Hall ready to lead Post 167 into second half of summer schedule
The Harrisburg American Legion Post 167 baseball team returns to action tonight (Tuesday) in the home opener against Madisonville, Ky., starting at 5:30 p.m.
Due to the IHSA pushing the high school season baseball season to April, Post 167 was afforded the opportunity to begin their American Legion season in March, where they played 15 games, going 14-1.
The second half of the schedule features 18 more games, seven of which will be played at home at either Gibbs Field or Jay Thompson Field. Highlighting the schedule is a weekend trip to Nashville, Tennessee., where Post 167 will play Huntsville, Alabama on Friday at 12:15 p.m. and two games Saturday against Owensboro (Ky.) and Madisonville (Ky.). The championship will be played Sunday.
The postseason will include the 5th Division Tournament (July 19-25), the Illinois American Legion State Tournament (July 29-31), the Great Lakes Regional (August 3-8) and the American Legion World Series (August 12-17).
Last season, Post 167 were the 2019 District champions, but fell in the Division Championship for a trip to the Illinois American Legion State Tournament, one that head coach Cody Hall says his squad is playing with a chip on their shoulder.
"They have a chip on their shoulder after losing out in playing for the state tournament," Hall said. COIVD-19 wiped out last season, but getting back when we were able to in March and having that first half of the season like we did, has made our guys hungry for what we can accomplish in the second half."
Fourteen players from this past season's 30-2 Harrisburg High School baseball team make up head coach Cody Hall's 18-man roster.
Six seniors who have already inked college scholarships from Harrisburg are some of the returning pieces from 2019 including brothers Colby and Krayton Morse (Lincoln Trail), along with Peyton Arnold and Noah Boon (SIC), as well as, Brandon Banks (Muskegon CC) and Ben Brombaugh (Lincoln Trail). Eldorado's Braden Unthank, a freshman this past season at SIC is also on the roster and joins Harrisburg products Blake Stacey, Jackson Pittman, Brendan Bergan, Andrew Bittle, Riley King, Luke Miller, Drew Hawkins, Drew Fromm and Chance Moscardelli. Galatia's Noah Frailey and Carrier Mills' Caden VanMeter round out the roster.
"Harrisburg had a historic season, but fell short being one game away from a State Tournament trip similar to our 2019 club," Hall said. "Our boys have an even bigger chip on their shoulder. There is tremendous talent on this team. There is a lot of expectation and they are set on achieving something special. This is the final ride for some of these boys and they want to end it with fireworks."