32°LEGION: Post 83 begins regionals against a familiar foe
11:21 PM
Aug 05
2009
Aug 05
2009
APPLETON, WI
After a disheartening 9-3 loss to the Ohio Trojans on July 8, the Sandusky American Legion Post 83 baseball team was mired in a 14-game slump.
But it was then that head coach Ray Neill had a lengthy heart-to-heart talk with his team in the outfield that lasted over 30 minutes.
Just under a month passed and an 11-game winning streak later, Post 83 (29-12) has won another state championship and is again back at the eight-team Great Lakes regional tournament in Appleton, Wisconsin.
“It was about a lack of attitude and approach,” Neill said about the speech he gave. “I think it has had an effect, but I think also these kids and the competitive nature in them understood the tournament had arrived.
“And here now they understand that we are in a national regional tournament right now. I’m not going back to that same speech this weekend, but the point of that conversation was well taken and it’s been continued with the importance of every game sense then. They’ve stepped up to the challenge.”
A chance at the next step awaits Post 83 today.
It was one year ago that Post 83 (29-12) won its first ever state championship, the first within a 60-mile radius of Sandusky, and advanced to the Great Lakes regional in Chillicothe, Ohio.
The team went 2-2 at the regional, and was the third-to-last team left playing and the 27th team left playing out of roughly 1,000 American Legion teams across the country.
The Great Lakes regional consists of state champions from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and the site’s host team, which is Appleton, Wisconsin.
Michigan’s state champion, Midland Post 165, is the defending regional champion and also happens to be the team that eliminated and ended Post 83’s run last season with a convincing defeat.
To kick off this year’s tournament, Post 83 gets a shot at Midland in the opening game at 11 a.m.
“It just so happens that Midland and Sandusky are the only two teams back here from a year ago, and we’re paired with each other first,” Neill said. “Last year the makeup of their team was one of quickness that performed very well on turf.
“Whether they are that same team this year or not, I don’t know. I will assume they can do everything. All I will ask my kids is to go out and play good baseball and we’ll see what the outcome is based off of that.”
The fact that Midland is the team that ended Post 83’s season last year has no bearing on Neill’s mind today.
“Not at all, no,” he said. “The fact that they are the defending regional champions is more on my mind than last year’s loss.
“I couldn’t even tell you the other teams we beat and lost to. I know we won two, lost two, came in third place and they won it last year.”
Neill talked about where his team stands mentally after 41 games into the season as the regional kicks off today.
“The focus of repeating as state champs and the challenge that comes with that, our young men were able to get that done,” Neill said. “Accomplishing that took a lot of energy and focus. We’re here to win a regional, and I think our adrenaline and our competitiveness will be where it needs to be when we take the field.
“We have a lot of competitors in our dugout, so I’m not concerned with a letdown or lack of commitment.”
Post 83 took 15 players to the regional from it’s original 18-man roster. Eric Hahn (Huron) was lost at the district tournament with a dislocated shoulder, his last minute replacement Tyler Dix (Perkins) will be reporting to Walsh University for football, while Sandusky High senior Zak Esposito is at football camp for the Blue Streaks.
The emergency backup catcher for starter Joe Consolo (Bellevue) if needed will be Michael Shepherd (Perkins/Washington & Jefferson College).
After a disheartening 9-3 loss to the Ohio Trojans on July 8, the Sandusky American Legion Post 83 baseball team was mired in a 14-game slump.
But it was then that head coach Ray Neill had a lengthy heart-to-heart talk with his team in the outfield that lasted over 30 minutes.
Just under a month passed and an 11-game winning streak later, Post 83 (29-12) has won another state championship and is again back at the eight-team Great Lakes regional tournament in Appleton, Wisconsin.
“It was about a lack of attitude and approach,” Neill said about the speech he gave. “I think it has had an effect, but I think also these kids and the competitive nature in them understood the tournament had arrived.
“And here now they understand that we are in a national regional tournament right now. I’m not going back to that same speech this weekend, but the point of that conversation was well taken and it’s been continued with the importance of every game sense then. They’ve stepped up to the challenge.”
A chance at the next step awaits Post 83 today.
It was one year ago that Post 83 (29-12) won its first ever state championship, the first within a 60-mile radius of Sandusky, and advanced to the Great Lakes regional in Chillicothe, Ohio.
The team went 2-2 at the regional, and was the third-to-last team left playing and the 27th team left playing out of roughly 1,000 American Legion teams across the country.
The Great Lakes regional consists of state champions from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and the site’s host team, which is Appleton, Wisconsin.
Michigan’s state champion, Midland Post 165, is the defending regional champion and also happens to be the team that eliminated and ended Post 83’s run last season with a convincing defeat.
To kick off this year’s tournament, Post 83 gets a shot at Midland in the opening game at 11 a.m.
“It just so happens that Midland and Sandusky are the only two teams back here from a year ago, and we’re paired with each other first,” Neill said. “Last year the makeup of their team was one of quickness that performed very well on turf.
“Whether they are that same team this year or not, I don’t know. I will assume they can do everything. All I will ask my kids is to go out and play good baseball and we’ll see what the outcome is based off of that.”
The fact that Midland is the team that ended Post 83’s season last year has no bearing on Neill’s mind today.
“Not at all, no,” he said. “The fact that they are the defending regional champions is more on my mind than last year’s loss.
“I couldn’t even tell you the other teams we beat and lost to. I know we won two, lost two, came in third place and they won it last year.”
Neill talked about where his team stands mentally after 41 games into the season as the regional kicks off today.
“The focus of repeating as state champs and the challenge that comes with that, our young men were able to get that done,” Neill said. “Accomplishing that took a lot of energy and focus. We’re here to win a regional, and I think our adrenaline and our competitiveness will be where it needs to be when we take the field.
“We have a lot of competitors in our dugout, so I’m not concerned with a letdown or lack of commitment.”
Post 83 took 15 players to the regional from it’s original 18-man roster. Eric Hahn (Huron) was lost at the district tournament with a dislocated shoulder, his last minute replacement Tyler Dix (Perkins) will be reporting to Walsh University for football, while Sandusky High senior Zak Esposito is at football camp for the Blue Streaks.
The emergency backup catcher for starter Joe Consolo (Bellevue) if needed will be Michael Shepherd (Perkins/Washington & Jefferson College).
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