The South Charleston Post 94 American Legion baseball team endeda 13-year state title drought last season, with its third overallchampionship.
Fresh off of its second consecutive title, which it won lastSaturday with a 9-1 win over Elkins at the University ofCharleston's Triana Field, the talented team has its sights set onending an even longer title dry spell.
The title advances South Charleston (33-8) to the American LegionMid-Atlantic Regional, which begins play today in West Lawn, Pa.
The regional winner advances to the American Legion World Seriesin Spokane, Wash.
South Charleston, the lone West Virginia representative in theeight-team, seven-state region, will look to become the firstMountain State team to capture a regional title since Wheeling Post1 in 1949.
South Charleston will face Salisbury-Wicomico, Md., at 4 p.m.today in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament.
Those that can't make the 8-hour trip to eastern Pennsylvania cantrack the action at www.legion.org/baseball/gametracker, or hear alive radio feed at www.terrysisisky.com.
The regional tournament will also give South Charleston a chanceto erase the year-long memories of last season's disappointingregional, in which it was unceremoniously bounced after losing itsfirst two games in Morgantown.
"We feel like we kind of let the state down last year," SouthCharleston Manager Dave Potter said. "We went up there and lost thefirst game that we had under control until the eighth inning, andthen we lost the second game because we lost the first game."
While that losing experience was tough to swallow, Potter saidthe experience has made the 2010 team - and particular the sevenreturnees from it - much more prepared.
"We've got several players back from last year's team that wentto Morgantown and lost two games," Potter said. "That experienceleft a bad taste in their mouths. They came back and rejuvenatedthemselves this year bound and determined to get back to regionalplay."
Potter credits those seven players, former Nitro players MattFrazer, Andrew Frazier and Andrew Pickering; former South Charlestonplayers Pat Lively and Josh Hudson; former George Washington playerKirby Patterson and former Hurricane infielder Steve Workman withhelping prepare the younger players for regional and possiblynational play.
"I think our older guys that played last year are on a mission,"Potter said. "They know what it's like to play in a regional now andthey've been helping the younger players prepare for the experience.
"We know what it's about now. Things like hopping on a bus for atrip, and seeing these teams from out of state. They know that theplayers from out of state are kids just like them.
Former Buffalo standout Jason Lewis (10-0) will toe the rubberfor South Charleston in Game 1 of regional play, while Pickering (3-2) will start Game 2.
South Charleston's staff of nine pitchers will also benefit froman explosive offensive squad that's hitting a collective .395entering regional play.
Frazer, a current West Virginia University player, leads the teamwith a .558 average (43-for-77), while Lewis has team highs inhomers (9) and RBI (41).
"I think this team is ready, and I'm looking for good things atthis regional," Potter said. "You don't get to the regionaltournament unless you're good because you have to beat all the otherteams in your state. We can play anybody. It's just a matter ofbeing on top of your game.
"It all starts with pitching. If we get good pitching and justmake the routine plays, everything will work our fine. We just haveto play good team ball and right now we've got a good teamattitude."
Posting a winner South Charleston Post 94 won its secondconsecutive state American Legion base- ball championship last week.Post 94 begins 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional play today: At Owls Field,West Lawn, Pa. * Thursday Game 1: Newark (Del.) Post 10 vs. Saratoga(N.Y.) Stampede, 9:30 a.m. Game 2: Spring City (Pa.) Post 602 vs.Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72, 12:30 p.m. Game 3: South Charleston Post94 vs. Salisbury-Wicomico (Md.) Post 64, 4 p.m. Game 4: Chesapeake(Va.) Post 280 vs. West Lawn (Pa.), 7 p.m. * Friday Game 5: LoserGame 1 vs. Loser Game 3, 9:30 a.m. Game 6: Loser Game 2 vs. LoserGame 4, 12:30 p.m. Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. winner Game 3, 4 p.m.Game 8: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m. * Saturday Game 9:Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, noon Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs.Loser Game 8, 3:30 p.m. Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 7p.m. * Sunday Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11, noon Game13: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, 3:30 p.m. (If three teamsremain after Game 13, the Game 11 winner draws bye into Game 15) *Monday Game 14: Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Gamer 13, noon Game 15:(if necessary), 3:30 p.m.
BRAD DAVIS/FOR THE DAILY MAIL South Charleston Post 94s AndrewPickering takes a swing during batting practice on Tuesday.
Contact Michael Dailey at mike.dailey@dailymail.com.
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