# 2008 Carolina League season

The 2008 Carolina League was a Class A-Advanced baseball season played between April 3 and September 1. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, with two teams from each division competing in the playoffs.
The Potomac Nationals won the Carolina League championship, defeating the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the final round of the playoffs.

## Teams

2008 Carolina League :
| Division | Team | City | MLB Affiliate | Stadium |
| North | Frederick Keys | Frederick, Maryland | Baltimore Orioles | Harry Grove Stadium |
| North | Lynchburg Hillcats | Lynchburg, Virginia | Pittsburgh Pirates | Calvin Falwell Field |
| North | Potomac Nationals | Woodbridge, Virginia | Washington Nationals | G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium |
| North | Wilmington Blue Rocks | Wilmington, Delaware | Kansas City Royals | Daniel S. Frawley Stadium |
| South | Kinston Indians | Kinston, North Carolina | Cleveland Indians | Grainger Stadium |
| South | Myrtle Beach Pelicans | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | Atlanta Braves | BB&T Coastal Field |
| South | Salem Avalanche | Salem, Virginia | Houston Astros | Lewis Gale Field |
| South | Winston-Salem Warthogs | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Chicago White Sox | Ernie Shore Field |

## Regular season
### Summary

* The Myrtle Beach Pelicans finished with the best record in the league for the first time since 2000.

### Standings

North division :
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Potomac Nationals | 79 | 61 | .564 | – |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | 69 | 71 | .493 | 10 |
| Frederick Keys | 63 | 76 | .453 | 15.5 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | 58 | 80 | .420 | 20 |
| South division |||||
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 89 | 51 | .636 | – |
| Kinston Indians | 72 | 66 | .522 | 16 |
| Winston-Salem Warthogs | 71 | 68 | .511 | 17.5 |
| Salem Avalanche | 56 | 84 | .400 | 33 |

#### First half standings

North division :
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Potomac Nationals | 42 | 28 | .600 | – |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | 35 | 35 | .500 | 7 |
| Frederick Keys | 34 | 36 | .486 | 8 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | 29 | 41 | .414 | 13 |
| South division |||||
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 45 | 25 | .643 | – |
| Kinston Indians | 35 | 34 | .507 | 9.5 |
| Salem Avalanche | 30 | 40 | .429 | 15 |
| Winston-Salem Warthogs | 29 | 40 | .420 | 15.5 |

#### Second half standings

North division :
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Potomac Nationals | 37 | 33 | .529 | – |
| Wilmington Blue Rocks | 34 | 36 | .486 | 3 |
| Lynchburg Hillcats | 29 | 39 | .426 | 7 |
| Frederick Keys | 29 | 40 | .420 | 7.5 |
| South division |||||
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 44 | 26 | .629 | – |
| Winston-Salem Warthogs | 42 | 28 | .600 | 2 |
| Kinston Indians | 37 | 32 | .536 | 6.5 |
| Salem Avalanche | 26 | 44 | .371 | 18 |

## League Leaders
### Batting leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| AVG | Jim Negrych, Lynchburg Hillcats | .371 |
| H | Mark Ori, Salem Avalanche | 151 |
| R | Ernesto Mejía, Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 93 |
| 2B | Ernesto Mejía, Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 47 |
| 3B | Paulo Orlando, Winston-Salem / Wilmington | 14 |
| HR | Ernesto Mejía, Myrtle Beach Pelicans Beau Mills, Kinston Indians | 21 |
| RBI | Ernesto Mejía, Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 93 |
| SB | Derrick Robinson, Wilmington Blue Rocks | 62 |

### Pitching leaders

| Stat | Player | Total |
| W | Scott Diamond, Myrtle Beach Pelicans Aaron Hartsock, Wilmington Blue Rocks Carlton Smith, Kinston Indians | 12 |
| ERA | Scott Diamond, Myrtle Beach Pelicans | 2.79 |
| SV | Tyler Chambliss, Wilmington Blue Rocks | 24 |
| SO | Brandon Erbe, Frederick Keys | 151 |
| IP | Tony Watson, Lynchburg Hillcats | 151.2 |

## Playoffs

* The Potomac Nationals won their second Carolina League championship, defeating the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in four games.

### Playoff bracket

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| N1 | Potomac | 2 | | | |
| N2 | Wilmington | 0 | | | |
| N2 | Wilmington | 0 | N1 | Potomac | 3 |
| | | | S1 | Myrtle Beach | 1 |
| S1 | Myrtle Beach | 2 | S1 | Myrtle Beach | 1 |
| S2 | Winston-Salem | 1 | | | |

## Awards

Carolina League awards :
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Beau Mills, Kinston Indians |
| Pitcher of the Year | Jake Arrieta, Frederick Keys |
| Manager of the Year | Rocket Wheeler, Myrtle Beach Pelicans |