MLP Columbus DAY 2

Okay, this is another close one.  A matchup of mid-low teams that have a chance to sneak into the playoffs.  This is the first matchup that seems very difficult to pick where I could be way wrong.   ATL 3-1.  If Ben avoids the top mixed team, I have ATL 3-2 in a very close dreambreaker.

• WOMENS:  Glozman/DiMuzio over Truluck/Emmrich:  Rough womens team for CAR
• MENS: Johns/Johns over Martinez Vich/Fought:  Even a slightly interested Johns team should win this one.
• MIXED 1: Martinez-Vich/Glozman over BJohns/Emmrich:  Boldest call of the event so far, but if the matchups go the other way, both these teams win handily
• MIXED 2: Fought/DiMuzio over CJohns/Truluck:  This one is super close, I hope we get these matchups, otherwise I don’t think either mixed is close.

Well, I didn’t see this one yet, but looking at the scoreline, this is probably where Ben and Collin decided to take their ball and go home because of the lighting?  The usually outmatched Hog ladies could see fine, and pulled an upset to kick things off.    The Johns brothers are then upset by Jaume and Todd Fought, and probably didn’t give much of an effort in either mixed game.  Booo.

• WOMENS:  CAR wins 11-8
• MENS:  ATL wins 11-7
• MIXED:  ATL (Martinez-Vich/Glozman) wins 11-1 (BJohns/Emmrich)
• MIXED:  ATL (Fought/DiMuzio) wins (11-2) (CJohns/Truluck)
• My picks?  I was suprised by all these scorelines honestly, but technically I did get Winner and 2-2 in doubles.

Ah, am I going to ruin my picking record with my love for the Slice and Bouncers?  This event will answer that.  I’ve got some unfounded confidence that Chicago can get this to a Dreambreaker, but I just don’t see how they can win.  Only Freeman really plays singles, and the Columbus women are absolutely top tier.  COL 3-2.

• WOMENS:  Todd/Jansen over David/Smith:  Columbus is on the rise, Chicago women on the decline
• MENS: Ignatowich/Freeman over Daescu/Bellamy:  Haha, this is sane, right?
• MIXED 1: Ignatowich/David over Bellamy/Jansen:  This would be the easier matchup path to a Dreambreaker
• MIXED 2: Daescu/Todd over Freeman/Smith:  I think I’m saying Jimmy wins and Max loses to whoever they play here

Oh man, so close for Atlanta here, they put up a great fight in both gender matches, but came up empty.  Max and Callie had a great result in mixed, but Big Papa couldn’t beat the Columbus A Team.   I think the Slice can make the playoffs.

• WOMENS:  COL wins 11-9
• MENS:  COL wins 11-8
• MIXED:  CHI (Freeman/Smith) wins 11-5 (Bellamy/Jansen)
• MIXED:  COL (Daescu/Todd) wins 11-3 (Ignatowich/David)
• My Picks:  Well I got the winner right, but 1-3 in doubles, and no dreambreaker.  I need to check my non Chicago picks.

Here is a battle of likely non-playoff teams, and a chance for the Hustlers to get a win, although I don’t see it happening.  Miami is just a little stronger, and I have them winning.  MIA 3-1.

• WOMENS:  Rane/Bui over Spiridis/Schaefer:  However, I think the Hustlers don’t get blanked again and we see the first point for this womens team
• MENS:  Devilliers/Khlif over Young/Ford:  Decent shot for MIA to get a rare win here
• MIXED:  Khlif/Rane over Ford/Schaefer:  If this matchup is switched, I think I have MIA 4-0
• MIXED:  Young/Spiridis over Devilliers/Bui:  This seems like a bold upset call as I write it, but I’ll stick with giving NY a game if they get this matchup

Ah, so close to calling this one right, but my conditions!  Good work by Young/Spiridis, the only bright spot on the season for NY so far, it’s big to get one, but the other 3 matches were not close.    And I am glad to see them mix Dom Schaefer in there, even though she didn’t get a win.  She got some points!

• WOMENS:  MIA wins 11-5
• MENS:  MIA wins 11-2
• MIXED:  MIA (Devilliers/Bui) wins 11-4 (Ford/Schaefer)
• MIXED:  NY (Young/Spiridis) wins 11-9 (Khlif/Rane)
• Picks:  3-1 and the winner

Tough one for Carolina here, Orlando is coming together well, and of course Ben could win either of his matches.  However, I think with his partners, he is an underdog to do so in each.  Get the brooms out, ORL 4-0.  Update:  Johns out, so Orlando 6-0 😉

• WOMENS:  Schneeman/Parker over Truluck/Emmrich:  Pretty big
• MENS:  Staksrud/Frazier over Whittaker/MEmmrich:  Great and tight match here.  Update:  Blowout
• MIXED:  Staksrud/Schneeman over MEmmrich/Emmrich:  Ben will make any mixed match pretty close although got destroyed by McGuffin/Irvine earlier today
• MIXED:  Frazier/Parker over Whittaker/Truluck:  I just can’t see the Collin Johns mixed magic continuing.  Frazier/Parker is 10th out of 32 in points won pct.

This is a bad look for the Johns brothers.  Wear some safety glasses, otherwise play in the conditions that everyone else is playing in.  Not close although looks like Truluck got close in both of hers.

• WOMENS:  ORL wins 11-7
• MENS:  ORL wins 11-4
• MIXED:  ORL (Staksrud/Schneeman) wins 11-9 (Whittaker/Truluck)  Great effort by Car here actually
• MIXED:  ORL (Frazier/Parker) wins 11-3 (MEmmrich/Emmrich)
• Oh you better believe I got this one exactly right.

I’m going to have some easy previews this event when the Shock are playing, they just have the 4 best players on the court in this one.  I guess Khlif/Rane has a shot against Patriquin/Fahey, but I don’t think they can get it.  STL 4-0.  Am I going to pick STL not to drop a game?  We will have to wait and see.

• WOMENS:  Bright/Fahey over Rane/Bui:  About 11-2
• MENS:  Patriquin/Tardio over Devilliers/Khlif:  Not as much of a blowout, but comfortable
• MIXED:  Tardio/Bright over Devilliers/Bui:  Big
• MIXED:  Patriquin/Fahey over Khlif/Rane:  Not as big

Miami impressed me here big time, their women went up 5-1 or maybe even 5-0 before getting bullrushed.  Big H takes a near eye injury off his own paddle, and Miami gets an upset win in mixed to hand the teens their first loss on the year, and the Shock a rare game loss in this event.  Noe and Millie pused Gabe and Kate to extra innings as well, just falling short of forcing a dreambreaker.

• WOMENS:  STL wins 11-5
• MENS:  MIA wins 11-6
• MIXED:  STL (Tardio/Fahey) wins 12-10 (Khlif/Rane)
• MIXED:  STL (Patriquin/Bright) wins 11-5 (Devilliers/Bui)
• Picks of course go 3-1, as the scoreline does

Battle of my favorite mid-level teams, maybe even my #2 and #3.  This is also a very difficult match to call, we haven’t seen either team much, and both are new rosters.  Okay my pick is going to be Chicago 3-2.  Neither of these teams is great for a dreambreaker, so kind of a tossup.

• WOMENS:  Glozman/DiMuzio over David/Smith:  Very close, but I go with the team on the way up vs the one on the way down.
• MENS:  Ignatowich/Freeman over Martinez Vich/Fought:  You feel like this match could go 11-0 in either direction, but it’s Big Papa Jimmy
• MIXED: Martinez Vich/Glozman over Freeman/Smith
• MIXED:  Ignatowich/David over Fought/DiMuzio

Chicago looked like the better team in this one winning both mens and womens emphatically.  This is what I wish I saw everytime out from the Slice.  They also dominated in the mixed match they won, only losing to the Atlanta A team.

• WOMENS:  CHI wins 11-3
• MENS:  CHI wins 11-2
• MIXED:  ATL wins 11-7
• MIXED:  CHI wins 11-3
• Pretty happy to go 3-1 with the winner here, although wrong about Dreambreaker

Great chance for the Flames to get their first regulation win, and for the Hustlers to stay winless.  I’d kind of love to see some NY bench players.   Sock/Bouchard have been as bad as Jessie and Tyson have been good, going 0-4 winning only 23% of points.  But, I have them getting back on track.  PHX 4-0

• WOMENS:  Irvine/Bouchard over Spiridis/Schaefer:  Show me something NY
• MENS:  McGuffin/Sock over Young/Ford:  If they can beat Daescu…
• MIXED:  McGuffin/Irvine over Young/Spiridis:  They keep it rolling
• MIXED:  Sock/Bouchard over Ford/Schaefer:  If the tennis pros can’t get a win against the worst Mixed team in the league…uh-oh

Woof, this is one I got more wrong than right really. Although we did see Dom Schaefer get a look and get a huge mixed win! Womens went as I expected, not close, but the Hustler men came up huge with a victory in mens.  Tyson and Jessie do keep it rolling, but then Zane and Dom get a win in a battle of low level mixed teams to force a dreambreaker!   That went into extras, and the Hustlers sneak out their first win!

• WOMENS:  PHX wins 11-2
• MENS:  NY wins 11-8
• MIXED:  PHX wins 11-5
• MIXED:  NY wins 11-6
• DREAMBREAKER:  NY wins 24-22
• Me?  2-2 and a loss on the pick and Dreambreaker

This is the closest matchup of relevant teams we will see this tournament, and the two host teams so far of 2025.  It’s very tough to call, so I’m going to say Dreambreaker, and wow, what amazing dreambreaker teams.  I’ll take ORL 3-2.  If the mixed matchups go the other way, I’ll take Orlando 3-1.

• WOMENS:  Todd/Jansen over Schneeman/Parker
• MENS:  Staksrud/Frazier over Daescu/Bellamy:  This is a great match, I think the crafty squeeze can get a lot of Bellamy body bags
• MIXED:  Staksrud/Schneeman over Bellamy/Jansen
• MIXED:  Daescu/Todd over Frazier/Parker

Columbus came out hot, 6-0 to the side switch, and got up 9-4(1).  This was a long, very high level game, but Orlando came back to win womens and kept that momentum, sweeping the home team in a huge result.  The seasoned mens team really picked on Bellamy.

• WOMENS:   ORL wins 11-9
• MENS:  ORL wins 11-8
• MIXED:  ORL (Staksrud/Schneeman) wins 11-5 (Daescu/Todd)
• MIXED:  ORL (Frazier/Parker) wins 11-9
• Me?  Pretty good with my conditional 3-1 pick, got the winner and 3-1 in doubles