Atlantic League Championship Series Preview

The High Point Rockers and the York Revolution will battle for the Atlantic League Championship in a best-of-five series starting on Saturday, September 27.

The first two games will be at WellSpan Park in York, Pa. at 6:30 on Saturday and 4:00 on Sunday. The final three games of the series are slated for Truist Point in High Point, N.C.  on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m. each day.

High Point and York tied for the best overall record in the ALPB this season at 74-52. Each team won its respective first half championship, the Revolution taking the North Division and the Rockers claiming the South Division.

The regular season series between the two clubs was split evenly at 3-3.

York will be making its fifth appearance in the LCS and the Revs have won all four championships.

High Point has reached the LCS for just the second time after having been swept by the Lancaster Stormers in 2022.

All Atlantic League LCS games are available on FLOBASEBALL.TV and on the MixLR app (search High Point Rockers).

 

2025 Atlantic League Championship Series Schedule

(Best of five)

Saturday, September 27: High Point Rockers at York Revolution, 6:30 p.m.
Erich Uelmen (6-4, 3.83) vs. RHP Chris Vallimont (9-4, 4.96)

Sunday, September 28: High Point Rockers at York Revolution, 4:00 p.m.
LHP Josh Hendrickson (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Alex Valverde (1-2, 3.80)

Tuesday, September 30: York Revolution at High Point Rockers, 7:00 p.m.
LHP Mike Kickham (11-8, 4.38) vs. LHP Ben Wereski (4-4, 3.76)

Wednesday, October 1: York Revolution at High Point Rockers, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

Thursday, October 2: York Revolution at High Point Rockers, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

 

Facts About the ALPB League Championship Series

  • The Atlantic League is in its 27th season after forming in 1998
  • Since renaming the divisions to North and South, the North has won three of four championships
    • Lancaster in 2022 and 2023
    • York in 2024
    • The only South champion was Lexington in 2021
  • The LCS was a best of three series from 2000-2008
  • All postseason series expanded to a best of five from 2009 to present with the exception of 2021 when the Division Championship Series was best of three and the LCS was best of five
  • In 26 previous LCS, the winning team has won the title on its home field 12 times while the visitor has celebrated on the road 14 times

2025 Series between High Point and York

  • High Point and York split the season series in 2025, 3-3
  • High Point lost two of three at Truist Point July 8-10, winning 12-2 then falling 4-3 and 8-6
  • At WellSpan Park July 15-17, York took the opener 9-2
    • After a rainout on July 16, High Point swept the DH on July 17, winning 22-12 and 10-8
  • Of the three Rockers pitchers with wins over York this year, only reliever Daniel Blair remains on the active roster for the LCS
  • High Point OF Luis Gonzalez hit .471 vs. the Revs with eight runs scored, two homers and four RBI in the six games
  • HP DH/OF Alex Dickerson led HP with four homers vs. York along with a team-high 10 RBI and a .381 batting average
  • York was led by OF Ryan Higgins who hit .467 vs. High Point in five games with 1 homer and three RBI
  • SS Jeffrey Wehler posted a .391 average and had two homers and seven RBI
  • 1B Frankie Tostado drove in eight runs and hit .348 vs. the Rockers
  • Ian Churchill, Cam Robinson and Chris Vallimont all earned victories over High Point in 2025

 

York Revolution LCS history

  • The Revs are undefeated when reaching the ALPB League Championship Series
    • In each of its previous four trips to the finals, York has prevailed
    • York won its first title in 2010, defeating Bridgeport 3 games to none
    • York made it back-to-back titles in 2011 with a 3-1 win over Long Island
    • The Revs returned to the finals in 2017 and swept Long Island
    • In 2024, York won its fourth title with a three-game sweep of Charleston
    • York will attempt to become the fifth ALPB club to win back-to-back Championships, joining
      • Somerset Patriots (2008-09)
      • York Revolution (2010-11)
      • Long Island Ducks (2012-13)
      • Lancaster Stormers (2022-23)
    • York would become the first ALPB team with two sets of back-to-back championships
  • York is 12-1 all-time in League Championship Series games
    • The Revs have won nine straight LCS contests
    • Their last loss was a 1-0 defeat at Long Island in Game 1 of the 2011 series
    • The Revs are undefeated at home in LCS games
      • Won games 1-2 at home vs Bridgeport in 2010
      • Won games 3-4 at home vs. Long Island in 2011
      • Won Game 3 at home in 2017 to close out Long Island
      • Won Game 3 at home in 2024 to close out Charleston
    • The 2010 series is the only LCS series where York has opened at home
  • A fifth title would put the Revs second all-time behind Somerset’s six championships
    • Currently, Lancaster, Long Island and York are tied for second with four titles
  • Three of York’s title-clinching wins have come at home
    • In 2011, 2017 and 2024
    • In 2010, the Revs clinched at Bridgeport on Ramon Castro’s walk-off sac fly
    • In 2025, a fifth title would have to be earned on the road as the LCS opens at York and then moves to the South Division Champion for Games 3-5
  • Pitching and defense
    • In its 13 previous LCS games, York has allowed 4 or fewer runs in 11 contests
    • Offensively, York has scored four or more runs in 10 of 13 games

York in the NDCS

  • In the 2025 North Division Championship Series:
    • York swept archrival Lancaster in three games
    • York overcame a two-run deficit in Game 1 and three-run deficits in Games 2 and 3
    • York’s pitching staff did not allow a run after the fifth inning in any game
    • York outscored Lancaster 14-0 after the fifth inning in the three games
    • York outscored Lancaster 16-8 for the series
    • York won by scores of 6-2, 4-3 and 6-3
  • Individuals
    • Jalen Miller hit .417 (5-for-12) in the playoffs with a double and three walks
    • Kyle Martin was 4-for-11 with a double and two solo home runs in earning North Division Championship Series MVP honors
    • As a team, York hit .240 in the three games vs. Lancaster with four doubles, four homers and 13 RBI
    • Out of the bullpen, Cam Robinson tossed 1.2 innings and struck out two with one save while not allowing a hit
    • York’s staff allowed only 14 hits over the three games and eight runs while walking 11 and striking out 30
    • The staff posted an ERA of 2.67 and held opponents to a .149 batting average
    • LHP Mike Kickham went 7-0 with a 3.94 ERA after being acquired from Hagerstown in early August
    • Closer RHP Cam Robinson finished second in the league with 16 saves while going 5-4 with a 0.61 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 44 innings

York in 2025

  • Offensively, the Revs were led by OF Shayne Fontana and 1B Frankie Tostado
    • Fontana hit .367 in 63 games with 10 homers and 47 RBI while scoring 64 runs
    • Tostado set a club record with 47 doubles to go with a .337 batting average, 11 homers and 73 RBI
    • Kyle Martin, signed after Tostado suffered an injury, hit .333 in nine games then earned NDCS MVP honors
    • Jalen Miller put together an All-Star caliber season with a .297 average, 19 homers, 80 RBI and 60 stolen bases
    • Tostado and Miller finished 1-2 in the ALPB in doubles in 2025
      • Miller tied for the league lead with 60 SB with SMD’s Jackson Loftin
      • Miller was second in the league with 113 runs scored, second with 151 hits, second with 41 doubles
      • Miller led the league with 508 at-bats in 2025
    • Pitching
      • York’s pitching staff led the ALPB with 1,146 strikeouts
      • Mike Kickham led the ALPB with 148 innings pitched
        • Kickham was 4-8 with a 4.57 in 17 starts with Hagerstown and 7-0 with a 3.94 ERA in eight starts for York
        • Kickham finished tied for second in the league with 11 wins

High Point Rockers LCS history

  • The Rockers are making their second all-time appearance in the ALPB League Championship Series
    • The Rockers are seeking their first ALPB Championship since joining the league in 2019
    • The Rockers made one previous appearance in the finals, losing to the Lancaster Stormers in three games in 2022

Rockers in 2025

  • The Rockers advanced to win the South Division Championship by beating the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, 3 games to 2
    • It was the third South Division Championship Series between the Rockers and Gastonia
    • All three have gone to five games
  • OF Luis Gonzalez, MVP
    • Gonzalez hit .381 in the fie games vs. Gastonia with two home runs, seven runs scored, eight hits, three doubles and two home runs
  • High Point is now 8-11 all-time in postseason games
    • 8-8 in Division Championship Series games
    • 0-3 in League Championship Series games
    • The Rockers are now 2-1 all-time in Game Five’s with all three games played at Truist Point
  • Three-Headed Monster
    • The Rockers have thrived on the top three hitters in their order who have combined to scored 40% of their runs on the season
      • RF Luis Gonzalez scored 110 runs in the regular season while hitting .297 with 21 homers and 73 RBI
      • OF Ben Aklinski hit .283 with a team-high 32 homers and 96 RBI while scoring 112 runs
      • 3B Drew Mendoza, a member of the Revs in 2023, hit .293 with 19 homers, 96 RBI and 86 runs scored
    • Ben Aklinski
      • Has stated this is his final season in the ALPB
      • Owns High Point club records in nearly every category including 488 games played, 494 hits, 104 home runs, 12 grand slams, 364 RBI and 111 stolen bases
      • Aklinski is one of two ALPB players to ever post two 30-30 seasons
        • Aklinski had 32 homers and 31 stolen bases in 118 games in 2025
      • Stability
        • High Point has just three pitchers on its LCS roster that were on the Opening Day roster
          • RHP Erich Uelmen
          • LHP Jonah Scolaro
          • RHP Kyle Halbohn
        • Three High Point pitchers, who accounted for 25% of the Rockers regular season wins, had their contracts purchased during the first half of the season
          • RHP Matt Solter (Mexico) was 7-2
          • LHP Kent Emanual (Mexico) was 6-1
          • RHP Kyle Barraclough (Mexico) was 5-0
        • The trio accounted for 18 of High Point’s 41 first half wins
        • Among position players, the Rockers were remarkably consistent throughout the season
          • 3B Drew Mendoza appeared in 119 games
          • OF Ben Aklinski appeared in 118 games
          • OF Luis Gonzalez, 111 games
          • SS Aidan Brewer, 111 games
        • Closer RHP Jameson McGrane tied for second in the league with 16 saves while going 1-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 37.2 innings
      • Team Notes
        • High Point led the ALPB in walks received with 642
          • 2B D.J. Burt, 94 games (missed 3 weeks on paternity leave)
        • Return from affiliated ball
          • 1B Evan Edwards led the ALPB in batting average (.375), HR (13) and RBI (43) when his contract was sold to the Los Angeles Angels.
            • After two months with the Rocket City Trash Pandas, he returned to the Rockers on Aug. 12
          • C Luke Napleton was High Point’s starting catcher from Opening Day until his contract was purchased by the Twins on May 9
            • He returned to the Rockers on August 6
          • RHP Cam Cotter was with the Rockers in 2022 and ’23, played in the Giants organization in 2024 and the start of 2025 until returning to High Point August 6

COMMONALITIES

  • High Point and York were the only two ALPB teams with two players in the top five in the league in runs scored
    • Jalen Miller was second with 113, Shane Fontana was fifth with 105
    • High Point’s Ben Aklinski was third with 112 and Luis Gonzalez was fourth with 110
  • High Point led the ALPB with a .983 fielding percentage
    • York was third at .979