Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck Sports - LEGION BASEBALL: Changing of the times for postseason play

LEGION BASEBALL: Changing of the times for postseason play

Mar 22, 2008 - 08:50:32 CDT

By STEVE THOMAS/Bismarck Tribune

You can scratch the Eastern Division and Western Division from your Legion baseball map.

For the next two years, at least, regular-season standings are going to carry a lot of weight in qualifying for the state Class ALegion tournament.

In 2008, Class ALegion baseball in North Dakota is going to mean one all-encompassing 11-team league. Each team is scheduled for 20 league games, two against each of the other 10 Class Ateams.

The top five in the 11-team league qualify for the state tourney in Minot, with the other six playing a double-elimination tournament for the final three state berths.

The format was adopted by the state AmericanLegion athletic committee in November.

Actually, the five qualifying teams are also scheduled to play a tournament prior to state for seeding purposes.

The two tournaments are scheduled for Williston and Jamestown, with the sites to be based on the teams involved.

In theory, either the seeding or qualifying tournament could be played at a site without a host team.

Ron Frydenlund of Jamestown, a member of the state Legion athletic committee, said the tried and true divisional format was abandoned when ValleyCity dropped from Class Ato Class B. That left the Eastern Division with five teams and the Western Division with six.

"Eleven teams is a little unwieldy," Frydenlund said. "... One other time we had 11 (Class A)teams and we tried an 11-team state tournament, Ithink it was in 1996 and 1997. Nobody liked that."

Devils Lake coach Tyler Knutson came up with the seeding tourney-qualifying tourney solution, according to Frydenlund.

"Everyone seems to like this business of playing everyone and having one state conference,"Frydenlund said. "And why not with 11 teams?"

Frydenlund said there are obvious matchups - Bismarck and Mandan, Minot and Williston, Fargo and West Fargo -where teams will want to schedule four games. They can do that, but only two of the games will count in the state standings.

Each of the 11 teams will have five home and five road league doubleheaders.

Frydenlund said the Knutson Plan will get a two-year trial.

"We'll look at it after two years and if we have any problems we'll have to do something with it,"Frydenlund said.

Frydenlund said the Knutson Plan shouldn't affect teams' schedules. Last summer, each Class A team played 10 divisional dates. This summer they'll still play 10 league dates.

"Idon't think it will have an effect. My schedule (at Jamestown) is 55 to 60 games and I think Fargo has almost 80 games," he said.

The state Class Atournament is scheduled for Aug. 6-10 at Corbett Field in Minot. Minot is also the host team in the CentralPlains RegionTournament, which opens Aug. 14.

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Comments

Another Ex-Legion Player wrote on Apr 3, 2008 11:31 PM:

" It'll be something new / fresh in the state of ND for baseball. I think it'll help spark some new potential rivalries and will make it so everyone plays everyone. There were some years when that wasn't the case. It's worth a shot to see how it goes and to see if the coaches, players, and fans like it. "

Not Sure What You Mean wrote on Mar 22, 2008 8:48 PM:

" I am not sure how the # of quality players equates to whether or not the state should have 1 state tournament. The fact is, if you take 4 from each region, that means you have 1 or 2 teams from each region that don't make it. I think this makes perfect sense. Everyone gets a chance to make a run at a state title, you are rewarded for finishing in the top 5, it eliminates a west vs. east mentality, and allows for more teams from region or the other to make it. Too often, 1 team is left home from a region when that team might be one of the top 5 or 6 in the state. This seems like a good solution. "

ex-legion player wrote on Mar 22, 2008 4:10 PM:

" i dont think this is going to work at all...stick with the west and the east....north dakota doesn't have enough quality players to be trying to make it a one-state-conference "

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