The dawn of baseball’s newest era is already easing into twilight. The first ever season of the Women’s Professional Baseball League has been at times harrowing and troubling, but undeniably and triumphantly entertaining. Now come the playoffs.

With only four teams and fifteen scheduled games for each, the league was only ever going to be a quick, frenzied endeavor in its first year. Much of the design of the league—from its short and late schedule to its selection of Springfield, IL, as its sole hub for games—has erred on the side of cautious and deliberate. It is a league orienting itself towards slow and steady growth, perhaps inspired by the success story of the AUSL’s pro softball league, which enjoyed massive popularity boosts (and the friendly headlines that come with that) in its second season.

However, while the league has aimed for conservative and patient, the WPBL players themselves have opted for energetic and dynamic.

They play knowing their history, knowing the ephemeral, fragile, precious and crystalline nature of a startup league. Of women’s pro baseball.

This might be their only summer. This might be their best chance. They have played not like their hair is on fire, but like they were the fire itself. And so far, the biggest beneficiary has been the fans. But tonight, the playoffs begin. With it, the chance for immortality. To be the lone team atop the bracket. To be branded forevermore as a member of the first championship team.

And unlike the exhilarating home run chase, which ended with an almost poetic tie between Kelsie Whitmore and Denae Benites, there will be only one team hoisting the trophy next week.

So let’s examine the four entrants to this championship bracket and assess which team will be the WPBL’s first champion, and why it will be the San Francisco Firebells.