A look at Tuesday’s American Legion World Series championship game between Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 and League City (Tex.) Post 554.
The championship game of the 98th American Legion World Series will feature one team vying for their program’s first ALWS title and another seeking to add to their trophy case.
Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 will face League City (Tex.) Post 554 in the championship game at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C. The game will air on ESPNU.
Both teams finished first in their respective divisions in pool play — Chesapeake in the Stripes Division and League City in the Stars Division — and, as the designated home teams Monday night, won their respective semifinal matchups against the other division’s second-place teams.
League City this season became just the second program in American Legion Baseball history to reach the ALWS four seasons in a row. Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72 qualified for the ALWS a record five straight seasons from 2011-2015, and also had a four-year ALWS streak from 1998-2001.
Post 554 won the 2023 ALWS championship, the first-ever for a team from Texas. Third baseman and pitcher Jackson Higgins is League City’s lone player remaining from that squad. Higgins leads the team this season in Shelby with 6 RBIs while batting .353. Second baseman and leadoff batter Caden Schindler leads League City with a .500 batting average and 3 home runs in this year’s ALWS.
“I’m glad to be back in the championship game and we'll see what we can do tomorrow night,” head coach Ronnie Oliver said after Monday night’s win.
Chesapeake is seeking its first ALWS title and just the second ever for Virginia. Midlothian Post 186 won the 1985 championship.
Post 280 is playing its first ALWS title game after the program previously played in the tournament in 2010 and 2022. Head coach Larry Bowles and his assistants returned to Shelby this year after guiding the 2022 team that finished 1-2 at the ALWS.
“It just doesn’t seem real,” Bowles said after Monday’s semifinal win. “I just can’t say enough about these guys. I’m so proud they’re going to be playing for the big one tomorrow night.”
Chesapeake allowed the fewest runs in pool play, giving up just 10 runs in the three games. That allowed them to win the Stripes Division via the three-team tiebreaker.
They’ll need that pitching and defense against a League City team that has a field-best nine home runs. Odds are that at least one of the championship finalists will hit one out of the yard; through the first 14 games, only one didn’t include at least home run as the eight teams combined for a record 35 home runs.
A look at the teams vying for the 98th American Legion World Series championship:
League City (Tex.) Post 554
2025 record: 39-2
Roster*
No. Name Pos. Ht./Wt. B/T Graduates / School
5 Collier, Parker C / RF 5’11”/180 S/R 2025 / Clear Falls HS
9 Flores, Trenton C / P 5’10”/170 R/R 2025 / Clear Brooks HS
18 Halter, Matthew P / RF 6’4”/165 R/R 2025 / Clear Brooks HS
12 Higgins, Jackson 3B / P 6’0”/183 R/R 2025 / Santa Fe HS
21 Johnson, Nathan C / 1B 5’11”/190 R/R 2026 / Clear Creek HS
2 Keys, Conner RF / P 6’0”/160 R/R 2025 / Clear Creek HS
4 Lewis, JT P / 2B 5’11”/180 R/R 2025 / Santa Fe HS
17 Loeffler, Will P / RF 6’1”/210 R/R 2025 / Clear Creek HS
11 Paulson, Noah LF / P 6’0”/175 R/R 2024 / Clear Falls HS
3 Rouse, Ronnie P / 1B 6’2”/200 L/L 2025 / Santa Fe HS
8 Sampson, Asa P / CF 5’11”/159 S/R 2025 / Clear Creek HS
16 Sanchez, Evan P / 1B 6’3”/220 R/R 2025 / Clear Creek HS
6 Sauers, Tyler SS / 2B 5’11”/170 R/R 2026 / Clear Creek HS
7 Schindler, Caden 2B / SS 5’6”/165 R/R 2025 / Clear Creek HS
20 Williams, Jarret P / CF 6’0”/175 L/L 2025 / Santa Fe HS
Manager: Ronnie Oliver
Assistants: Randall Williams, William Kemp
How they got here
Western Regional
Aug. 6: Honolulu (Haw.) d. League City (Tex.) Post 554, 11-7.
Aug. 7: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Fairfield (Calif.) Expos, 10-0 (5 innings).
Aug. 8: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Las Vegas (Nev.) Post 149, 11-1 (5 innings).
Aug. 9: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Honolulu (Haw.), 16-12.
Aug. 10: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Petaluma (Calif.) Post 28, 11-1.
Aug. 10: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Petaluma (Calif.) Post 28, 9-1.
American Legion World Series
Aug. 15: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Portland (Ore.) Post 158, 7-6.
Aug. 16: Lincoln (Neb.) Post 500 d. League City (Tex.) Post 554, 14-7.
Aug. 17: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Rockport (Ind.) Post 254, 4-3 (10 innings).
Aug. 18: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Bossier City (La.) Post 202, 12-7.
Texas in the ALWS
American Legion World Series titles (1): League City Post 554, 2023.
Other American Legion World Series appearances (6): Austin, 1952; League City, 2022, 2024; South Houston, 1978; Texarkana, 2009; Texas City, 2000.
Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280
2025 record: 26-4
Roster*
No. Name Pos. Ht./Wt. B/T Graduates / School
14 Bonney, Jack 3B / 2B 5'9"/180 R/R 2025 / Greenbrier Christian Academy
3 Campos, Trey P / CF 6'0"/190 R/R 2025 / Landstown
1 Doon, Xavier 2B / SS 5'9"/140 R/R 2025 / Princess Anne
2 Downs, Reid LF / P 5'8"/160 L/L 2025 / Cape Henry
6 Gocio, Ryan C / RF 6'0"/210 L/R 2025 / Ocean Lakes
8 Haesler, Keegan 1B / P 6'3"/195 L/L 2025 / First Colonial
27 Hogan, Charlie P / CF 6'0"/185 R/R 2024 / Landstown
24 Kablach, Ben P / 1B 6'3"/215 R/R 2025 / Cox
23 Lebel, Colin P / CF 6'2"/195 R/R 2025 / Cape Henry
25 Parker, Aiden P / RF 6'7"/205 R/R 2025 / First Colonial
15 Stubbe, Wes SS / C 6'1"/195 R/R 2025 / First Colonial
4 Vandergrift, Reid SS / P 6'0"/190 L/R 2025 / Princess Anne
17 Woods, Ty P / 1B 6'0"/220 R/R 2025 / Atlantic Shores
Manager: Larry Bowles
Assistants: Clayton Inskeep, Mike Johnson, Tyler Morgan, Justin Shockley
How they got here
Mid-Atlantic Regional
Aug. 6: New Castle (Del.) Post 30 d. Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280, 4-1.
Aug. 7: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Ridge (Md.) Post 255, 8-3.
Aug. 8: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Cecil County (Md.) Post 194, 8-4.
Aug. 9: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Hazleton (Pa.) Post 76, 14-0 (6 innings).
Aug. 10: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. New Castle (Del.) Post 30, 13-2 (5 innings).
Aug. 10: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Cherry Hill (N.J.) Post 372, 10-6.
American Legion World Series
Aug. 15: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Greece (N.Y.) Post 468, 9-2.
Aug. 16: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Asheville (N.C.) Post 70, 5-4.
Aug. 17: Bossier City (La.) Post 202 d. Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280, 4-3.
Aug. 18: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Portland (Ore.) Post 158, 7-3.
Virginia in the ALWS
American Legion World Series titles (1): Midlothian Post 186, 1985.
Other American Legion World Series appearances (14): Bedford, 1994; Chesapeake, 2010, 2022; Colonial Heights, 1961; Glen Allen, 1989; Hampton, 1959, 1962; Leesburg, 2016; Midlothian, 2006; Norfolk, 1972; Richmond, 1950, 1973, 1981; South Richmond, 2008.
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