Zephyr CTBL History 
 

The Zephyrs joined CTBL in 2008, enjoyed immediate success in the 15 team open division, but as the 5-seed, were the 1st team to miss the playoffs.

In 2010 & 2011, CTBL split into 18+ and 28+ divisions. The Zephyrs went with the veterans and lost back to back 1-game championships. 

In 2012, CTBL re-organized based on competitiveness rather than age. The Zephyrs played in the lower division (A), but once again played for a championship, this time losing game 3 by 1 run. 

In 2013, the Zephyrs started 8-0, outscoring opponents 136 to 50, and earned a spot in CTBL's most competitive division (AA).  After earning the 3-seed, the Zephyrs fell in the opening round of the playoffs to the eventual league champions by 2 runs in game 3.

CTBL moved to wood bats in 2014 and batting averages came down about 100 points. A wave of original Zephyrs retired before the season began, including the long-time manager (& center fielder). A rebuild took place and the Zephyrs emerged better than ever, earning the 2-seed. 

In 2015, the Zephyrs had to replace an ace pitcher, transition a 6-year starting SS to 2nd base, and fight back from 3 games below .500 twice. For the 2nd season in a row, the Zephyrs entered the playoffs on a 7 game winning streak. 2015 saw the introduction of the CTBL World Series, and while the #5 (12-8) Zephyrs finished with a better record, a 1-game imbalanced schedule and tie breaker gave the (11-9) Angels the #4 seed. The Zephyrs proved the better record was no fluke, eliminating the Angels to make the CTBL Final Four for the 3rd straight season.

The 2016 summer squad was the most talented Zephyr team to date. Arguably CTBL's best defense behind its best pitching staff with a loaded offense that suffered from inconsistent attendance and ultimately, injuries. The Z's lost 7 regular season games by a combined 14 runs to finish 13-7. The volatile offense mustered right at 3 runs in each of the losses and was cold in July, costing the 2-seed and its wildcard bye. A pair of irreplaceable, do-everything Zephyrs were then injured in the otherwise meaningless 19th and 20th games. After sweeping the Titans during the regular season, but playing just once on a Saturday, the 3-seed Zephyrs hosted the #6 Titans on Wildcard Saturday. Behind excellent starting pitching, the teams combined for 35 strikeouts. The Zephyrs blew a 3 to 1 lead in the 6th inning and lost 4 to 6. The '16 Z's fielded at a .944 clip and committed fewer than 2 errors per game. The top 4 Zephyr pitchers struck out 199 while only walking or hitting 50 batters. The top 12 Zephyr batters hit .318 with 7 HR, 110 RBI, and 134 Runs in 594 AB’s. The Zephyrs were the only team to post a winning record against the 2016 Champion Mudcats.

Fall 2016

Spring 2018 Recap

The 2017 championship roster experienced virtually no turnover in the offseason. A small 2018 recruiting class guarantees the Zephyrs have championship-caliber depth across the board, and they expect to defend their crown!

After 17 games in 2018, the (15-2) Zephyrs have set a program record for regular season wins! 4 regular season games remain and the Zephyrs must win 2 of them to clench the 1-seed for the 2nd straight season. 

The Zephyrs improved on their 2017 season, finishing with an overall record of 22-3, and winning their 2nd straight league championship. The Zephyrs defeated the Reds in a back-and-forth game 1, and overcame a slow start to emphatically win game 2. The Reds (18-6-1) had a great year, and earned their way to the championship series by sweeping the Mudcats (14-7-2) in back to back extra inning nail-biters. The 5-seed Rangers (11-12-1) defeated the surprise 4-seed Diamondbacks (14-7-1) in the wildcard game before being swept by the Zephyrs in an offensive opening playoff series.

2018 CTBL Championship Team