Raging Bulls
Holy cow!
We've got a new leader in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) Power Rankings, presented by FortisAlberta.
The Lethbridge Bulls, who have been in hot pursuit of the Okotoks Dawgs in the West Division standings over the last few weeks, are now in top spot. The 19-6 Bulls have the best winning percentage (.760) in the WCBL and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Lethbridge split a pair of head-to-head matchups against the Dawgs at Spitz Stadium last week and a Sunday rubber match at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks was suspended due to inclement weather with the Dawgs leading 5-2 in the fourth inning. So, while Lethbridge is in first in the Power Rankings, they'll have to keep winning to remain there.
The Dawgs, meanwhile, slide down to second spot. Okotoks is 22-9 with an unmatched run differential of plus-142. They went 7-3 over their last 10 games, with the Bulls, Fort McMurray Giants and Sylvan Lake Gulls all picking up victories over the Dawgs recently.
Stubbornly positioned in third place are the Saskatoon Berries, who sport a 20-9 record that is good for first place in the East Division. The Berries are also 7-3 over their last 10 matchups and have the best run differential (plus-84) in the division.
A trio of other teams are also holding the same place in the Power Rankings as they did a week ago.
The 20-9 Gulls sit in fourth in the rankings and in third in the West Division, within striking distance of the divisional lead.
The steady Moose Jaw Miller Express, who went 6-4 over their last 10 contests and are 18-11 overall, are stuck in fifth place in the Power Rankings, but sit in second spot in the East Division.
A recent run of .500 play has the Medicine Hat Mavericks in sixth with a 13-17 record. The Mavs are trying to maintain their hold of third place in the East Division, which would allow them to qualify for playoffs this year.
Competition for the final two postseason spots in the East - the top four teams qualify for the playoffs from each division - is fierce, with four squads battling it out to extend their seasons.
The 11-17 Regina Red Sox, the defending WCBL champs, have moved up a position in the Power Rankings, from eighth to seventh, while the 11-17 Weyburn Beavers are down one spot into eighth.
The biggest risers in the Power Rankings are the Brooks Bombers, who cruised up from last place into ninth overall. The Bomb Squad is riding a four-game winning streak and a 6-4 record over their last 10 games. Brooks is trying to catch the Energy City Cactus Rats for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division.
The Cactus Rats dropped one place into 10th in the Power Rankings, while the Swift Current 57's also fell one spot to 11th and the Fort McMurray Giants are in last place.
Despite the recent dropoff in play for some clubs, all WCBL teams remain in the mix for a postseason spot, which should make for some must-watch baseball in the second half of the season.

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