With a league-leading 12-7 MINK League record and the best mark in the North Division going into Tuesday night's game against Mac-N-Seitz in Kansas City, it's difficult for Mustangs fans to keep from giving at least some thought to the postseason and the possibilities of a trip to Wichita, Kan., and the National Baseball Congress World Series.

The Mustangs wrap up their regular season with three straight games against the Chillicothe Mudcats on July 17-19 - the first two at home and the finale at Shaffer Park in Chillicothe, Mo.

If they can keep up their pace, they will finish as the North Division kingpins and set themselves up for a best-of-three league championship series July 21-23 against the South Division champion. As of now, first-year entry Sedalia is the clear favorite to win that division.

Even getting to that point should assure the Mustangs of a spot in the NBC bracket in their first year of play, according to Jerry Taylor of the NBC.

"The league, because it was expanding, petitioned back in November for two automatic berths, and that's what we have allotted for them right now," Taylor said.

As many as three MINK League teams could wind up in Wichita, however. The Central USA Regional Tournament winner also gets an automatic berth in the World Series, Taylor said.

The Central USA Tournament is scheduled for July 25-29 in Clarinda, Iowa, and is comprised of MINK League entries as well as several Omaha-area teams.

They've been warned

Commissioner Linden Black was expected to send out a letter to all MINK League teams Tuesday in response to a recent incident that occurred in a game Saturday night at Chillicothe between the Mudcats and Sedalia Bombers.

According to a source at that game, Sedalia players and coaches cursed at Chillicothe players and the umpires. One umpire reportedly went toward the Sedalia dugout to warn the team and was cursed out by an unidentified player or coach.

The umpire, unable to determine who directed the f-bomb toward him, randomly selected a player to eject.

But it didn't end there. When Sedalia players allegedly directed a racial slur at Chillicothe's dreadlocked Darian Sandford, Mudcats players shot out of the dugout in defense of their teammate, only to be restrained by the umpires.

The whole incident was a huge disappointment to Chillicothe general manager Liz Fechtig, especially since Sedalia coach Judd Kindle was Chillicothe's coach last season, leading the Mudcats to their most victories ever.

"All the time, Judd just sat there," said Fechtig, who was reluctant to talk about the incident. "For us in Chillicothe, we don't have the beer gardens, and we try to make this very family oriented."

An umpiring official was quoted as saying, "We've got to get this league under control."

In the letter, Black reiterates MINK League bylaws, which allow for a coach and player to be tossed out for unsportsmanlike conduct, game forfeiture and even forfeiture of the $500 bond the franchise must post to be a member of the league, should any incidents occur after the initial warning.