July 27, 2024
by Troy Mitchell

HOT SPRINGS –  Eli Berry and Wyatt Taylor put on a pitching clinic as Bryant claimed the 2024 American Legion Seniors State Championship at Majestic Park in Hot Springs.

Bryant came out of the elimination bracket to beat Sheridan twice on Saturday, first with an opening 5-2 victory, then a 4-1 win in the finale.

Feeding off the adrenaline of the first game, Bryant’s Rico Simmons started the game with a triple to left centerfield and scored on Braydn Coger’s ground out to short to put the Black Sox on top 1-0.

Again it was the Simmons/Coger arsenal that sparked a two-run third-inning for Bryant as the Sox increased their lead to 3-0.

Simmons led off with a single, stole second and scored when Hudson Thomason reached on an error. Thomason scored on Coger’s second hit of the game.

Bryant added a run in the fourth when Simmons picked up his third hit of the game scoring Aiden Stout who led off with a base hit of his own.

Meanwhile, Taylor was putting together a masterpiece retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before walking back-to-back batters in fourth and giving up an RBI single to John Woodmansee.

Taylor went on to finish the game and pick up the win. The right-hander allowed just one run on seven hits and got a lot of help from his teammates as the Black Sox defense was solid.

Bryant forced a second game behind the pitching of Eli Berry.

Berry recorded his second complete game victory of the tournament, scattering six hits while allowing just one earned run.

For his efforts this week, Berry earned the AJ Burnett Outstanding Pitcher Award having pitched 14 innings, with a 0.64 ERA (1 earned run), allowing a total of eight hits and recording nine strikeouts.

Sheridan got on the board first in the top half of the third-inning as Zach Carson and Jace Bradshaw began the frame with back-to-back singles to right field. Following a successful sacrifice bunt by Maddax Johnston, Logan Ward grounded out to second base to plate Carson for the 1-0 lead.

The very next inning, Sheridan struck for another run when John Woodmansee led off with a single and advanced to third when the ball got past the centerfielder and rolled to the fence. Payton Sterritt drove in the second run of the game when singled up the middle to score Woodmansee.

After manufacturing a run in the fourth without the benefit of a hit, Bryant got the sticks going scoring two runs to take a 4-2 lead after five innings.

Simmons reached on a base on balls to lead off the inning before Coger laced a double down the left field line to score Simmons. Coger then scored when Hank Penfield singled up the middle. Bryant’s third run of the inning came on a wild pitch.

Sheridan’s Logan Ward was named the Fred Wetzler Most Outstanding Performer of the Tournament. Offensively, Ward collected 6 hits with a home run, drove in 6 runs and scored 5 times.

Ward recorded a complete game win earlier in the tournament, striking out seven batters while giving up just one run.

American Legion Baseball presented Conway with the Paul Shireman Sportsmanship Award.

Earlier this week, Sheridan Head Coach Mike Moore was presented with the Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Moore has coached baseball for nearly 40 years at Sheridan High School and for American Legion Baseball. During his illustrious career, Moore has compiled nearly 1500 wins including recording his 700th victory earlier this year at Sheridan High School.

Moore has led the Yellowjackets to three AHSAA State Championships in addition to winning several American Legion State titles at the AA and Junior levels.

Well over 100 of his players have played at the collegiate level at 27 different institutions, with two of his players going on to play in the Major League.

Moore has been a positive role model and his had a major impact on so many young men. His dedication to baseball and the American Legion is unsurpassed and he is truly an inspiration and great ambassador for the game.  

Bryant now advance the American Legion Regional Championships in Washington, Missouri, August 7 – 12.

STUTTGART RALLIES TO CLAIM AMERICAN LEGION JUNIORS STATE TITLE
July 18, 2024
by Troy Mitchell

HOT SPRINGS – Stuttgart scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth-inning to come from behind and beat Cabot 7-6 and capture the American Legion Junior (17U) State Championship, Thursday at Majestic Park in Hot Springs.

With two-outs, trailing 5-4, Cam Rogers took Rylan Smith’s 2-2 pitch to right field to score Austin Fontenot who reached on a single of his own and Axtan McCrea who was on base after a fielder’s choice.

Cabot made the game interesting at the end as the Railcats put a pair of runners on base by virtue of walks followed by a RBI single by Jake Steelman to make the score 7-6.

Cabot would then proceed to load the bases, but relief pitcher Caiden Scalfe struck out Carson Sipes and forced Harrison Fry to foul out to end the game.

Earlier, trailing 1-0 in the third, Stuttgart scored three runs benefitting from a misplayed flyball by the Cabot center fielder that jump-started the frame.

Peyton Thompson led off the inning with a sharply hit single to left field before Axtan McCrea’s fly ball went off the center fielder’s glove and rolled to the fence putting runners on second and third with no outs.

Cam Rogers brought home the first run with a single to right field to score Thompson. McCrea later scored on JD Hertzog’s double down the left field line and would score himself on a Hayden Prine single.

Despite playing its fourth game in two days, Cabot was not about to quit scoring four runs on the fifth-inning to take a 5-3 lead.

After a pair of walks chased Stuttgart starting pitcher Hayden Prine, Miguel Homsher continued to stay hot at the plate for the tournament with a single to left to get within a run of the Ricemen.  

Cabot then tied the score when Homsher came home on a double-steal that was misplayed by the Stuttgart defense.

Reliever Caiden Scalfe struggled walking a batter and giving up consecutive hits with the go-ahead single coming from Nathan Fitch which scored two runs.

Stuttgart’s Beau Byers earned Most Outstanding Pitcher honors, while Cabot’s Miguel Homsher was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

Cabot made its way to the championship game avenging an early loss to Conway, recording a 7-6 victory after losing 48 hours earlier 16-2.

William Poe pitched 6 1/3 innings and record the win to improve to 3-0 in the tournament. Bryce Naquin entered the game after Poe reached his pitch limit to record the final two outs and pick up the save.

Eight of nine starters had hits for Cabot with Nathan Fitch having a two-run double to lead the way.
 

STUTTGART 7, CABOT 6
Cabot                    010    040    0        6-9-1
Stuttgart                003    004    X        7-7-1

Win - C. Scalfe. Loss - Rylan Smith. Save - None. WP - Rylan Smith 2(2); Chris Fowler(1); C. Scalfe(1). HBP - by H. Prine (Nathan Fitch); by Rylan Smith (P. Thompson).  E - Harrison Fry(1); Harper Feilk(1). DP - Stuttgart 1. LOB - Cabot 10; Stuttgart 5. 2B - JD Hertzog(2). HBP Nathan Fitch; P. Thompson. SB - M. Homsher 2(3); William Poe(2); Rylan Smith(4); Caden Ward(2); H. Prine 2(3); C. Scalfe(2). CS - C. Rogers(1).

Magnolia wins 15U tournament played at Sheridan with win over Bryant. Magnolia completed tournament play without a defeat. Congratulations to Magnolia Arkansas American Legion 15U State Champions and to Bryant State Runners Up.

The traditional sleeve patch is available for purchase through American Legion Emblem Sales by clicking here.

New forms will be posted as soon as made available by American Legion national office.

Team registration for the 2024 American Legion Baseball season has closed. It will re-open in late January or early February for the 2025 season at baseball.legion.org.

We encourage all teams planning to play American Legion baseball in the state of Arkansas to register their teams for the 2025 season as soon as the portal opens in late January or early February.  New teams may go to the link above to learn more about American Legion Baseball.

The schedule for Managers/Coaches meetings for the 2025 season will be released in the fall.

For planning purposes the 2024 insurance and registration fees were as follows:  Annual insurance $349.00 for Seniors and $261.00 for Juniors; Seasonal insurance $278.00  for Seniors and $211.00 for Juniors. Seasonal covers summer ball from the time you register and pay the insurance to the conclusion of the American Legion season in July or August. The national administrative team fee was $125.00 for Seniors and $100.00 for Juniors and the Arkansas registration fee was $575.00 for Seniors and $550.00 for Juniors.  

As a reminder all registered teams must play a minimum of five Legion games to become eligible to play in the respective state tournament playoffs (Seniors, Juniors & 15 and under). 15 and under is defined as 15 before May 1. This means they are ineligible to play 15U If they turn 16 before May 1.