The Kenosha Kings will begin pursuit of their third consecutive Langsdorf League title when the league’s best-of-3 championship series opens 7:30 tonight at Horlick Field in Racine.

Second-seeded Kenosha (31-19, 13-6 Langsdorf) will face top-seeded and regular-season champion Racine Kiwanis (12-5 Langsdorf) in a rematch of last year’s championship round, which the Kings won in dramatic 11-7 fashion when former Carthage player David Hermes ended Game 2 with a walkoff grand slam.

Kenosha is 1-2 against Racine this season, with a one-run victory and two lopsided defeats.

With Racine enjoying a bye into the championship series, Kenosha toppled third-seeded Genoa City 4-1 on Friday night at Simmons Field to advance under the league’s stepladder playoffs. Chadd Ori (7-1), the Langsdorf League leader in victories, pitched a complete-game four-hitter in that contest and will start Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Simmons.

Kings manager Tim Pulizzano said he never seriously considered bringing back Ori tonight on three days’ rest.

“No, I’ve had guys coming off some arm problems the last couple years, so that was really never a question,” he said.

Instead, Jon Kleinmeyer (1-4, 1.50 ERA), a 6-foot-1, 210-pound right-hander who will be a sophomore at UW-Parkside, will take the ball for Kenosha, which also swept the West Allis Nationals in the 2007 Langsdorf championship series.

Pulizzano said his team is anticipating another big challenge from Racine.

“Jack Schiestle is their coach, and we know that he always brings a solid team,” Pulizzano said. “He’s going to have a couple pitchers that throw in the mid-80s (mph). They’re going to throw strikes. They’re not going to make a lot of errors.

“Our mindset is just to play clean baseball — get good pitching, play clean baseball and do the little things it takes to win tight games because we’re expecting tight games out of it.”

Several Kings players have been part of the last two title teams, a factor that could work in Kenosha’s favor.

“The guys have been in this situation last year playing the same team. It’s a good rivalry,” Pulizzano said. “We’ve played them for 20-some years. Having the experience back to win a championship is going to be a huge plus for us.

“I don’t think there’s going to be any intimidation. We know that defense and pitching is going to win games, and that’s what we’re going to do is play a steady game like that.”

And if the Kings can secure a Game 1 victory, they’ll have their ace going Thursday night.

“I’ve got some other guys that I could pitch, but he earned that start,” Pulizzano said. “Chadd’s pitched great all year. His one loss is against Genoa City. When he carries a little swagger on the mound, that’s when he’s at his best.

“And that’s what we want out of him — be confident, know he can do it, not second-guess himself and know that we’re going to put our best team behind him on the field.

“We’re confident in him. He’s done it all year, and if he keeps us in the game we’ve got a good shot at it.”