Legion players to participate in Tournament of Stars

Several American Legion Legion Baseball players have been invited to participate in the 2014 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars (TOS) in Cary, N.C., June 17-22. Todd Jahnke, a coach for the Hopkins (Minn.) Post 320 Flyers Legion Baseball team, was a Legion Baseball Tournament of Stars coach for 2012-2013. He now serves on the TOS task force. And 11 Legion players who participated in the 2013 TOS were selected in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft:

  • Chase Vallot of Louisiana drafted by the Kansas City Royals
  • Sam Hentges of Minnesota drafted by the Cleveland Indians
  • Max George of Colorado drafted by the Colorado Rockies
  • Branden Kelliher of Washington State drafted by the Oakland Athletics
  • Gage Hinsz of Montana drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Marvin Gorgas of Connecticut drafted by the Seattle Mariners
  • Erik Manoah of Florida drafted by the New York Mets
  • Trenton Kemp of California drafted by the Boston Red Sox
  • Joe Gillette of California drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
  • Joe Dunand of Florida drafted by the Cleveland Indians
  • Ryder Ryan of North Carolina drafted by the Cleveland Indians

Also happening in North Carolina is one game of the Friendship Series will take place on Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C. – home of The American Legion World Series (ALWS). The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and the Chinese Taipei Collegiate National Team will play July 2 at 7 p.m. EDT; tickets are on sale here. The game at Keeter Stadium is a fundraising event for ALWS and part of the Shelby ALWS Executive Committee’s vision to bring outstanding baseball events to Shelby-Cleveland County.

The first game of the Friendship Series is July 1 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. After the July 2 game in Shelby, the teams move to the brand-new BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte where the Charlotte Knights will host a game on July 3. The teams will play the final two games of the series at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C., on July 4 and July 5.