With a little luck, Mariners arrive at state

Superstition can carry a lot of weight in sports, and with that in mind, another broken down bus might be a sign of good luck for the Mission Valley Mariners.

On the eve of the State A American Legion baseball tournament in Billings, the Mariners' bus broke down and left the team stranded outside of Columbus. For any other group, this might seem like a bad omen.

Not for the Mariners. This one's a good sign.

"Absolutely," head coach Jami Hanson said.

"These little mishaps bring our team together."

Last week, the Mariners broke down on their way to Hamilton for the Western A district tournament. Regardless, they arrived and won it all, routing Bitterroot 18-3 in the title game and earning the West's top seed at today's 8-team, double elimination tournament.

"I'm extremely proud of our kids," Hanson said. "At one point in the season, we were like 9-10. Now we're 41-16. The kids have played very well lately and they've really come together. For a team to commit like they have during the summer, that's crucial."

All mishaps aside, the Mariners will face Gallatin Valley, the Southern A district runner-up, today at 3 p.m. at Dehler Park.

Gallatin Valley lost to Livingston 14-6 in Monday's district championship. Livingston plays the Bitterroot Red Sox in the opener today at 9 a.m.

Laurel plays Lethbridge at noon and Billings faces Great Falls in the nightcap at 7 p.m.

Riding a six-game win streak with a potent lineup filled with returning veterans, the Mariners are hoping to improve on last year's third-place finish.

"Hopefully we'll continue to come together and really keep improving," Hanson said. "At the start of the season, their first goal was to make it to state. The second goal was to win districts. The third is to win state. We're two of two so far, and trying to get to three."