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Great Lakes Regional Returns To Ohio

Toledo’s Mercy Field will again be the site of the American Legion Great Lakes Regional baseball tournament.

Half of last year’s field of eight teams returns for the five-day event, including defending champion Midland, Mich. and runner-up Danville, Ill., with the winner of the tournament qualifying for the World Series on Aug. 16-21 at Shelby, N.C.

“We went through all this for the first time last year so the second time is a lot easier,” tournament director Randy Bachman said of running the event which brings in teams from five states. “Organizing things we’ve already been through, so it’s much easier.”

One difference with the regional is games have been cut back from nine innings to seven innings.

“That was decided on by the assistant national director,” explained Bachman, who was not a proponent of the change.

Pitch counts have also been adjusted in 2018, with a 105-pitch limit for hurlers, 20 less than used a year ago.

Bachman credited District 1 as well as the host Napoleon American Legion for helping keep the event in the black.

“They have both been phenomenal,” Bachman said.

Midland and Eau Claire, the Wisconsin state runner-up,  will open this year’s tournament on Wednesday at 11 a.m. with Mount Prospect, the Illinois state champion, and Terre Haute, the Indiana state champ, meeting in game two.

Wisconsin state winner Sheboygan and Ohio state champion Circleville will play in game three at 4:30 p.m. with Illinois runner-up Danville and Napoleon, the host team from Ohio, playing in the day-one finale following a 7 p.m. fly-over and team introductions.

“Midland is the defending champ, but I’d say Terre Haute may be the team to beat,” predicted Bachman, who also expressed his opinion about American Legion baseball.

“People need to attend a regional and see what legion baseball is all about,” the long-time general manager of the Napoleon River Bandits said. “The regionals and World Series are phenomenal. They are run so well. The problem right now (with legion baseball) is at the lower levels with some of the leadership from the state level on down. They mean well, but they don’t always know how to do things. They need people that are willing to listen to guys that have been doing it and coaching in it for 20 to 30 years.”

Next year’s regional will be hosted by Charleston Post 93 in Illinois, with the 2020 Great Lakes Regional site not yet finalized.

Bachman is not ruling out running another event.

“If we do it again we’d do it at Defiance High School,” Bachman said. “The reason we didn’t this time was when we submitted the bid, Defiance didn’t have their new field.”

Thus, the tournament is at Mercy Field, the seventh year that Ohio has ever hosted an American Legion regional.

“As long as I have my faculties together, I’d consider doing it again,” Bachman said. “What we wanted to do this time is to raise the bar and we have done that. We heard so many good things after running last year’s event. I feel sorry for the poor guy running it after us.”

Following is a look at this year’s Great Lakes Regional field.

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Record: 28-9
The Team: After winning state two years in a row, Eau Claire comes in as state runner-up after losing to Sheboygan 5-2 for the title. Jack Brown threw a five-hitter in a 3-1 win over Plover to clinch a berth. The team then beat Sheboygan 10-0 before losing in the finals.
State-Ranked and College Players: Jack Brown (Eau Claire Memorial), 2018, 20, Minnesota State; Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire North), 2017, 36, Indiana Hills CC; Cooper Kapanke (Eau Claire Memorial), 2019, 122; Ethan Kjellberg (Elk Mound), 2018, Wisconsin-Stout; Jaxon Kostka (Eau Claire Regis), 2018, University of Mary; Austin Selz (Eau Claire Memorial, 2018, 71, Minot State; Ryan Venne (Eau Claire North), 2018, 44, Lindenwood (Mo) University.

Midland, Michigan

Record: Unknown
The Team: Midland is back after winning last year’s regional title with a 13-1 victory over Danville. The Michigan powerhouse, which has won the regional three of the last four years, has been to the World Series five times, winning the championship in 2009 and finishing second in 2014. Midland defeated Chief Pontiac 9-5 for the Michigan state title.
State-Ranked and College Players: Nick Dardas (Bay City Western), 2019, 24, Central Michigan; Tyler David (Bay City Western), 2018, Lansing CC; Seth Gower (Bay City Western), 2018, 174, Lansing CC; Logan LaCourse (Bay City Western), 2018, 73, Lansing CC; Martin Money (Midland), 2018, 127, Saginaw Valley State; Adam Randall (Bay City Western), 2019, 6; Brandon Smith (Saginaw Heritage), 2018, 23, Jackson JC; Garrett Willis (Midland), 2018, 53, University of St. Thomas-Houston.

Mount Prospect, Illinois

Record: 16-6
The Team: Mount Prospect won the Illinois state tourney in controversial fashion, being declared the winner after taking the winners’ bracket portion of the double-elimination format. Weather concerns and a lack of players for Mount Prospect were among the reasons given for awarding Mount Prospect first place. The team reportedly will only have 13 players at regionals.
State-Ranked and College Players: Matthew Raymond (Loyola), 2018, Calvin College; Jason Vrbancic (Loyola), 2018, 237, University of Chicago. 

Terre Haute, Indiana

Record: 29-7
The Team: In winning its 13th state legion title, Terre Haute edged Floyds Knobs 2-0 in the finals. Luke Lancaster threw a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and no walks.
State-Ranked and College Players: Cameron Cook (Terre Haute South), 2018, 190; Kendal Riley (Terre Haute North), 2018, 70, Southern Indiana. 

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Record: 27-17
The Team: This marks the first state title in program history for Sheboygan. Nathan Hendrikse tossed a complete game in beating Eau Claire for the Wisconsin championship.
State-Ranked and College Players: Nicholas Akstulewicz (Sheboygan North), 2018, Lake County CC; Jackson Pothast (Sheboygan North), 2018, 36, Indiana State; Brent Widder (Sheboygan North), 2019, 21, Evansville.

Circleville, Ohio

Record: 34-9
The Team: Circleville rolled through the Ohio state tournament unbeaten. In the finals, left-hander Nick Salyer tossed a four-hitter and Lane Larson had a two-run hit in a 4-2 victory over defending state champion Beverly-Lowell.
State-Ranked and College Players: Brett Carson (Teays Valley), 2018, 91, Muskingum. 

Danville, Illinois

Record: 33-6
The Team: After losing to Mount Prospect 3-1, Danville battled back to earn a berth with an 8-7 10-inning victory over Alton to finish as runners-up Illinois.
State-Ranked and College Players: Wyatt Boyer (Salt Fork), 2018, Greenville College; Andy Bunton (Danville), 2018, Danville Area CC; Austin Littleton (Paris), 2018, Olney Central JC; Gage Romack (Salt Fork), 2019, 182. 

Napoleon, Ohio

Record: 30-19
The Team: The hosts have had a long history of success in legion baseball, with five state championships and two regional titles. The River Bandits went two-and-out a year ago as the host team at the regionals
State-Ranked and College Players: Spencer Giesige (Tinora), 2019, 173; Ryan Mohr (Tinora, 2018, University of Findlay, 200; Parker Thiel (Hicksville), 2019, 172; Landon Willeman (Napoleon), 2020, 68.