The American Legion is celebrating its 100th year, and has been sponsoring baseball teams since 1925.
Roughly one-third of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductees since 1962, 81 overall, were former American Legion players.
Despite this impressive fact, American Legion baseball in more recent years has had to compete with an increasing number of elite travel teams and showcase leagues for players, causing participation to drop nationally.
Locally, participation has also decreased to the point that once strong programs like Mayo and Severn can no longer field senior level teams.
Nevertheless, competition in Anne Arundel Legion District II remains strong this season with four Senior League and three Junior league teams playing. In the Senior League for players 19-and-Under, defending state champion Severna Park Post 175 is joined by Annapolis Post 7, Glen Burnie Post 40 and Cecil County (last season’s state runner-up to Post 175).
Cecil County competed in the Northeast District last season but the two other posts that fielded senior teams have since dropped out. With no other Senior League teams to play against, Cecil County petitioned to compete in the Anne Arundel district.
“They were nice enough to agree to allow us to play in their district,” said Cecil County general manager Scott Stenta, who last season turned the coaching duties over to Ethan Kline, the Elkton High School head coach. “The kids are excited to get the chance to play at all, but they are looking forward to playing against new teams, and new players.”
Last year, Severna Park Post 175 won the state championship game over Cecil County, but only after advancing back through the loser’s bracket.
“It means that the top two teams in the state last year are in the same district, which should up the competition level,” said Severna Park head coach Bob Hallett, whose team played well over 40 games last summer due to a heavy tournament schedule.
Post 175 will draw its talent from the Chesapeake, Broadneck and Severna Park high schools.
“We’re very fortunate with where we are able to draw players from,” Hallett said. “We have a lot of good talent to choose from.”
Hallett added that his squad will be loaded with the pitching it will need to compete through the state tournament again. Severna Park’s staff includes Severna Park graduate and current Towson University hurler Cam Clark, Brendan Simonds and George Lesher from Severna Park High, Dylan Young from Chesapeake High and Nick Griffin from Broadneck High. Griffin and Young both made the roster for the recently played Brooks Robinson All-Star Game.
“We try to recruit a lot of starting pitchers. You can never have enough pitching. Last year we were one arm short from winning it all,” Hallett said in reference to a region tournament loss to eventual national champion Delaware Post 1.
Hallett feels Post 175 has outstanding talent beyond its pitching staff – citing outfielder Jordan Hallett and catcher Mark Sasse along with multi-position players such as Craig Johnson, Jacob Way and Logan Harris.
“One of the fun aspects of Legion ball for the players is that they are going to play many different positions,” Hallett said.
Hallett also said the opportunity for rivals Severna Park and Broadneck to play as teammates will make for a special chemistry.
“The Severna Park and Broadneck kids play each other all out during the school year then, when Legion ball begins, they become friends,” he said. “They like the chance to play together.”
Annapolis Post 7 general manager Melvin Edwards also serves as District II commissioner. He has gone out of his way to ensure his team properly celebrates the Legion’s 100th anniversary (baseball play started in 1926).
“We decided to wear special throwback uniforms from the 1920s as they would have worn and we held special Opening Day ceremonies (with a Field of Dreams theme),” Edwards said.
Edwards was responsible for making it known to the national Legion offices of 2019 being the Legion’s 100th anniversary and promoting its tie-in with Major League Baseball. He has even started a website: Annapolispost7baseball.org.
Post 7 is coached by Kevin Brown and has already won all three games it has played. That includes a no-hitter pitched by Cam Nolet in a 10-0 victory over Glen Burnie last weekend. Post 7 will play Severna Park on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Other leading players for Post 7 include catcher Cam Tyson, shortstop Sam Kasprow and outfielder Xadiel (Rico) Alvarez, all of Annapolis High; third baseman Matt Ferony from Pallotti, and outfielder Roman March from St. Mary’s High. Post 7 draws its players from Annapolis and South River High Schools and several private schools.
Anne Arundel County’s third Senior League team is Glen Burnie Post 40, coached by George Ellenberger. Ellenberger said his team is very young and that he is looking to finish .500 or better after falling short of the break-even mark in 2018. The team draws its players from North County, Northeast and Glen Burnie high schools.
“Most of our guys are new to the team, so we’re obviously going to be a young team. Most of these guys are playing together for the first time,” Ellenberger said. “I have a big roster, around 20, but I expect that it may be difficult to get all of them together for every game.”
Among the top players for Post 40 are shortstop Shane Ellenberger and outfielder Jaden Jones from Glen Burnie High, second baseman Nick Biddinger and pitcher Chris Paugh from North County, and pitchers Troy Curran and Trent Rathell from Northeast.
Three Legion posts will field teams in the Junior League: Severn Post 276, Pasadena Post 277 and Dundalk Post 38. Glen Burnie Post 40 will play two games against both Severn and Pasadena.
“It will allow us to give our younger guys a chance to play in those games against guys their own age with the same amount of experience,” Ellenberger said.
Cecil County head coach Ethan Kline has six high schools to choose players from and also has a few eligible college players who will give him experience on his roster. Messiah College’s Colt Price will start at third or short and Phil Lyons from York College will pitch and play outfield.
Cecil College’s Paul Layton will pitch. High-schoolers Kyle Miller, Brandon Snyder and Collin Balphaser combine as a trio of starting pitchers.
“I know these kids can play Legion ball from seeing them play in previous years. They love to play and they love to travel,” Kline said. “It’s unfortunate the Legions around us felt they could not play at the older level, but it was very nice of the Arundel teams to include us. We plan to have fun.”
All of the Anne Arundel District II teams begin regular-season play this weekend with the season running through the third week in July when the playoffs commence.
