The 2022 American Legion baseball regular season is done. What to know for playoffs
The 2022 American Legion baseball regular season is in the books, and eight area teams in League V are preparing for the first round of the playoffs.
In the senior division, Rock Hill Post 34 claimed the League V title with a perfect record of 12-0. They are 18-2 overall this season. Their work during the regular season earned them one of six first-round byes.
“I would much rather be playing during the first round,” said Rock Hill head coach Jeremy McCoy. “We will do what we can during the week to stay sharp.”
Post 34 played a couple of games this past week to stay in shape for the second round. McCoy knows the key to winning once you get to the postseason.
“The playoffs mean you have to be more focused on everything,” he added. “We have been very good in every phase of the game. We need to continue that once we get to the second round.”
Lancaster Post 31 finished 8-4 and was the runner-up in the league this time around. Their overall record heading to the postseason is 9-8. They did not play any games last week during the makeup week.
“I think that we are playoff ready,” said Lancaster head coach Jimmy Jackson. “We play in the toughest league in the state, and playing that caliber of competition gets you ready for the postseason.”
The veteran Post 31 coach likes the home field advantage in the opening round.
“Our fans really get behind us, and our players feed off of that,” he added. “Getting that first game at home is really big for us.”
He also likes the way his team has come together as the season has progressed.
“I was concerned about our pitching at the beginning of the year,” he added. “Those guys worked, and we turned that part of the game into a big positive.”
Fort Mill Post 43 finished third this year. They were 5-7 in league play and 5-9 in all games.
Fort Mill was the state runner-up a year ago, and they are a perennial playoff team. That experience in past seasons will be valuable this time around.
Veteran Fort Mill coach Tom Skula said prior to the season that this year would be the toughest he has seen League V. He added that playing against that caliber of competition on a regular basis is good preparation for the postseason.
York Post 66 compiled a league mark of 4-8 and was fourth. They will take their overall record of 5-9 with them into the first round.
Chester Post 27, which completed the year with a 1-11 record in league play, did not advance to the playoffs.
The best-of-three first round playoff series is going on this week. Matchups: Gaffney at Lancaster, Fort Mill at Inman, York at Greer.
The second round, which opens on July 18, will also feature a best-of-three series.
After two rounds of play, the remaining eight teams will advance to the state tournament, which begins on July 25 at Segra Park in Columbia.
American Legion junior baseball
In the junior division, Fort Mill and Buford Post 31 tied for the top spot with records of 8-4.
Buford got the top spot on the tie breaker as they defeated Fort Mill in two of three regular season games. Buford’s overall record is 9-6. Fort Mill, which won the league last year and finished as the state runner-up, got the second spot for the playoffs. They did not play any games outside of the league.
Rock Hill was third at 7-5 in the league and 11-5 overall. York was fourth with a 5-7 league record and an overall slate of 5-9. Lancaster finished fifth with a league record of 2-10. They did not play any extra games, and they did not make the playoffs.
Buford won all four of its games in the final week of the regular season to earn a tie for the top spot.
“I felt like we were solid from the beginning,” said Buford head coach Hank Harris. ”We really came on strong in the final week of the regular season to win the title.”
Harris feels like pitching is his team’s strength, with hitting and defense close behind.
“I like where we are in all three areas,” he said. “We are not blessed with great team speed, but we have smart players who know what to take advantage of on the base paths.”
Harris thinks his team is playing it’s best baseball at the right time, and he likes the home field advantage in the opening round.
Fort Mill struggled in the final week of the regular season, but the playoffs are a new beginning.
“Everyone starts over in the playoffs, and we just need to be more consistent,” said Fort Mill head coach Mike Lewis. “We were not consistent down the stretch, but I feel we will be OK in the postseason.”
The veteran coach knows what it takes to win in the postseason, because that is what propelled his team in last year’s postseason, when they finished as the state runner-up.
“We need to execute in every phase of the game,” he added. “Our league is tough, and playing that caliber of competition during the regular season has prepared us for the playoffs.”
Rock Hill was third in the league during the regular season, and came on strong in the final week of play.
Rock Hill head coach Kyle Perdue feels good about where his team is right now. He added that pitching is the top priority for a first round series win.
Rock Hill has hit the ball well from the top to the bottom of the lineup, and Perdue says his defense has been very consistent. He is hoping that the idle week after the regular season will not hurt their performance in either area..
The opening round best-of-three series are also this week.
Buford takes on Greenwood, while Fort Mill is battling York. Rock Hill tests Greer.
The second round series will start a week later on July 18. After two rounds of play, the eight surviving teams will travel to Legion Field in Greenwood for the state tournament, which begins on July 23.