Expectations for the Aeros have been running high the past few years.

That’s what happens when the Indians’ Double-A team reaches the Eastern League Championship Series four times in five years, claiming a pair of titles in 2003 and 2005.

Problem is, fan expectations no longer include getting to the title game. These days, it seems, the team’s fans won’t settle for anything less than a title.

Despite a handful of team accomplishments and individual player accolades this season, the Aeros came up short for the second consecutive year, losing to the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) three games to one in the Championship Series best-of-five matchup that concluded Sept. 15.

In 2006, the Aeros pushed the series to the limit in a deciding Game 5 in Portland, Maine, against the eventual champion Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox).

While many fans felt the Aeros should have won it all in 2006, they weren’t as upset after this season’s loss in the finals.

‘‘Last year, I kind of felt like the Indians robbed us of a title when they wouldn’t let (ace Adam) Miller pitch,’’ said long-time season-ticket holder Gary Rosen. ‘‘This year, you could tell Trenton was the better team, and we did good to get as far as we did.’’

This year’s championship series pitted the league’s best pitching staff, Trenton’s, against the league’s top hitting team, the Aeros. When it came down to it, however, the Thunder not only pitched well, but also saw its offense contribute, especially in their 10-5 deciding game at Canal Park.

‘‘We could talk about being a better offensive team all we want,’’ Aeros second-year manager Tim Bogar said, ‘‘but they were a very good team and got hits when they needed to.’’

Meanwhile, the Aeros got solid pitching when they needed it only with Jeremy Soweers on the hill.

This, despite the fact they had some added help in getting the right-handed Miller and left-hander Sowers from Triple-A Buffalo in time for the playoffs ` controversial moves that appeared to go against EL rules prohibiting players from higher levels joining teams in the postseason.

While Miller’s addition had little impact (0-0 7.50 ERA in two appearances, including one start), Sowers (2-0, 0.68 ERA) was dominant in his two starts.

‘‘I feel like I’m pitching the best I have all year,’’ Sowers said Sept. 14 after helping hand the Aeros their lone win against Trenton. ‘‘I’m ready to go up there and try to have an impact.’’

Which brings us to another ususual aspect of the season: Instead of most players looking to work their way to Buffalo, such as right fielder Brian Barton did successfully, many went to Cleveland after using Akron as a springboard.

Not long after starting the season in Akron, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis and left-handed starter Aaron Laffey were suiting up for the Indians and helping the Tribe win a division title Sunday.

‘‘That’s what’s really gratifying - to see guys like that whose careers really took off here,’’ Bogar said.

And they weren’t the only ones to post career-type years.

First baseman Jordan Brown put his name firmly on the Indians’ prospect list by being the most consistent hitter. He batted a league-best .333 with 161 hits and won EL Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors. More impressively, Brown did it on a bum right knee that will require offseason arthroscopic surgery.

Following with the tough-it-out theme, after a horrendous first half that had his batting average hovering around the .200 mark, center fielder Trevor Crowe put his swing together in the later part of the season, finishing with a respectable .259 average that included 26 doubles, 50 RBI, 62 walks and a team-high 28 stolen bases.

Although the Aeros didn’t get the kind of help they usually do from an infusion of Class-A Kinston players, help for next season should be on the way.

The K-Tribe had four pitchers finish with more than 10 wins, saw third baseman Wes Hodges bat a healthy .288, featured the dazzling play of shortstop Josh Rodriguez and was bolstered by the continuing emergence of first baseman/designated hitter Matt Whitney.

With that kind of help, the Aeros might just push their championship series run to five appearances in six seasons come next year - with that elusive third title to boot.

With travel making this trip interesting to say the least - here’s an early look at the story that will run in the Beacon Thursday.

TRENTON, N.J. - Wyatt Toregas lay on the trainers table clutching his stomach, his face twisted in pain, a half-empty plastic bottle of grape Pedialyte sitting next to him.

While his teammates and coaches ate their post-game meals in dead silence in the visitor’s lockerroom at Waterfront Stadium minutes after a controversial play at the plate ended in a 3-2 loss to Trenton, the Aeros catcher writhed on the table, struggling to keep the fluid down.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t talk right now,” was all Toregas could manage, not even opening his eyes.

Despite being exhausted and still fighting a flu-like virus that had him sidelined during the first game of the Eastern League Championship Series the previous night, Toregas told Aeros manager Tim Bogar he wanted to play in Wednesday.

As baseball irony would have it, Toregas was at center stage of the game’s final play - the 5-foot-11, 200-pound catcher receiving a right-on-the-money throw from right fielder Cirilo Cumberbatch before quickly moving into position to block the plate and tag out a charging Colin Curtis trying to score the winning run from second base.

As Curtis approached the plate, Toregas went to tag him high. Curtis slid in an attempt to avoid the tag, trying to sneak his left hand under Toregas’ outstretched glove in an effort to catch the corner of home plate.

Right on top of the play, home plate umpire Cory Blaser quickly called Curtis safe - handing the Thunder a commanding 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Akron Friday.

“It was obviously a close play, and from Wyatt’s reaction, I’d say we have a pretty good argument,” Bogar said. “But the umpire said (Curtis) made a great slide.”

As Blaser signaled Curtis safe, Toregas reacted angrily. He spun around to plead his case to Blaser, then pounded the ball into the ground, followed by his glove and then helmet before collapsing a few feet away, his head bowed in his hands.

After arguing briefly with Blaser, Bogar and center fielder Trevor Crowe came over to check on Toregas. Finally, they pulled him up to his feet and helped him off the field.

”The bottom line is we didn’t lose the game on that play, we didn’t execute all game long,” said Bogar, whose team went 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position. “We had plenty of opportunities to score runs, we should have scored five or six.”

The Aeros took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of fourth-inning runs. Jordan Brown led off with a single and scored on Michael Aubrey’s RBI-double. Aubrey soon came around to score on an error.

But Trenton chipped away at the lead with a run in the fifth inning, Curtis reaching on one of six walks by Aeros starter Chuck Lofgren, before scoring on P.J. Plittere’s RBI-single. Gabe Lopez tied the game three innings later with a run-scoring double.

After practically crawling into the playoffs, the Aeros have come up with one heck of a turnaround the last two weeks in finshing the last week of the regular season strong and now knocking off Southern-Divison winner Erie 3 games to 1 with an 8-6 win Saturday night at Canal Park.

The Aeros overcame a rough start by starter Bobby Brownlie and a pair of early errors, using three home runs - including a pair of two-run shots by Michael Aubrey - to charge back for the win.

The Aeros have two days off before heading to Trenton for the start of the Championship Series Tuesday in New Jersey - a well deserved rest.

As players sprayed bottles of champaign at each other under the clear plastic tent that was the team’s clubhouse Saturday night, Aeros manager Tim Bogar called the media into his office. After a few quick words about his team’s achievements, he spent some more time talking about how impressed he was with Erie.

A lot of managers will throw comments in like that to sound good.

But it was obvious Bogar meant what he was syaing about how the SeaWolves were the best team the Aeros played all year. He also talked about how impressed he was with Erie Manager Matt Wallbeck. Perhaps Bogar was referring to Wallbeck’s class for not making too big of a deal out of the Indians sending Jeremy Sowers to Akron to pitch a pivitol Game Three.

As unfair as the move may have been, neither Bogar nor Wallbeck had anything to do with it, and both handed it professionally. The message they sent to their respective players was clear: You can’t worry about things out of your control.

After crawling through practically the second half of the season, the Aeros have really made this last week of the regular season more than interesting. Since embarking on the final regular-season and five-game road trip in Binghamton, the team has won the first four games and presently own a six-game winning streak.

In winning the last two games of a four-game set at home last week versus Bowie (which was hot on the Aeros heels in a battle for the wild card spot in the division), the Aeros cliniched the division runner-up spot and appeared all but willing to hand Erie the Southern Division title with the SeaWolves owning a four-game lead with a week to go.

Asked if he would do anything particular in Binghamton with the rotation, Aeros manager Tim Bogar said no, he’d just focus on getting the rotation set up for the playoffs.

But suddenly, the Aeros have caught fire.

Now, they are just a half game back of Erie heading into the final game of the regular season Monday afternoon. A final day, I might add, that has the Aeros finishing up with a 1 p.m. game against the B-Mets while struggling Erie is facing a double header with visiting Altoona - marking the team’s third double header in the last five days!

In the previous two twin bills, the SeaWolves were swept - both times by Altoona. How ironic that the Aeros main rival in the Curve would be helping them in this quest to successfully defend their Southern Division title?

And now the race comes down to this:

Although both Akron and Erie each have one game remaining (due to rain outs that were not made up earlier this season), league officials have decided neither will be made up for the sake of travel and timing.

Instead, if the teams end up tied for first place, both would be crowned division champs and a tie-breaker would come into play. With Erie having edged Akron 15-13 head-to-head this season, the SeaWolves win the tie breaker.

All that being said, here’s the importance of Monday’s games:

Akron needs to win and have Erie lose both of its games to win the division title and host the first round of the playoffs that begin Wednesday.

If Erie splits its double header and Akron wins, both teams end up tied and earn a share of the division title, but Erie still gets to host the first round of the playoffs.

If Akron loses, they lose out on a share of the division title and will head straight to Erie from Binghamton tonight.