Miners lead division
AUGUSTA. With a week left in the season, the Sussex County team remains at the top of the Atlantic Conference East Division.
Augusta /
| 25 Aug 2025 | 03:20
MN1 The Sussex County Miners’ Hunter D'Amato (2) reaches first base before the ball in the second inning of a game against the Brockton Rox on Saturday, Aug. 2. The Miners won, 9-3. (Photos by George Leroy Hunter)
MN2 The Miners’ Alec Sayre crosses home plate to score in the first inning, moving the team ahead of the Rox, 3-1.
MN3 Sussex County Miners pitcher Jackson Balzan on the mound. He pitched for eight innings, producing nine strikeouts.
MN4 The ball goes into foul territory after being hit by Miners batter Mahki Backstrom in the second inning. He scored one run in the game.
MN5 Miners batter Abdel Guadalupe is ready to hit in the game against the Brockton Rox. He was awarded one base on balls.
MN6 Sussex County Miners batter Hunter D'Amato raises his leg before the arrival of a pitched ball. He scored two runs during the game.
Miners runner Hunter D'Amato is tagged out at second base by Rox infielder J.R. DiSarcina in the second inning.
Miner Man carries the team flag.
Herbie the Miner and Miner Man perform in front of baseball fans.
Brockton Rox pitcher Michael Quigley throws the ball. He pitched for five innings.
The Brockton Rox meet on the pitchers mound.
With a week left in the season, the Sussex County Miners remained at the top of the Atlantic Conference East Division.
As of Sunday, Aug. 24, the minor league baseball team’s record was 52-38, five games ahead of the New York Boulders (47-42).
The Miners needed two more wins to clinch a spot in the playoffs, which begin next week.
The team was set to play a three-game series against the Quebec Capitales there this week before returning home for the last three games against the Boulders starting Friday, Aug. 29. The season ends Sunday, Aug. 31.
The Capitales led the Atlantic Conference North Division - and the Frontier League as a whole - with a 63-27 record as of Aug. 24. They were followed by the Tri-City ValleyCats (57-33).
The teams with the highest winning percentage in each division at the end of the season will qualify for the playoffs and receive the top two seeds in their conference regardless of final record.
The teams with the next two best records in each conference as determined by winning percentage also will qualify for the playoffs as wild-card teams.
The Miners took part in the playoffs in 2023, when they qualified for the wild-card game with a 55-40 record. They lost to the New Jersey Jackals.
The team’s record was 33-62 last year.
The final game of the season Sunday is a Fan Appreciation Night, with 27 prizes to be awarded during the game, which will be followed by fireworks.
Friday is Autism Acceptance Night, sponsored by Team Behavioral Consultants. To create a welcoming and sensory-friendly environment, the team has designated quiet spaces and the stadium volume will lowered. Fidget toys will be available.
On Saturday, there will be a Classic Car Show before the game. Car show registration begins at 2 p.m. and the show starts at 2:30 p.m.
Also planned is a jersey auction to benefit Blakely Boyle, a 4-year-old girl from Sparta battling T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and Caden Flores, a 20-month-old boy from Wantage who recently was diagnosed with an extremely rare bone tumor in his jaw and faces extensive reconstructive surgery.
The game will be followed by fireworks.
