A new season begins as postseason baseball arrives for the Gate City Grays.

The Grays (17-8) will begin their road to championship No. 5 with a meeting against the first-year Smithfield Aztecs on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at Halliwell Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The winner advances to the semifinals starting Aug. 6; the loser’s season is over.

“Postseason baseball, especially in this league, is a completely different breed of baseball,” outfielder Chris Louie said. “It’s a lot of baseball, which is phenomenal. That’s where you can really see who’s there to compete, who’s ready for it, who’s hungry for a championship. Looking back, I can certainly say that this year we’re ready for it.”

The Grays have won their last three games heading into the postseason and are looking to carry that momentum over.

“We preached all summer long that we want to be playing our best baseball at the end of July, early August, and we’re trending in that direction,” head coach Rhys Pope said.

For the Grays, this season has been a year of redemption and getting back to winning baseball.

Last season the Grays finished 9-16, a campaign marked by injuries and turmoil that fell well short of expectations. With a lot of the core guys coming back, the Grays looked to put 2025 in the rearview mirror. Early in the summer they grew closer together as a team and hoped the chemistry would carry over onto the field.

“We were noticing these guys seem really comfortable around each other,” Pope said. “Credit to the captains in our clubhouse, our leaders who take guys under their wing and let them know how we do stuff as the Gate City Grays.”

The DNA traits of resilience, grit and teamwork have been the foundation of the Grays, and the collective approach has paid off, starting with the pitching staff.

The pitching for the Grays has improved both in talent and in depth, and that’s what has put them over the edge this season.

Trem Tolman has been a workhorse of the rotation with his speed, command and aggressiveness toward hitters. He is third on the team with 16 strikeouts and will be a huge factor in the Grays’ success going forward.

Brayden Piper has been right there with Tolman. A longtime player for the Grays, Piper has been a steady presence on the mound, with the willingness to eat up innings and the confidence and tangibles to take over any game. Piper has a team-high 20 strikeouts.

Other names that have stood out are Boston Ross, Stetson Higley and James Costa, all capable of being key rotational pieces for the Grays’ pitching staff.

Whoever has the ball on the mound, Pope and the Grays have confidence he can get the job done.

“During a baseball season, everybody’s going to go through rough patches,” Pope said. “The biggest thing is how our pitching staff has weathered the storm. They haven’t gotten too down on themselves. Going forward, we expect the same thing.”

The Grays also have an explosive offense to go with their improvement on the mound. Through 25 games, the Grays have scored 247 runs, hit .353 as a team, launched 19 home runs and driven in 206 RBIs.

The Grays have spread the wealth around with their dynamic hitting. Every part of the lineup is capable of getting on base.

The offense has been driven by the bats of third baseman Trayson Kostial and first baseman Hudson John.

Kostial has led the way with his fast hands and electric power, hitting .419 while leading the team in home runs (7) and RBIs (35). Kostial has been a tough out all season and will be a huge catalyst for the Grays’ run.

John is not far behind him. The former Highland product has hit the ball extremely well in his second season with the Grays, leading the team in batting average at a .463 clip while adding five home runs and 25 RBIs.

Which makes his current injury status all the more concerning.

John suffered a wrist injury earlier in the season and is questionable for the playoffs. The Grays have handled his absence well, with multiple players stepping up in his place. That depth will be called upon the further the Grays advance into the postseason.

“Every guy one through nine in the lineup is doing their job,” outfielder Chris Louie said. “Having that depth, everyone being able to fill a role, it’s just amazing and we are looking to carry that into the postseason.”

Every step onto the field will be magnified. When the Grays take the field at Halliwell Park, this isn’t just a game.

Between the white lines, the Grays, who have been playing baseball since they were kids, get to play for every athlete’s dream: a chance to deliver a championship to their city.

“It’s been a little too long since the last Gate City Grays championship,” Louie said. “They [the community] are ready for it just as much as we’re ready for it. I realized this is the last year, and I know a lot of my teammates are in the same boat.”

For some of these guys, it may be the last time they walk onto a field, sit in the clubhouse or put on a baseball uniform. Every pitch, at-bat and inning could be their last, and they want to leave a legacy with the Gate City Grays.

“Leaving it all on the field, trying to go out with a bang and give 110% of what we’ve got,” Louie said. “It would mean the world to me to win a championship here for the Grays.”