Storm Chasers, Space Cowboys meet for Triple-A crown

While Storm Chasers vs. Space Cowboys sounds like a summer blockbuster, it's gearing up to be a fall classic.

Omaha (Royals) and Sugar Land (Astros) square off in a single-game Triple-A National Championship at 10:07 p.m. ET on Saturday at Las Vegas Ballpark, airing on MLB Network.

This will be Omaha's sixth time going to for a national title, having gone 3-2 in previous iterations, most recently winning back-to-back Triple-A crowns in 2013-14.

On the flipside, Sugar Land is the new kid on town, reaching their first Pacific Coast League postseason since joining affiliated ball in 2021.

Here's everything to know about the final Minor League game of the year.

How to watch

The Triple-A National Championship Game is set for 10:07 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 28, at Las Vegas Ballpark. The game will air on MLB Network and can be streamed on the MLB Pipeline and MiLB homepages, MLB.TV and the MiLB app. Tyler Maun, the co-host of MiLB’s The Show Before The Show podcast, will do play-by-play alongside MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis.

Starting lineups:

Omaha Storm Chasers:
1. John Rave -- LF
2. Nate Eaton -- 3B
3. Drew Waters -- CF
4. Brian O'Keefe -- C
5. Nelson Velázquez -- DH
6. Nick Pratto -- 1B
7. Tyler Gentry -- RF
8. Ryan Fitzgerald -- 2B
9. Cam Devanney -- SS
SP - Luinder Avila -- RHP

Sugar Land Space Cowboys:
1. Jesús Bastidas -- SS
2. Pedro León -- CF
3. Shay Whitcomb -- DH
4. Trey Cabbage -- 1B
5. Cooper Hummel -- LF
6. Tommy Sacco Jr. -- 2B
7. Quincy Hamilton -- RF
8. Brice Matthews -- 3B
9. Omar Narváez -- C
SP - Colton Gordon -- LHP

Probable pitchers

Omaha has tabbed Royals No. 26 prospect Luinder Avila to make the start, which will be just his second at the Triple-A level. The 23-year-old delivered a solid campaign for Double-A Northwest Arkansas with a 3.81 ERA and 8.9 K/9 across 19 starts before a late-season promotion. Behind him, the Storm Chasers' relief corps led Triple-A in ERA (3.71), WHIP (1.33) and batting average against (.220) during the regular season.

Sugar Land will give the ball to Colton Gordon. The Astros’ top left-handed pitching prospect went 8-2 with a 3.94 ERA, 124 strikeouts and 39 walks in 123 1/3 innings this season. Gordon, who was selected in the eighth round of the 2021 Draft out of the University of Central Florida, utilizes a deceptive delivery and a 55-grade fastball that highlights his four-pitch mix.

Top prospects

Storm Chasers on the Royals' Top 30 Prospects list:

12. Noah Cameron, LHP
13. Javier Vaz, 2B/OF
15. Tyler Gentry, OF
16. Chandler Champlain, RHP
26. Luinder Avila, RHP
27. Tyson Guerrero, LHP
29. Eric Cerantola, RHP

Space Cowboys on the Astros’ Top 30 Prospects list:

1. Jacob Melton, OF (MLB No. 93)
3. Brice Matthews, SS/3B
7. Miguel Ullola, RHP
9. A.J. Blubaugh, RHP
11. Colton Gordon, LHP
14. Shay Whitcomb, INF/OF
21. Pedro León, OF/2B
22. Kenedy Corona, OF
24. Rhett Kouba, RHP

How they got here

Omaha led Triple-A with a .671 winning percentage (49-24) in the first half as they outscored opponents by 87 runs. Overall, the club set a franchise record with 89 wins. The Storm Chasers led Triple-A with a 4.21 ERA and tied for first with a 1.37 WHIP. Offensively, John Rave led the International League with a career-high 93 runs. On Wednesday, Omaha was five outs away from being swept by Columbus in the IL Finals. But a Nick Eaton homer, then a Nick Pratto walk-off in the 11th forced a Game 3. In the finally, the Storm Chasers took the lead in the fifth and never looked back.

Sugar Land started the season hot (49-26; .653 W%) to claim the first-half PCL title, then kept it going. The Space Cowboys are the only Minor League team to reach 90 wins this season, going 93-56 (.624) overall. Pitching was key as the club led the PCL with a team 4.41 ERA while ranking second in strikeouts (1,379) and WHIP (1.45). The dominant staff was led by Ryan Gusto, A.J. Blubaugh and Gordon, who were among the Triple-A leaders in ERA, WHIP and strikeouts. Sugar Land continued that dominance in the playoffs, outscoring Reno, 19-4, to sweep the Pacific Coast League Championship Series.

Three things to know about the Storm Chasers

Following Thursday's victory, Omaha is the first club to win a league championship in three different Triple-A circuits. The team won four American Association titles as the Royals (1969-70, 1978, 1990) and three in the Pacific Coast League (2011, 2013-14) before snaring the IL crown this year.

Waters closed out the regular season in style, slashing .357/.439/.661/1.100 in 23 September games while totaling seven extra-base hits in his final four contests. While the 25-year-old switch-hitter has yet to do any damage in the postseason, the hitter-friendly Las Vegas Ballpark should be just the key to him getting back to raking.

The Storm Chasers are no stranger to rallies, having to come back in each of their last three wins. The most notable such victory came in Wednesday's Game 2 win over Columbus when Omaha went down 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 11th. Brian O'Keefe tied the game with an RBI single before Pratto's walkoff sac fly, scoring Waters in the process. Along with clutch hitting by Royals farmhands, the aforementioned relievers have been shutdown quality for the club and could keep things close with Sugar Land throughout Saturday night, giving the bats another opportunity for late-inning heroics. As one Missourian once said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

Three things to know about the Space Cowboys

MLB's No. 93 overall prospect Jacob Melton left Game 2 of the PCL Finals after being struck by an errant throw. Sugar Land manager Mickey Storey said the 2022 second-round pick is undergoing concussion protocol and will not be in Saturday's starting lineup.

Outfielder Trey Cabbage has been known to flash prodigious power. The left-handed hitter has five homers over 450 feet long across the past two seasons, including one at Las Vegas Ballpark. With the desert air, the ball should especially pop at the Aviators' home.

If the Space Cowboys have the lead late, they will likely hand the ball to 33-year-old right-hander Wander Suero. "The Animal," as he's known, led the Minor Leagues with 37 saves (39 opportunities) and 67 appearances, and shut the door in the PCL title-clinching game.

Managers

While Mike Jirschele is in his third straight season managing the Storm Chasers, his history with the franchise goes back to the 90s. After playing Minor League ball from 1977 to 1990, Jirschele started coaching in the Royals' farm system. He managed Omaha from 1995-97 in the American Association, then from '03-'13 in the PCL. Jirschele spent some time on Ned Yost's staff in Kansas City before returning to the Minors.

Sugar Land is led by Mickey Storey in his fifth season as Houston’s Triple-A manager (six years including the canceled 2020 season). The skipper played nine seasons of pro ball, including 29 Major League appearances with the Astros and Blue Jays from 2012-13. Storey began coaching in the Houston system in 2017. He also managed in the Arizona Fall League in 2022.

Triple-A National Championship history

Triple-A interleague championships date back to the 1904 Little World Series between the International League’s Buffalo Bisons and the American Association's St. Paul Saints. In total, there has been nine formats and 76 championships in 119 years. Since 2006, the best of the International and Pacific Coast Leagues square off in a single-game showdown. The PCL has a slight 9-7 lead over the IL, though the latter has won the past two titles. The 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic, and there were no Triple-A playoffs in 2021.

The Norfolk Tides took the 2023 crown, led by Orioles rookie sensation Colton Cowser and then-19-year-old Jackson Holliday, who was MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect at the time.