Boise Hawks players have learned a lot this season, including the most important lesson of all.

“They learned how to win,” manager Mark Johnson said.

The Hawks were 13-25 in the first half of the Northwest League season, but clinched the second-half East Division title Saturday. They enter the final homestand with the best second-half record in the league (21-12).

Boise last won a division title in 2006 and a league championship in 2004. The Hawks qualified for the playoffs last season, but were eliminated by Tri-City in the first round.

They’ll open this year’s playoffs against Yakima, which won the first-half division title.

But first there’s a five-game series against Everett at Memorial Stadium.

“A lot of things can go bad in five days,’’ Johnson said. “It’s about staying focused and how hard they’ve worked the whole season. You’ve just got to keep going at it and you can’t take any days off. And they haven’t all year, so it’s just another thing they need to learn how to do.”

Here are some players to watch as Boise’s season winds down:

STEPHEN BRUNO

Bruno has made his mark by playing three infield positions, all three outfield positions and has also served as a designated hitter. He takes a 17-game hitting streak into Tuesday’s game and leads the league in batting average (.345) and on-base percentage (.424). The University of Virginia product is second in runs scored (49) and hits (81) and fourth in doubles (16).

GIOSKAR AMAYA

Amaya leads the league in runs scored (54) and is third in batting average (.303). Maybe most impressively, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound second baseman is second in slugging percentage (.494). He also leads the team with 13 stolen bases.

DAN VOGELBACH

The big slugger might be making a run at the league MVP if he had played the whole season with Boise. Instead, he had a slow start in extended spring training and didn’t join Boise until the first game of the second half. He’s tied with Rock Shoulders for the team lead in home runs (nine) and is two away from the league lead. He’s batting .320 with a .616 slugging average, although those numbers don’t show up in the league rankings because he hasn’t had enough at-bats.

FIRST ROUND VS. YAKIMA

Game 1: at Boise, 6:45 p.m. Monday

Game 2: at Yakima, 8:05 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4

Game 3 (if necessary): at Yakima, 8:05 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5

• Playoff tickets are on sale for $6 to $14 and are available at boisehawks.com or at the team’s box office (more info at 322-5000).

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

The East champion will face Everett (first-half winner of the West), Vancouver or Eugene (tied for first in the second half at 20-14). Boise would open on the road and would host the second and third games (if necessary) Sept. 8-9.