The Phillies' minor league system is loaded with plenty of talent in its lower levels, as evidenced by the fact that the Rookie-League Gulf Coast Philles won their league title, the Short-Season Williamsport Crosscutters finished with a 43-33 record in the New York-Penn League, just missing out on the playofs, and the Lakewood BlueClaws cruised to Northern Division titles in both first and second halves of the South Atlantic League regular season.

The Claws won the Northern Division title by defeating Hickory in the Best-of-Three series, 2-1.

And now, the BlueClaws, the defending South Atlantic League champions, are in the Best-of-Five league finals against the Greenville Drive, the low Class-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

The series is tied at 1-1 after the BlueClaws knocked off Greenville, 6-1 Tuesday night behind a nice effort by 20-year-old right-hander Julio Rodriguez (he turned 20 Aug. 29), who went five innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out seven. Rodriguez, the Phillies' eighth-round pick in the 2008 draft, did walk four Greenville batters, but he pitched well enough to give Lakewood the win.

Josh Zeid, a good-looking 23-year-old right-hander who started for Lakewood for much of the season before being mvoed to the bullpen and picking up eight saves, pitched three spotless innings, striking out four. Former Ridley High stud Mike McGuire, who signed with Lakewood July 15 and picked up six saves in 30-plus innings with a 2.67 ERA during the regular season for the BlueClaws, pitched the ninth to finish out the win.

Lakewood returns home to First Energy Field tonight at 7:05 against the Drive in Game 3 of the finals. The series will finish in New Jersey as games are scheduled tonight, Friday and Saturday, if necessary.

The BlueClaws send stud right-hander Brody Colvin to the mound tonight against 21-year-old right-hander Chris Balcom-Miller.

The 6-3, 195-pound Colvin, who turned 20 Aug. 14, went 6-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 27 starts for Lakewood this season. He struck out 120 and walked 48 in 138 inings, allowing 138 hits. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, but didn't sign with the Phillies until late August just before the deadline to sign players. He never pitched in the minors last year, going to the Florida Instructional League in October. He bypassed rookie ball and short-season ball this season and advanced right to low Class-A Lakewood and more than held his own, which is impressive for a high school kid, considering there are a lot of 20-to-23-year-old college-type players in the SAL.

Colvin had a scholarship from LSU coming out of high school and teams figured he'd keep his commitment, which dropped him to the seventh round. The Phils stuck with him and signed him for a reported $900,000, almost double of what the Phillies gave to any of their other draft picks, including second-round pick Kelly Dugan (their first pick), who got $485,000 according to Baseball America. The Phillies picked second in 2009 because they signed Raul Ibanez and lost their first-round pick to the Mariners.

Lakewood picked up where it left off during the regular season by dominating Hickory, 7-0, Wednesday night in Game 1 of the best-of-three South Atlantic League Northern Division Championship Series.

Trevor May, a strapping 6-5, 215-pound right-handed pitcher whom the Phillies selected in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, dominated the Crawdads, striking out a Blue Claws playoff record 13 batters. May went 6 2/3 innings and allowed just four hits as Lakewood, the defending South Atlantic League champion, cruised past the Crawdads, the low Class-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

May pitched last season for the Blue Claws and began the 2010 season with high Class-A Clearwater, but after going 5-5 with a 5.01 ERA for the Threshers of the Florida State League, he was sent back to Lakewood. May did strike out 90 batters in 70 innings at Clearwater, but he walked 61, which has always been his bug-a-boo.

Instead of pouting, the 20-year-old May (He'll be 21 Sept. 23) came back to Lakewood and dominated, going 7-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 11 starts spanning 65 innings. He struck out 95 and walked just 20. He began the 2010 postseason where he left off in the regular season, just blowing hitters away.

May could start next season at Double-A Reading, but he'll most likely begin at Clearwater again and go from there. If he can avoid the walks, he's a stud prospect.

Offensively, the Blue Claws, who went 84-55 during the regular season and ran away with both the first half and second-half Northern Division titles, were led Wednesday night by catcher Sebastian Valle, first baseman Jonathan Singleton and shortstop Alan Schoenberger, all of whom homered. Valle and Singleton hit solo shots while the scrappy Schoenberger blasted a three-run shot.

Third baseman Jeremy Barnes went 2-for-3 and scored two runs and second baseman Keoni Ruth went 3-for-4, including a double, and scored twice.

Righty Eric Pettis, a 22-year-old who was drafted by the Phillies in the 35th round this year out of Cal-Irvine, made his Lakewood debut and pitched 1 1/3 innings. Pettis was 8-0 with a 1.37 ERA in 59 innings for short-season Williamsport before being promoted to Lakewood for the playoffs after the Crosscutters' season ended this week. Pettis struck out 67 and walked just seven for Williamsport. Righty Josh Zeid, a 10th-round pick by the Phillies in 2009, pitched a scoreless ninth for the Blueclaws. Zeid, a 23-year-old righthander who stands 6-5, went 8-4 with a 2.93 ERA for the Blue Claws this season, mostly as a starter. In 107-plus innings, he struck out 111 and walked just 27. He also had eight saves for Lakewood.

The Blue Claws will head back to Lakewood and host the Crawdads Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at First Energy Field. Stud righthander Brody Colvin (6-8, 3.39 during the regular season) will go up against 'Dads LHP Robert Erlin (6-3, 2.12). Lakewood is 4-2 all-time in the playoffs when trying to eliminate opponents.