This column originally ran in the Aug. 5, 2009 edition of The Mercury.

There is a handful or so of familiar teams lined up for Thursday’s opening rounds of American Legion baseball’s eight national regional tournaments. Among them are four that have won all but two of the last six World Series.

None is more recognizable, though – for Boyertown fans, that is – than South Richmond, Va.

A year ago, Post 174 (or the Blue Bombers for the color of their uniforms and what their bats did to the baseball) rallied twice to defeat the Bears, 8-4, in the Mid-Atlantic Regional winners’ bracket final. They went on to win the title, advance to the World Series in North Carolina, and finish third.

Boyertown led 2-0 after two innings and 3-2 after five. But South Richmond roughed up previously-unbeaten ace Shayne Houck and a couple of relievers for four go-ahead runs in the seventh and two additional runs in the eighth to put it away.

So guess who could possibly meet again this week, or Friday to be specific?

If the Bears (37-8) get by Mount Laurel, N.J. (33-4) in their opener, and

South Richmond (25-6) gets by host Morgantown, W.Va. (31-10) in its opener … yep, you got it, a rematch.

And considering there were a few choice words exchanged during as well as after last year’s meeting, there’s no doubt Friday’s second-round nightcap could add a little heat to the already blistering forecast.

Boyertown will have considerably fewer members from last year’s cast in the lineup. Brandon Sullivan, Ryan Zakszeski and Aaron Wilkins started in the game and are back, as are Ryan Schwager, who appeared as a pinch-runner; and Bryer Eshbach, who threw two-thirds of an inning of relief. South Richmond on the other hand, returns Bradley Shaban, Dustin Sollars, Chris Ayers and Joe Cujas – four of its top four hitters in national play last year.

Apparently that foursome hasn’t exactly cooled off, either. During last Friday’s 17-9 rout of Albemarle in the state final, Cujas – the tournament MVP – unloaded three home runs and knocked in five runs; Shaban had a home run and two other hits; Ayers belted a two-run homer; and Sollars contributed four RBI.

South Richmond invoked the 10-run rule in its first two wins, and put up 54 runs overall in its four-game sweep.

“These kids know how to play the game,” coach Byron Ballard told the Richmond Times-Dispatch following the championship.

“They come from quality [high school] programs. It’s great for them to come together, like each other and gel.”

*

The other Mid-Atlantic Regional openers feature Stahl Post, Del. against Rensselaer, N.Y. (32-5), and South Charleston, W.Va. (41-10) against Mount Airy, Md. (33-14).

Rensselaer – Melvin Roads Post 1231, that is – won its very first New York state title on a tiebreaker. Roads, as well as Smith Post and Jurek Post entered Sunday’s final day with identical 3-1 records before rained washed out play. State officials determined the champion by who owned the fewest runs allowed per inning average from the previous four games, and Melvin Roads (.400) edged Smith Post (.444).

Tony Abone Jr., the Smith Post manager, reportedly contacted an attorney to see if his team has any options in overturning the decision. He also contacted national American Legion officials to let them know he is considering legal action.

Stahl Post won its third state title in four years and 22nd overall; Mount Laurel was denied its first state title by Flemington and comes in as the Garden State runner-up; South Charleston won its third state title, with the previous two 34 years apart (1995 and 1961); Mount Airy won it second title to go with the first back in 1999; and host Morgantown, which was the two-time defending West Virginia state champion before South Charleston ended the run last week, has won 11 overall.

* * *

A glance at the other seven national regionals, which get under way Thursday morning:

NORTHEAST

At Manchester, N.H.: Portland, Me., which defeated Boyertown en route to the 2004 World Series title in Corvallis, Ore., won its second straight state title and sixth since 1996 to qualify. Portland (20-3) opens against Londonderry, N.H. (15-6), whose only previous state title was four years ago. … West Warwick, R.I. (26-13), with 10 state titles, opens against Colchester, Vt. (23-16), which just won its very first state title. … Flemington, N.J. (27-1), making its first regional appearance, takes on the only unbeaten team still playing this week – Newburyport, Mass. (29-0) – which is coming off its first state title. … Berlin, Ct. (29-5) won its second state title last week and debuts against host Manchester, which owns 27 state titles in its storied past.

SOUTHEAST

At Sumter, S.C.: Call it the host with the most. Sumter, which won three of the last five state titles – 11 overall – and is the defending regional champion, caps the first day of play against Salisbury, N.C. (32-7), which just won its fifth state title. … Shelbyville, Tenn. (19-14), which turned things around last month and won its second state title, opens against Bayamon, P.R. (34-4), no stranger to national play with 11 state titles. … Tuscaloosa, Ala. (47-6), which has won three straight state titles, six of the last seven and 19 overall, takes on Bradenton, Fla., coming off its third state-title performance. … And Irmo, S.C., with three state titles of its own, starts up against newcomer Conyers, Ga. (29-4), which won its first state title last week.

MID-SOUTH

At Enid, OK.: Like Sumter, Enid (40-13) has won 11 state titles, but it also swept the 2005 World Series championship. The Oklahoma power closes out the first day of play against Shelbyville, Ky., which last week won its second state title and first since 1983. … New Orleans Post 288, La. (25-7) won its first state title to earn a meeting with none other than Oklahoma runner-up Omaha Post 374, which was denied its 41st state title last week. … Hattiesburg, Miss. (19-10), which won its first three state titles in 1941, 1942 and 1953, added a fourth last week to qualify and meet up with two-time state champion and defending Mid-South Regional champion Jonesboro, Ark. (31-10). … And Midwest City, Okla. (68-9) – which split two games with Boyertown in the 1987 World Series in Stevens Point, Wisc. – opens against Texarkana, Tex. (24-3), which owns 10 state titles.

GREAT LAKES

At Appleton, WI: Pennsylvania state runner-up Nor-Gwyn (26-14) plays Game Two on Thursday against Rochester, Minn. (34-11), which last won a state title in 2003, or the year it rolled on to win the World Series in Bartlesville, Okla. … Midland, Mich. (44-7), which has won seven state titles since 2000 and 16 overall, is the defending regional champion and opens against Sandusky, Ohio (29-12), coming off its second state title. … Wassau, Wisc. (36-10) plays Hammond, Ind. (24-5), which won its second state title, and first since 1950. … The final game Thursday features Palatine, Ill., which won its second state title (and first in 20 years), taking on host Appleton, which swept its first state title in 1932 and added seven more since.

CENTRAL PLAINS

At Minnetonka, MN: Two of the most successful programs in American Legion baseball – Rapid City, S.D. and Omaha Post 1, Neb. – are featured in Thursday morning’s doubleheader. Rapid City (43-19), which won 18 straight state titles from 1970 through 1987, 25 of 29 through 1998 and 33 overall, captured the 1993 World Series championship, too. The South Dakota power opens against Festus, Mo. (34-3). … Up next will be Omaha, which won the very first state title in 1928 and 46 overall as well as the 1939 World Series. The Nebraskans take on Dubuque, Ia. (12-3), which won its third state title last week. … Dickinson, N.D. (38-9), which has won its first state title last year and its second last week, debuts against Minnesota runner-up Apple Valley (38-9). … Pittsburg, Ks. (28-3), like Dickinson in winning its first state last year and second last week, takes on host Excelsior in the nightcap.

NORTHWEST

At Medford, OR.: Corvallis, Or. (32-17), the host of the 2004 World Series, defeated Medford, 6-2, last week for its first state title since 2003 and sixth overall. The win earned Corvallis a tough opening-round draw with Billings, Mt. (45-14), which won 14 straight state titles from 1954 through 1967 and has won three of the last four to push its overall total to 35. … Cheyenne, Wy., which won seven in a row before coming up short last year, won its 15th overall last week and opens against Anchorage, Ak. (25-8), which warmed up its fans with its second state title in the last three years last week. … California runner-up Covina (25-4), making its national regional debut, opens against Bellevue, Wa. (33-12), which won its sixth state title last week. … Lewiston, Id. (35-18) plays host Medford (40-10), which owns 10 state titles overall.

WESTERN

At Fairfield, CA.: The one thing that hasn’t stayed in Vegas the past year is Las Vegas Post 76’s World Series championship and amazing 75-7 overall record. The defending national champions, coming off their fourth straight state title, open Thursday’s play against Albuquerque, N.M. (39-8), which has won three straight state titles of its own and 20 overall. … Greely, Co. (49-19) goes up against Kailua, Hi. (18-7), which won its first state title since 2001 and sixth overall. … Tucson Post 59, Az. makes its national regional debut against San Bernadino, Ca. (21-6). … The nightcap features Murray, Ut. (20-9), making its first appearance in national play, against host Fairfield (27-10), which has never won a state title.

* * *

All eight regionals are scheduled to be completed Monday, with the respective winners advancing to the 83rd World Series in Fargo, N.D.

A quick glance at Boyertown’s opening-day roster would’ve revealed some slim pickings.

The only everyday starters returning from a year ago — when the Bears won a record 21st state championship, finished third at the Mid-Atlantic Regional and 53-3 overall — were catcher Ryan Zakszeski and shortstop Brandon Sullivan. A couple of pitchers, Nate Schnell and Aaron Wilkins, who provided some valuable innings and more than a few wins, along with the versatile Ethan Moser, were also back.

That was pretty much it, too.

But the no-name lineup wasn’t exactly easy pickings, not at first, mind you.

The Bears won 21 of their first 22 games this summer, and sure looked like they were well on their way to another Berks County League title.

Then they hit the skids ... or slid into a very, very uncharacteristic slump — losing three straight league games for the first time in at least 40 years — and five of six heading into the playoffs. And there wasn’t any one particular aspect manager Rick Moatz could put his baseball finger on, either. The Bears simply weren’t getting the pitching they’re accustomed to, weren’t playing the kind of fundamental defense they’re accustomed to, and they sure weren’t putting the ball in play enough or producing the offense they’re accustomed to.

“That was surely one of the longest streaks we’ve ever gone through,” Moatz said Friday.

It didn’t last beyond the week most prefer to forget about, because the Bears snapped out of their funk and back to their customary ways by running the table in the Berks County League playoffs — five straight wins to earn a trip into this morning’s (9:30) opening round of the Pennsylvania Region Two Tournament at Hostelley Field in Upper Gwynedd Township.

“We just noticed the kids were not playing aggressively,” Moatz said of the woeful week. “Maybe they were thinking too much. But they weren’t laying it on the line.

“So we talked to them about their attitude, about knowing where they were from, about our expectations. We talked, because we wanted to ingrain that into their psyche. We had a few tough practices, too. I think they responded in a very positive manner, too.”

Moatz admitted their response wasn’t perfect, and recalling those six errors in a 6-5 win over Muhlenberg would attest to that.

“But they battled through it, played through it,” Moatz explained. “They really showed some mental toughness.”

And won a 30th league title in the process, something neither Moatz nor anyone else on his staff may have thought was possible when pulling the gear out of Bear Den 2 and swinging into the season less than eight weeks ago.

“I know we got out to 20-1 or 21-1,” Moatz said, who won his 1,000th career game during that early stretch. “But I don’t know if we were playing well or the other teams were getting off to a slow start. Because of the new (league format, or reduced schedule), we didn’t get a lot of non-league games in. And there were a lot of rainouts, too. It was tough finding out exactly where we were.”

One of the reasons was because of the lack of experience. The coaching staff knew Sullivan and Zakszeski, were well aware of what Schnell, Wilkins, and Moser could bring to their team.

“But there was that inexperience,” Moatz said. “Even for Moser, who came back from college this year after pitching and playing a little outfield and first base for us last year. He never really developed into what he is now. It was a maturing process for most of our kids. It took time for a lot of them to understand what they had to do, too.”

Whatever they may not have understood before the early July skid, they sure understood after.

“Our pitching up to that point was very inconsistent,” Moatz explained. “We get a good game or two, then we’d throw a klunker. We just couldn’t put together a lot of good games.”

Couldn’t because of a defense that self-destructed at times, and an offense that didn’t bunt the ball well and put up an unusual amount of strikeouts — many of which came with runners in scoring position.

“We just lacked that ability to execute Boyertown baseball,” Moatz said. “We had to adjust. We had to work harder to get where I wanted them to be.”

For the record, the Bears did adjust ... and now they’re not only where Moatz wanted them to be, but where most Boyertown teams are at this juncture of the season -- at the state regional.

“In the beginning of the season, I was hoping we’d be where we are right now,” Moatz said. “I just didn’t want to go two weeks or so of not playing (until the state tournament at Bear Stadium on July 28). But I feel they’re ready to go now. We’ve had some good practices, and they’re focused on going out there to win.”

Boyertown (28-6) will likely go with Schnell (5-1) in this morning’s opener against Hatfield (23-4), which is expected to throw Eric Ruth, who may only be 4-0 this summer but was 12-1 and the ace of the North Penn High School team that won the PIAA-Class AAAA state title last spring. ... The Bears have won three straight Region Two titles and five of the last six.

REGION THREE

NorChester is the Region Three Tournament’s three-time defending champion and will take a swing at four in a row when it debuts in today’s opening round against Narberth at Spring-Ford High School’s Ram Stadium.

The Bulldogs are unquestionably the area’s hottest team. They have won 23 games in a row — including fives straight en route to the Chester County League championship last week — and own an eye-opening 29-2 overall record.

“There was a time when NorChester would be happy just to make the playoffs,” said manager Corbin Stoltzfus. “But this is something we expect out of our kids now.

“We start every season with the intention of winning our league. We’ve won a few league titles, a few (Region Three) titles, so we certainly can’t hide from anyone anymore. The kids know that now.”

They’ve responded quite well, too.

Stoltzfus has a very good, and very deep, pitching staff with Jeff Kelly (8-0), David Vining (3-2), Tyler Setzler (5-0), Jeff Wiand (5-0) and unsung Tim Ponto. The Bulldogs can play defense behind every one of them. And they can hit ... boy, can they hit.

From one through nine, there just isn’t a weak spot. Brandon Engelhardt, who leads off and plays second base, may well be the MVP of this area’s summer baseball season. Catcher Ryan Chesler is an excellent leader behind the plate, and combined with designated-hitter Ryan Deitrich and Jeff Wiand, gives the Bulldogs quite an offensive punch from the third through fifth spots in the order.

“These guys have been through a lot with us, so they know what we expect from them and they never seem to be bothered by the pressure,” Stoltzfus said. “They’ve been through this, through the playoffs ... a lot of tough games. None of this is new to them.”

Spring City is serving as the Region Three host for the third time in 10 years. Manager Jamie Scheck’s ballclub is 27-7, well-rested and definitely a contender, too.

“You don’t want to look past that team,” Stoltzfus said last week. “I know we won’t.”

Scheck has a very respectable rotation that features Mike Haslam (8-1), Sean Larkin (7-0) and Matt Hamilton (4-0).

Also worth keeping an eye on is J.P. Mascaro, which features most of the players from the Methacton High School team that finished second to Owen J. Roberts -- or most of the NorChester players -- in the Pioneer Athletic Conference Final Four championship last May. The Haulers are coming off their seventh straight Greater Norristown League title run.

Apparently, the team with the mouths that roar also had the bats that roar … at least when it counted the most.

South Richmond (Va.), which made quite a spectacle of itself last Saturday night at the conclusion of its Mid-Atlantic Regional winners bracket final win over Boyertown, capped a nonetheless impressive run to the title Monday night with a 20-12 rout of Edison (N.J.) here at Shepherd Stadium.

The Virginia state champions bounced back from a humbling 15-4 loss to Edison earlier Monday. And they bounced back in quite an impressive manner.

Edison led 8-0 after its first turn at the plate, but watched South Richmond use three big innings – a five-run first of its own and three-run rallies in both the fourth and sixth – to get within 12-11. A single run in the seventh tied it, then South Richmond used two hit-batsmen, one walk and five hits to push across eight runs in the eighth and turn the final into a romp. Blake Hauser’s three-run triple and Ryan Parker’s two-run homer were the big blows in the burst that came against four of the seven pitchers Edison used in the game. Hauser, the fourth and final pitcher South Richmond sent to the mound, picked up the decision with 2-1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

South Richmond improved to 32-5 and advanced to this week’s World Series in Shelby, N.C.

South Richmond’s late-game heroics overshadowed a monster regional for Edison’s Stephen Nappe, who had four home runs – two in Sunday’s elimination game against Boyertown – and a regional-high 16 RBI. … Boyertown’s Cody Kulp and Nole Saylor tied Nappe for the long-ball lead with four homers themselves. … South Richmond, which got through the first two rounds with a pair of one-run wins and only outscored its six opponents by a 61-52 margin, had the second-highest team earned run average (8.01) among the final four teams at the regional, topped only by the Anaconda, N.Y. staff’s woeful 9.25 mark. … Boyertown, led by Kulp (.474), Shayne Houck (.471) and Ryan Zakszeski (.467), hit only .290 as a team, well below its season-ending average of .382. The Bears’ 5.91 ERA at the regional was also double that of their season-ending mark of 2.80. … Next year’s Mid-Atlantic Regional shifts west to Morgantown, W.Va.

NORTHEAST

Bristol (Ct.) wasn’t such a nice host after defeating Portsmouth (N.H.), 5-4, for its third Northeast Regional title – and first since that last-inning comeback over Spring City in the 1997 showdown in nearby Middletown, Ct.

The Connecticut power, which saw state champion Waterford go out in two straight, got a big week from the R&R Boys – Marco Ross, who hit .522 with 11 RBI, and Mitch Rossi, who was 3-0 and made five appearances on the mound while compiling a 1.06 ERA.

Bristol (35-9), which made its previous World Series appearances in 1984 and 1974, is 2-6 overall in series games.

SOUTHEAST

Sumter (S.C.) denied host Shelby (S.C.) a spot in its own World Series with a come-from-behind 4-3 win over its state rival in Monday’s final.

Sumter, the South Carolina state champions, trailed 3-0 after two innings, but got even after five and scored the winning run – an unearned run thanks to the seventh and final Shelby error of the game – in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Talley threw 7-1/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief to pick up the decision for Sumter.

Sumter (31-4), with just one previous trip to the World Series, split its four games in 2006.

MID-SOUTH

Jonesboro (Ark.) will make its World Series debut later this week thanks to a very impressive run to the Mid-South Regional title.

Coming off its first state title in six years, Jonesboro recovered from a 13-4 opening-round loss to League City (Tex.) with five straight wins. The last two were on Monday – 7-6 over Tupelo (Miss.) and a 4-1 over League City in the final.

Cade Lynch threw two complete games and allowed just one run for Jonesboro (42-10), which was led offensively by a fella by the name of Ross Smith (.417).

GREAT LAKES

Midland (Mich.) opened with an 8-6 win over Eden Prairie (Minn.) and closed with an identical 8-6 win over DePere (Wisc.) to capture its third Great Lakes Regional championship.

One of the nation’s hottest programs with six state titles since 2000, Midland put together 15-1 (over Pennsylvania state runner-up Bradford), 11-1 and 11-2 routs in between those first and last wins en route to outscoring their five opponents by a 53-16 spread. Six starters hit well over .400 for Midland, which finished with a .403 team batting average and 2.51 team earned run average. And if those figures aren’t enough, the team committed just one error the entire tournament.

Midland (55-10), which won the 1990 and 1996 Great Lakes Regional titles, is 4-4 overall in its two World Series appearances.

CENTRAL PLAINS

Omaha (Neb.) had been represented in a dozen World Series, and now Post 374 will make it 13 after running the table in the Central Plains Regional.

The Nebraska representatives, with five state titles but no regional championships until Monday’s 11-8 victory over Blue Springs (Mo.), put up double figures in the runs scored column five straight days, hit a collective .474, and compiled a 1.62 earned run average in their sweep. Brandon Bass (.667), Steve Jensen (.609) and two teammates were well over the .500 mark, while state-tournament MVP Tyler Niederklein led the pitching staff with a 2-0 mark.

Post 374 (40-16) will attempt to match Nebraska’s only other World Series championship – achieved by Omaha Post 1 way, way, way back in 1939.

NORTHWEST

Kennewick (Wash.) recovered from an opening-round loss to Boise (Id.) with five straight wins – the last a 6-3 thriller over the Idaho state champions – to capture third Northwest Regional championship.

The Washington power, which outscored four opponents between the first and last games of the regional by a 54-11 margin, got monster weeks from Eric Yardley (.625) and Max Garrett (.520, 12 RBI) on the offensive end. The five wins were split between five pitchers on a staff that compiled a collective 2.39 ERA.

Kennewick (48-18) has appeared in two previous World Series and had to settle for runner-up honors in both – losing to New Brighton, 11-5, in 1999, and getting blanked by Portland (Me.), 2-0, in 2004.

WESTERN

Las Vegas (Nev.) went into national play with more wins than anyone in the nation, and will take that distinction to the World Series after capping a five-game sweep of the Western Regional with a 7-3 decision of Honolulu (Hi.).

Post 76 committed just five errors, had four regulars hit over .400, and got strong starting pitching as well as four scoreless appearances and three saves from Jeff Malm in the sweep.

Las Vegas has been represented in eight previous World Series, but this will be the first for Post 76 and its eye-opening 70-7 overall record.

SERIES NOTES

Three states - Arkansas, Connecticut and Washington - will be represented in the World Series for the second straight year, but none of the eight teams in Bartlesville (Okla.) last year are back. … Only four teams have won back-to-back series championships – Oakland (Calif.) in 1949-50; Cincinnati (1957-58); West Covina (Calif.) in 1970-71; and Rio Piedras (PR) in 1973-74. … Four other states – Alaska, New Mexico, Vermont and Wyoming – have yet to send a team to the World Series. … This week’s showdown in Shelby is the 82nd renewal of the series. It began in 1926 in Philadelphia’s Sesquicentennial Stadium (and later renamed John F. Kennedy Stadium). The series wasn’t held the following summer because the American Legion National Convention, scheduled in conjunction with the series at the time, was held in Paris, France. There have been no interruptions since. … Friday’s opening-round matchups feature Omaha against Las Vegas and Midland against South Richmond in the 10 a.m. doubleheader, and Kennewick against Jonesboro and Sumter against Bistol in the 5 p.m. doubleheader. … Next year’s regionals (Aug. 6-10) and series (Aug. 14-18) are both being moved up a week.

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — Moments after returning from an early Saturday morning practice, Boyertown manager Rick Moatz and assistants Craig Eddinger, Pete Hiryak, Matt Matlack and Jeff Pinder feasted on some watermelons outside their hotel. In between bites, they were discussing what they knew about South Richmond, a team their Bears would be facing later Saturday night in the winners bracket final of the Mid-Atlantic Regional.

There wasn’t much to talk about, at least not about South Richmond, that is.

The staff was more concerned about, and more open about, the alarming number of times their own players were striking out.

They had every reason to be concerned, too.

In Thursday’s opening-round thriller against Gaithersburg, Md., the Bears went down a season-high 14 times. In Friday night’s blowout of the host Buccaneers, they fanned another 12 times.

“That’s way, way too many times,” Moatz mumbled.

Indeed it is.

But it is also a statistic that most everyone else is overlooking, which is easy to do when watching a team swing the bats like the

Bears have been doing (here, as they have all year, too).

There were those 14 strikeouts against Gaithersburg, but there were also those 13 hits - including three doubles, a triple and four home runs - that helped produce 11 runs ... or one more than the Maryland state champions. And there were those 12 strikeouts against Colonial Heights, but there were also another 13 hits - including three doubles and three more home runs - that helped produce the 14 runs that invoked the 10-run rule after eight innings.

Ol’ Yogi couldn’t even make sense out of the disparaging numbers.

No, they don’t add up.

There aren’t many teams at any level that whack as well as whiff like Boyertown has of late.

One more time here - two games, 26 basehits and 25 runs to go along with 26 strikeouts.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Moatz said.

Nor does anyone else really.

Before heading south here, the Bears averaged just over four strikeouts a game - 258 in their 54 previous games. And how that number has more than tripled in the two games here is anyone’s guess because the pitching, despite what anyone has seen, heard of or cares to talk about, isn’t anywhere near two or three times better than the pitching Boyertown went up against in the Berks County League or in either of the Region Two of state tournaments.

There simply isn’t any explanation. Even a few of the players, when asked about the going-down-on-strikes dilemma, had the puzzled look while shrugging their shoulders.

If there is something Moatz and his staff can live with, though, it’s that the Bears are still pushing the runs across and not stranding an unusual amount of baserunners in scoring position when they do strikeout. They have left 12 runners on in their two games, and half were on the bases when someone in the lineup went down on strikes.

“We have to be concerned, especially when we’re supposed to be going up against (South Richmond’s) ace tonight,” Eddinger said.

Stay tuned.

OUTTA HERE

Defending national champion Columbia, Tenn., as well as runner-up Eden Prairie, Minn., were both eliminated from their respective regionals on Saturday.

In the Southeast Regional at Shelby, N.C. - the site of next week’s World Series - Columbia, which recovered from an embarrassing opening-round 10-0 loss to Sumter, S.C., bounced back the next day with a 5-1 win over Leesburg, Ga. However, Saturday afternoon it was Tuscaloosa, Ala., that ended Columbia’s season with an 11-10 win. Columbia (34-19) trailed 5-0 and 11-5 before scoring seven times in the last three innings to create a 12-12 tie. Tuscaloosa (32-14) came back in the bottom of the ninth, though, when Corben Green (5-for-5) singled and scored on Jay Davis’ RBI basehit.

In the Great Lakes Regional at Chillicothe, Ohio, Eden Prairie debuted with an 8-6 setback to Midland, Mich., then recovered in time to crush Chillicothe, 14-1. But Saturday afternoon, after scoring in the ninth to tie it at 2-2 and force extra innings, Eden Prairie (45-13) saw its postseason run end in the 11th inning when a hit-batsman, sacrifice bunt and Cody Koch double lifted Sandusky, Ohio (35-10) to the victory.

* * *

Leesburg, Ga., which went into the Southeast Regional with the fewest wins and games played of any team in the nation - a quite mediocre 8-4 mark - finished its season at 8-4. The Georgia state champions lost to Randolph County, N.C. by an 8-4 spread before the 5-1 loss to Columbia.

HOSTS WITH THE MOST

Two host teams were in winners bracket finals Saturday night. Up in the Northeast Regional, host Bristol, Ct. (33-8) was taking on Portland-Nova, Me. (28-3); while in the Southeast Regional, host Shelby, N.C. (36-14) was taking on state-rival Randolph County (42-12).

Sixty-four American Legion baseball teams are still playing today and, yes, Boyertown is one of them.

What’s new, eh?

Well, NorChester should be one of those 64, too. Problem is the Bulldogs ran into one of the best pitchers in Pennsylvania in the opening round of last week’s state tournament, then stumbled through their worst game of the entire summer at the absolute worst time — when they faced off against Boyertown in the next-to-last game of the tournament.

With all due respect to Bradford — which battled all the way through the losers bracket to get into that final game and advance into today’s opening round of the Great Lakes Regional — there is no question NorChester was over and above the best team behind Boyertown in the field.

What cost the Bulldogs dearly, or ended their season prematurely, wasn’t any error in the field or any error in judgment by manager Cobin Stoltzfus.

Not at all.

What cost the Bullodgs was not having their ace throw one pitch the entire tournament, or the entire postseason, for that matter. He wasn’t overworked. He wasn’t ailing. He wasn’t off on a family vacation, either.

Nope, he was in the dugout with the rest of the NorChester team for the entire Region Three and state tournaments.

The Bulldogs ace was told not to pitch by his college coach (who he has yet to throw even a fastball for). And Stoltzfus was told not to use his ace by that same college coach.

Yet another pathetic example of our “me-me” society today.

And does the selfishness ever get magnified tenfold in the dizzying circle of sports today, too.

Not so awfully long ago, a youngster by the name of Mike Mussina and his Montoursville teammates stolled into Bear Stadium for the state tournament. He had already committed to Stanford University, before he was a first-round draft choice of the Baltimore Orioles. But Mussina had the support of both the Cardinal staff and the Orioles ... and finished his American Legion season with Montoursville.

It was pretty much the same story for a couple of other Stanford standouts Rob Wassenaar of Edina, Minn., and Stan Spencer of Vancouver, Wash. Wassenaar pitched Edina all the way to two American Legion World Series, winning the 1983 national title (over Boyertown) after already committing to Stanford. Spencer pitched Vancouver into the 1987 World Series, even threw in the final (and lost to Boyertown) after already committing to Stanford. Neither was told to shut their arms down those summer. Come to think of it, two of Wassenaar’s teammates — Greg Olson and Mike Halloran — were playing after committing to the University of Minnesota.

There were others, too.

One that comes to mind is Brooklawn’s Brett Laxton, who pitched the New Jersey power to the 1991 World Series championship in Boyertown and to the final day of the 1992 World Series in Fargo, N.D. ... after having already committed to LSU (where he would become the National Freshman of the Year and later help the Tigers to the College World Series title).

New a few more names, perhaps familiar names?

How about Boyertown’s Ivan Snyder (pitching after committing to Alabama), John Ludy (pitching after committing to St. Joseph’s), and Greg Gilbert (playing after committing to West Virginia)? And Spring City’s Craig Clark (pitching after committing to Penn State) warrants mention, too.

In all fairness (despite hating to admit it), the NorChester ace did pitch in about a half-dozen games early this summer before leaving to complete a class or two at the college. But he returned in time for the postseason ... and was denied the opportunity to pitch.

If the college coach feared his prized recruit was going to get hurt, well, that’s part of the game. Heck, getting through each and every day of the week away from any ballpark without getting hurt, sick or whatever is part of life, too. And if being overworked by Stoltzfus was a concern, it shouldn’t have been. The Bulldogs manager wouldn’t jeopardize any of his ballplayers’ health let alone their careers, especially a pitcher who was getting a scholarship to the Division I school and a pitcher who was selected in the Major League Draft. The college coach could’ve easily put restrictions on the amount of pitches or innings he worked, too, if it was a concern.

Nope ... forget it.

Instead, one of the best pitcher to throw a baseball in this area in a long, long time spent most of his summer watching games instead of pitching in them.

That wasn’t fair to him or to his teammates, who battled gallantly and came within one win of playing this week.

But a young man was denied a valuable baseball experience — pitching in big games against good hitters in front of a lot of people — the kind of experience he could’ve taken to the mound next spring in college.

He was also denied what every devoted youngsters works for, perhaps even dreams of - playing for a state title, or even a national title (don’t forget this season’s NorChester ball club may have been even better than the previous two that advanced to the Great Lakes national regional).

He was denied that chance.

He was denied memories (and, incidentally, the “denied memories” was an off-the-record comment made by not one or two college coaches, but three college coaches who sat in on last week’s state tournament in Boyertown).

Which leads some to wonder what will happen in two, three or four years if the same young man is part of his college’s starting rotation or bullpen and gets drafted again ... just as his team is headed for the NCAA playoffs? Will that same coach begrudge the young man if he packs up his gear and heads off to the minor leagues?

Well, here’s hoping the young man — as well as his team — experiences all the success imaginable in the ensuing years. It will truly be interesting to see if that aforementioned scenario develops ... to see how that college coach reacts if one of his pitchers is told to shut it down and get to his first professional baseball assignment.

Todd Speilman could’ve made Boyertown High School’s track team Saturday afternoon.

Shame the lil’ fella is already in college.

There was no question who was first on the field racing to the mob-like celebration just beyond the second base bag after the Bears won their third straight Pennsylvania American Legion State Tournament championship with a 16-0 rout of Bradford.

This time last year, Speilman missed the last 2-1/2 games of the state tournament in Royersford when he tore his hamstring stretching for a throw at first base. He hobbled out to share in the celebration when that was over. He was also sidelined the following week, and again hobbled out to share in the celebration when the Bears won the Mid-Atlantic Regional in West Lawn. And he was still sidelined and limping when the Bears battled through four games at the World Series in Bartlesville, Okla.

“That just wore on me and wore on me ever since,” Speilman said Saturday. “Even when I was up at Alvernia (College) this year, I wanted to be part of that team real bad. But this is where I wanted to be.

“I wanted a state championship, and I wanted to be on the field for it this time. And I wanted to be on that pile out there.”

Speilman did his part in helping Boyertown to its third straight state title, fourth in the last five years, and record 21st overall. He had five hits, scored seven times, and knocked across four runs at the plate; pulled in the throws and played errorless ball at first base; and the southpaw walked just one, fanned 10 and had a 2.89 earned run average in 9-1/3 innings of work on the mound.

“Todd is one of the reasons we were able to get through this and win it,” manager Rick Moatz said. “Shayne (Houck), Todd, and Nate (Schnell) just threw so well. They were all a big plus for us.”

Speilman was having a great tournament a year ago, at least until he tore a hamstring in his left leg while fully extended grabbing a low throw. It occurred in the eighth inning of the winners bracket final against State College.

Sitting out the remainder of the postseason, well …

“I can’t even begin to explain how hard that was,” Speilman said of being sidelined. “I don’t know what to say.

“I know we came out here wanting this. But I don’t know if anyone wanted it more than me. I wanted this one real bad.”

Trying to inject some sense into Shayne Houck’s season isn’t easy.

“I guess it is ridiculous,“ Houck said following Saturday’s rout of Bradford and after receiving the tournament’s Outstanding Hitting, Pitching, and MVP awards.

Actually, ridiculous may not cover it.

There were a lot of oohs and aahs during last week’s Region Two Tournament up in Coplay when Houck hit .625 with five home runs. But jaws were dropping in disbelief this week when he hit an absolutely “ridiculous“ .833 (15-for-18) that included four walks, eight runs, four stolen bases, eight RBI, and a 1.111 slugging percentage.

And that doesn’t even include his 2-0 record (and one save) and 0.00 earned run average in two starts and 13 innings of work overall on the mound.

“I’m just feeling really relaxed up there,” Houck said. “I just have a lot of confidence that whoever is out there (pitching) and whatever they throw I’m going to hit it. I just feel as though I’m going to get a hit.“

What Houck has been doing the past two weeks isn’t exactly a fluke, mind you. The 18-year-old standout came into the state tournament with a .535 average through 49 games. Saturday, he picked up his 100th hit of the season — that’s season, not his career.

“Shayne is just on fire,” said manager Rick Moatz. “He’s doing just a fantastic job. Sometimes you have to ride the shoulders of a guy who is on hot like this.”

Hot?

Has Moatz ever seen anyone so hot?

“Probably not,” he deadpanned, breaking into a smile.

Boyertown’s 41-game winning streak is believed to be a record for the organization. The team’s 53-1 overall mark is believed to be the best of any previous Boyertown team, bettering the 47-1 mark the 2004 Bears ballclub took into the Mid-Atlantic Regional (and the team that finished 54-4 after a fourth-place effort in the World Series).

Ford “Skip” Carnes, Pennsylvania American Legion’s state activities director, announced Saturday the state tournament will return to Bear Stadium in 2010. Next year’s affair will shift to the western part of the state in St. Mary’s.

Baseball lost one of its big hitters last week with the passing of Barry Trate.
The kids who play the game lost a great coach, an even greater role model … one of their most loyal fans.
The entire area lost a genuine gentleman.
Yes, Jane Trate did lose her devoted husband of 52 years, and Laurie, Cherie, Marcie and Chris did lose their beloved father. The emptiness, and the heartbreak his passing has created in the family, was oh so evident the past week, as it will be throughout this morning’s memorial services.
Time, as so many know, doesn’t heal all wounds.
But as Jane and Laurie, Cherie, Marcie and Chris have already heard – and will continue to hear – Barry Trate inspired and influenced so many lives beyond his immediate family. They’ve heard the stories, some over and over again and, aside of a new one here and there, will continue to hear them for quite some time.
And if they haven’t already, will soon realize just how Barry Trate’s love of baseball impacted so many youngsters’ lives.
“He loved baseball and he loved kids,” said Ross “Squiggles” Smith, chairman of the Boyertown American Legion Baseball Committee. “And he loved teaching baseball to kids.”
*
Barry Trate fell in love with baseball growing up in Reading and played it as passionately as anyone every spring in high school and every summer for the Gregg Post’s American Legion organization. It didn’t change while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps – and playing for his unit in Quantico, Va. – either. Then, nearly 50 years ago, Trate brought his knowledge of the game and his uncanny ability to teach it to the Pottstown area.
It would be easy to point a finger toward an entire dugout full of men responsible for revitalizing the game in this area. But Barry Trate would definitely be in there among them.
He got involved with both of Pottstown’s Junior and Senior American Legion programs, and no one was more grateful – or expressed their appreciation for what Trate brought to their organizations – than the late Pat Sundstrom and his son Carl Sundstrom.
Trate had to take a few summers off, from baseball that is, because of extensive work-related travel. “I couldn’t stand it,” he told me years ago.
It wasn’t long before his itinerary changed … for good, too.
In 1988, he teamed up with Bob Houck on the Boyertown Bear-Cubs’ coaching staff. The following season, after Houck left, he teamed up with Lee Mecherly, and the two were together through last season. In his 19 years with Houck and Mecherly, the Bear-Cubs won more than a dozen Berks County League championships and six Pennsylvania state titles.
Trate was also an assistant under Boyertown High School coach Todd Moyer for six seasons. Most forget he served as an area, district and regional administrator for Pennsylvania Junior Legion, too.
But it didn’t matter if he was coaching or administrating, or when and where he was coaching or administrating, Trate didn’t miss many games – spring or summer.
“Barry had a great understanding of the game, a real passion for the game,” Smith said. “I don’t know many people who knew the history of game like Barry did, either.
“He loved the game. He loved to share his knowledge of the game with kids. He taught you to respect the game, too.”
Mecherly saw how quickly Trate earned the respect of his players, just 13-15 years of age.
“He was so good, so very good, with the younger kids,” Mecherly said. “They liked him, too, and that’s important.
“Barry was just a great guy. He’s going to be tough to replace. I’ll miss him big-time, like a lot of people will.”
Among them, Moyer.
“Barry Trate definitely had a passion for the game, but he also understood the game,” Moyer said. “It was his passion for the game that drew kids to him and to the game. Barry always had time for them. Whether it was before or after a practice, before or after a game, he’d always be willing to stick around with a kid and work with them individually.”
Trate didn’t just see baseball as a game with nine-on and nine-off, basepaths, fences and the like…
“It was more than just a game to him,” Moyer added. “What upset Barry more than anything was seeing a talented player who didn’t spend time practicing or working hard to get better.
“But what he enjoyed more than anything was seeing those other kids … the ones, regardless of how good they were, who wanted to learn, who wanted to play. He loved that. He loved helping them.”
Don’t think those “kids” didn’t learn to appreciate him, either. Every summer, they thanked him.
And there were even a few thirtysome-year-old kids thanking him in their prayers this past week.
*
Barry Trate was inducted into the Pennsylvania American Legion Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Berks County Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 … honors he more than earned.
What Barry Trate didn’t earn, or deserve, was cancer.
First diagnosed with prostate cancer 12 years ago, he battled back until being diagnosed with bone cancer last July. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments weakened him, but not enough to keep him away from the ballpark.
He was barely able to get to his seat at last summer’s American Legion state tournament at Spring-Ford High School. When asked if he needed anything… well, let’s just say all he wanted was a Boyertown win, another Boyertown state championship. A couple of months ago, while lying in his bed in the hospital and asked if he needed anything … well, let’s just say all he was interested in was what teams were going to be good this spring in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.
You know, it’s a shame the cancer, which he fought so courageously for so long, didn’t show up with a bat and ball … because Barry Trate would’ve beaten it, and not into remission but submission.