It's go time in Legion baseball

Western AA scheds kick into full gear for Lakers, Twins

OK Flathead Valley fans, don't be surprised if both of your Class AA American Legion baseball teams make it to the state tournament.

I'm new to the scene up here and I've heard that the two Legion programs - the Kalispell Lakers and Glacier Twins - don't have a strong track record for consistently making the state tourney. But I'm telling you now, as the teams head into the thick of their conference schedules starting this weekend, they have a ton of potential and the talent to compete at state.

Unfortunately for Glacier, its got to dig itself out of the 0-4 Western AA start its gotten itself into. But, led by Jarred Krueger and Jesse Paulson, the Twins are one of the best hitting Legion teams I've ever seen.

I suppose I should mention right here that I helped coach the Eastern AA Butte Miners to the state tourney, where we won a game, last season.

Anyway … The Twins' pitching has come around tenfold in the past three weeks too.

Kalispell isn't bad either. Led by Zach Davis and John White, the Lakers have good pitching. They aren't hitting very well right now, but the top of their lineup isn't doing anything - and they're still winning. The Lakers are sitting in third place in the Western AA, which would give them a spot at the table if the season ended today.

Alright, I've got to throw this in here since I'm writing about Kalispell baseball: What's up with the dismal crowds at Griffin Field? The only thing I can guess is that it's summertime in one of the best outdoor playgrounds in the country.

Anyway, here's the thing with both teams: Glacier has won six of its last eight games and Kalispell has won 10 of its last 16 games. They are hot at the right time. Except for a game in North Dakota and three tournaments for each team, neither team has a non-conference date left on their schedule. Kalispell has 21 conference games left to play in 44 days, along with the tournaments. Glacier has 20 games left to play in 45 days, along with the tournaments.

Those summer road trips into Canada, North Dakota and Washington are going to be grueling, but every team in Montana will be doing trips like those. That's what makes American Legion baseball better than high school baseball - the road trips.

Circle your calendars for July 29 through Aug. 3. That's when the top four teams from each conference square off in Great Falls for the state title. The Regional Tournament is in Casper, Wyo., then it's the World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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Carl Hennell is a sports reporter and a copy editor for The Daily Inter Lake. He can be reached by e-mail at chennell@dailyinterlake.com