Trash Pandas are headed to the 2026 Southern League playoffs

For the first time since 2022, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are headed to the postseason, as the team finished first in the second half of the Southern League North Division.

The race to first place for the second half went down to the wire, as the Trash Pandas, the Knoxville Smokies and the Birmingham Barons were each within 2 games of first place as the final week of the regular season began.

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Amazing final week clinches playoff spot for Trash Pandas

The Trash Pandas won five of their last six games to hold off Knoxville and Birmingham and take the North Division second half title.

The Trash Pandas will host first half winner Knoxville in Game 1 of the best-of-three Southern League North Division Series on Tuesday, September 15, at Toyota Field. The game will start at 6:35PM.

The next game (and Game 3, if necessary) will be in Knoxville September 17-18.

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won the South Division title for the second half, and will face first half champion Biloxi in the first round of the playoffs. The winner of that best-of-three series will face the winner of the Trash Pandas/Smokies series for the Southern League championship.

The championship series is also a best-of-three format.

Fans can purchase playoff tickets HERE.

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