Hopewell Post 339 arrives at Mid-Atlantic Regional
Five days after winning its first state title, the Hopewell American Legion Post 339 baseball team made its first foray into national regional play when it headed to Leesburg, Va. Tuesday to play in the Mid-Atlantic Regional first thing Wednesday.
Manager Mike Coryell’s team opens the tournament with a game against two-time defending New York state champion, the Rockland Post 130 Pirates, at 9:30 a.m. at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville, Va.
Post 339 (34-8) got quite cozy with Post 130 during a five-hour bus ride Tuesday on the way to Leesburg, the tournament host site.
“Past results do not guarantee future results,” Coryell said when talking about what he knew of Rockland, which apparently had trouble with 2016 state champion Flemington Post 159. “We do like playing first. We get to set the tone for the day, then we can check out who else we are playing.”
For now, Hopewell can only focus on itself. It knows that it will send 9-1 right-hander Zack Bregenzer to the mound Wednesday, and Cameron Cane, who missed the first four days of the state tournament with an illness, is back, ready to contribute in Post 339’s lineup.
“We’d like to keep Zack under 75 pitches, so we can use him again later in the tournament,” Coryell said. “Cameron is healthy again, and it appears the time off did him well.”
To survive in a bracket of teams they don’t really know all that well, the Hopewell players will need to focus on baseball, something they have done well all summer. Despite a widespread schedule, Post 339’s only losses came against teams from New Jersey. It lost six in the Mercer County American Legion League, one to Deptford Post 133 in their first game of districts, and one to Brooklawn Post 72 in state finals pool play.
All games in the MidAtlantic Regional will be nine-inning affairs with the possibility of a 10run rule win from the seventh inning on. This is a double-elimination tournament, meaning Hopewell is at least assured of playing Thursday — again at 9:30 a.m. with a loss Wednesday or at 4 p.m. with a win Wednesday.
No pressure. Coryell’s team will not only be representing the MCALL. As New Jersey lone representative, it will be representing the whole state as it tries to keep its fine season going. Legion Mid-Atlantic Regional (at Fireman’s Field, Purcellville, Va.)
Wednesday
Game 1: Hopewell Post 339 vs. Rockland (N.Y.) Post 130, 9:30 a.m. Game 2: Wesleyville (Pa.) Post 571 vs. LaPlata (Md.) Post 82, 12:30 p.m. Game 3: Delaware Post 1 vs. Albemarle (Va.) Post 74, 4 p.m. Game 4: Ephrata (Pa.) Post 429 vs. Leesburg 7 p.m.
(Va.) Post 34, Thursday
Game 5: Hopewell/Rockland loser vs. Delaware/Albemarle loser, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: Wesleyville/LaPlata loser vs. Ephrata/Leesburg loser, 12:30 p.m. Game 7: Hopewell/Rockland winner vs. Delaware/Albemarle winner, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Wesleyville/LaPlata winner vs. Ephrata/Leesburg winner, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 4
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 loser, noon
Game 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 5
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 4:30 p.m. (Pairings for Games 12 & 13 will not match previous opponents unless absolutely necessary) Sunday, Aug. 6
Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 15: If necessary, 4:30 p.m.
(If three teams remain after Game 13, the Game 11 winner receives a bye into Game 15)