By BRYAN STRICKLAND

bstrickland@heraldsun.com; 419-6671

DURHAM -- After claiming the championship in a league of their own, the Durham Bulls will look to claim a championship tonight that would put them in a league of their own.

Fresh off capturing the International League title, the Bulls will face the Memphis Redbirds, the champions of the Pacific Coast League, in the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game tonight in Oklahoma City (7 p.m., ESPN2).

The game, previously called the Bricktown Showdown in honor of Oklahoma City's downtown entertainment district, is in its fourth year, with the International League still seeking its first victory.

The Sacramento River Cats won the previous two games, while the Tucson Sidewinders won the inaugural game in 2006.

Durham could well have faced Sacramento the previous two years but fell just short, losing in the IL's Governors' Cup Finals each year. The Bulls, however, took care of business this year, sweeping reigning champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to earn their first IL title since 2003.

Memphis will be a tough match-up. The Redbirds limped into the PCL playoffs by going just 7-13 over the final three weeks of the regular season, but they won all six of their playoff games, including a sweep of Sacramento in the title series.

Over their six postseason games, the Redbirds sported a team ERA of 1.00 while batting .313 as a team.

The Bulls, however, have proven they can excel against adversity, winning the Governors' Cup despite missing seven players that helped them until shortly before the playoffs.

Among pitchers, victories leader Wade Davis and saves leader Dale Thayer were recalled by the Tampa Bay Rays just before the playoffs, as were team home run leader Chris Richard and strong-armed shortstop Reid Brignac.

Earlier in the month, All-Star left fielder Jon Weber and valuable set-up man Jason Childers joined Team USA for the World Cup, and .313 hitter Rhyne Hughes was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in mid-August.

The Bulls, however, have been buoyed by the relatively recent additions of reliever Winston Abreu (four playoff saves), outfielder Rashad Jennings (7-for-7 in a game late in the regular season) and pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (6-1, 2.51 ERA since his call-up).

The game will provide perhaps the best national exposure for the Bulls this side of the movie classic "Bull Durham" and also has drawn well at the home of the PCL's Oklahoma City RedHawks, averaging about 10,600 fans through its first three years.