New York stuck with Williams in another bases loaded-no out jam and the 35 year-old journeyman prevailed by getting Ray Smith to ground out and Glen Short to hit into a rally-ending double play.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Enforcers answered to tie the game in this classic series.  After striking out the ever dangerous Adam Wilson, Asheville's Brian Irving allowed a single to former 2025 UL MVP Artie Bradley.  A Gabriel Hernandez sacrifice bunt moved Bradley to second with two outs of a 1-0 deficit.  Francisco Ruil, a talented player signed off of the midseason free agency market, then singled in Bradley to tie the game at 1-1.  Enforcers' fans clenched their white knuckles as the next batter Jack Skinner singled but Ruil was thrown out trying to advance to third base from first to end the threat.

To start the eighth and pitching solidly, the Enforcers decided to stay with their #5 patchup John Williams who stunningly ended up going 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA in his four 2028 starts in the playoffs.  After Hugo Latta struck out, reigning SL MVP Tommy Eagen, who followed his MVP season this year with a very disappointing encore, doubled off the wall off of Williams. A wild pitch to Omar Romero moved the speedy Eagen to third base in the top of the 8th inning of a 1-1 Game Seven of the 2028 SIMBL CS.  After Romero struck out for the second out of the inning, Billy Goodwin blooped a 2-2 pitch into centerfield scoring Eagen for a 2-1 Smokies lead.  Williams' unraveling wasn't over as he next threw a wild pitch to Rod Hart advancing Goodwin to second base.  On the next pitch, Hart drove in Goodwin with a single to make it 3-1 ballgame.

All-Star reliever Clarence Foster then came in for New York to stop the bleeding but adding a scare by walking Billy Lamb and Cal Roberts back-to-back to load the bases before getting Ray Smith to fly out to end the rally and put the defending SIMBL champions down 3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th inning.

Not to go down easily or ever put anything past anybody in this series, New York's former first round pick Pat Hamilton blasted a one-out solo homer off of All-Star reliever Troy Sesco to make it 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th inning.  Sesco then walked the next batter Adam Bane before being replaced by reigning SL Middle Reliever Of The Year Lawrence Jordan who slammed the door by striking out Kody Ware swinging and the ever-dangerous Adam Wilson looking with a sold-out Big Apple Stadium on their feet and rocking the Enforcers' home field.

In the top of the ninth New York All-Star reliever Clarence Foster retired the Smokies in order to bring up the Enforcers one last ninth inning to stand to and try to become the first team in 20 seasons to defend their SIMBL title.

After a couple of games where the usually untouchable Dez Jordan was touched slightly in close games by New York, Asheville's former #7 overall pick in the 2019 amateur SIMBL Draft, five-time All-Star, two-time SL Fireman Of The Year and one-time SL Middle Reliever Of The Year (all by his current age of just 27 years-old) wasn't going to be denied this time. Jordan, known to his teammates as "Sugar Bear", preserved a fragile 3-2 lead by striking out Artie Bradley and Bill Wells and getting Gabriel Hernandez to ground out to give Asheville and their long-time GM Pete McGowan the first SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship in franchise history after previously losing to Calgary in 2025 and despite being on a run in which they have made it to at least the SLCS the past four seasons.