1 former champ, 2 first-timers among ALWS field

1 former champ, 2 first-timers among ALWS field

One American Legion World Series participant has a rich history, appearing in the World Series 16 times and winning a championship. Two other programs have finished third and second, respectively, within the past 12 seasons.

Another team had to only drive 83 miles to get to Shelby, N.C., the site of the World Series. And two more programs are making their first trip to the ALWS.

One common thread: None of the teams were in the field a year ago.

An entirely brand new field includes one program that is no stranger to the World Series: Omaha Post 1, which has sponsored one national champion (1939), a second-place squad and 14 other teams that have advanced to the ALWS.

Kennewick, Wash., Post 34 is looking to win its first title after a runner-up appearance in 2004. And Rowan Co. Post 342, which finished third in the ALWS in 2009, is from Salisbury, N.C. – just over an hour and 20 minutes from Shelby.

Meanwhile, Cumberland, R.I., Post 86/14 and Leesburg, Va., Post 34 made program history this year by advancing to the ALWS for the first time.

Games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be streamed online on ESPN3. The final six games of the tournament will be broadcast on ESPNU. For a complete schedule of games, click here.

 

Northeast Region – Cumberland Post 86/14, R.I.

Record: 31-4

Last ALWS Appearance: First appearance.

Notes: Post 86/14’s Joshua Brodeur, Drew Szafranski and Tyler Calabro drove in five runs apiece in the regional. Brodeur batted a team-high .400 and scored five runs … Christopher Wright went 1-0 with a 1.50 earned-run average, striking out 11 batters in six innings, while Ryan Brehlo threw eight innings of shutout ball in the regional final.

Mid-Atlantic Region – Leesburg Post 34, Va.

Record: 18-8.

Last ALWS Appearance: First appearance.

Notes: T.J. Holdridge hit .353 with a team-high seven RBIs in the regional, while Matt Eberhart hit .471 with six RBIs … Zach Costello scored nine runs, batting .389 with five steals in the regional … In three appearances, pitcher Kurtis Meyer was 1-0 with two saves, allowing just one earned run in seven innings.

Southeast Region – Rowan County Post 342, N.C.

Record: 38-11

Last ALWS Appearance: 2009.

Notes: Lee Poteat stole four bases, batted .400 and scored a team-high nine runs in the regional … Jake Pritchard (.400) and Chandler Blackwelder (.318) each drove in six runs … Both Noah Gonzalez and Sawyer Strickland were 1-0 while not allowing an earned run in a combined three relief appearances. Starter Matt Ketchie was 1-0 in six scoreless innings.

Mid-South Region – Texarkana Post 58, Ark.

Record: 37-4

Last ALWS Appearance: 1990.

Notes: Four different players scored three runs in the regional for Post 58. One of those, Logan Vidrine, led the team in batting (.438) and RBIs (four) … Vidrine and Zac Harrington made four relief appearances in the regional and didn’t allow an earned run in 7.2 innings.

Great Lakes Region – Rockport Post 254, Ind.

Record: 32-1

Last ALWS Appearance: 1984.

Notes: Jakob Shuler hit .368 with six runs and four RBIs in the regional … Kobe Stephens drove in a team-high six runs, while Trever Zink had five RBIs … Corey Ebelhar saved three games in the regional, while Jesse Stallings won both his starts.

Central Plains Region – Omaha Post 1 of Nebraska

Record: 58-3

Last ALWS Appearance: 2012

Notes: Zach Luckey tore through regional pitching, hitting .636 with a home run, seven RBIs and nine runs scored. Brandon Bena also homered while batting .455 with six RBIs and six runs. As a team, Post 1 hit .368 and outscored its opponents 46-6 ... Pitchers Josh Culliver and John Sakowski threw a combined 14 innings of shutout ball in two regional starts.

Northwest Region – Kennewick Post 34, Wash.

Record: 54-14

Last ALWS Appearance: 2004.

Notes: Post 34 batted .367 and scored 65 runs in five regional games. Dillon Plew scored 13 of those, along with driving in 10 and batting .409. Trenton Sellers batted .348 while scoring 11 times and driving in eight … In two starts, Gerald Hein was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, striking out 14 batters in 14 innings. The entire staff had 37 strikeouts in 38 innings of work.

Western Region – San Mateo Post 82, Calif.

Record: 35-5

Last ALWS Appearance: 1983.

Notes: Angelo Bortolin was the main cog in San Mateo’s run through the Western Region, batting .520 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. Tyler Villaroman drove in nine runs while batting .609, and Felix Aberouette hit .300 with a home run and 10 RBIs … Spencer Stewart picked up two wins during the regional, while Aberouette didn’t allow a run in 6.1 innings of relief.