Add it all up - baseball, hockey and football all the way up from runts on up - and JustinConnell has played hundreds of games.

And he's still shooting for his first state championship.

"The closest I've ever gotten is second place when Iwas 15," Connell related, looking back on his Babe Ruth baseball years.

Connell's last quest for that elusive state crown begins Friday when he and his Bismarck Governors open play in the Western Division Legion baseball tournament at Devils Lake.

Top-seeded Bismarck 32-13) and No. 2 Minot (41-13) sit out first-round byes on Thursday.

Dickinson (33-21) and Mandan (19-34) open the tournament at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday with Williston (31-21) and Devils Lake (28-23) following at 6:30 p.m.

Four teams advance to the state tournament, which begins Aug. 8 in Fargo.

Bismarck finished third behind state champion Minot and Williston in last year's state tournament. Connell left the field with the nagging feeling that the Governors could have gone farther.

"Ibelieve we could have done better. … I don't believe we played to our full potential," Connell said. "Because of the way things went around in the state tournament … any of the top three had a chance to win it."

When Bismarck takes the field on Friday, Connell could be at just about any position. He's played at so many places on the diamond this summer that he's lost his defensive identity.

"He's a true utility player," Governors coach Mike Skytland said. "Last year he caught more than anything else.But this year we have two other catchers so he's second base a lot, shortstop a lot, first a lot, some outfield and he's caught a little bit."

When Skytland sends Connell to a defensive position, it's not as a make-do utility player. Skytland said it wouldn't bother him to make Connell an full-season regular at any point on the compass.

"It's an amazing deal but I really would feel comfortable with him at any position," Skytland said.

Connell's versatility is a relatively new feature of his baseball career. He rarely played anywhere but catcher until last summer.

"Ihad played catcher from my second year in Little League minors all the way up to my senior year in high school," Connell said.

Then, in 2006, he split the catching duties with the Govs with Torey Bohan. When he wasn't behind the plate he still found himself in the lineup.

"Whoever pitched is where they fit me in," he said. "… Outfield, shortstop, second base."

This spring as a BismarckState College freshman, Connell spent precious little time behind the plate. He was a regular for the Mystics, but at second base. "Ionly caught once or twice," he said.

No matter where Connell has played since the multi-position merry-go-round began, he's hit. He hit .298 with the Govs last summer and banged out a .351 mark this spring in his first crack at college baseball. Remember, that's .351 in a wood bat conference.

With 45 regular season games in the books, Connell leads the Governors in hitting with a .426 mark. He's knocked in 31 runs in 136 plate appearances and scored 27 times. A speedy 5-foot-10, 185-pounder, Connell has nine doubles and is third on the team with nine steals.

Skytland said there was never any doubt that Connell would get his at-bats. "The way he's hit this year he's earned the right to be in there every game," Skytland said.

As much as Skytland likes Connell's offensive production, he may like the versatility even more. With Connell's do-anything ability and mentality, Skytland finds it easy to make out a lineup card. "If we happen to put someone different in the lineup on a particular day then maybe Justin is going to play a different spot," the coach said.

Such a here-today, there-tomorrow existence doesn't bother Connell a whit. All he cares is that his name appears on the lineup card.

"Wherever they need me I'm more than happy to play," he said. "… Ijust have to check the lineup card to see where I'm going to be playing."

As time marches on, Connell is well aware this is his final shot at that elusive North Dakota state championship. He guarantees nothing, but he doesn't feel the Governors are a long shot to win it all, either.

"I thought we had great potential last year," Connell said. "And coming in and seeing the lineup card one through nine for the first time this season I thought 'this team definitely has a chance to do something special this year.' … You don't find a weak spot in our lineup."

In June, it appeared the Western Division race would be a four-corner affair with Minot, Bismarck, Dickinson and Williston all getting in their licks. Yet when the smoke cleared, Bismarck was up three games in the win column.

Connell doesn't find the Governors 15-5 divisional mark the least bit surprising. "Not at all," he said. "Ihad confidence in every single one of those guys coming into the season."

However, Connell is quick to point out that 15-5 buys the Governors absolutely nothing in postseason play.

"It's going to be a dogfight no matter who you play," he said. "… I definitely would love to see our team come out No. 1 from the West. That would give us our best chance to do damage at the state tournament."

CLASSALEGIONBASEBALL

WESTERNDIVISION

Region Overall

W L W L

Bismarck 15 5 32 13

Minot 12 7 41 13

Dickinson 12 8 33 21

Williston 12 8 31 21

Devils Lake 5 14 28 23

Mandan 3 17 19 34

Saturday: Bismarck 6-3, Fargo 5-5. Wahpeton 2-2, Mandan 1-11. Minot 13-5, Grand Forks 8-3

Sunday: Bismarck 6-3, Williston 4-7. Fargo 11, Mandan 5. West Fargo 5-0, Devils Lake 3-4. Minot at Miles City (Mont.) canceled

Monday: Dickinson 6, Devils Lake 2

WesternDivision Tournament

At Devils Lake

Thursday'sFirst Round

Game 1: Dickinson vs. Mandan, 3:30 p.m.

Game 2: Williston vs. Devils Lake, 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 3: Minot vs. winner game 1, 3:30 p.m.

Game 4: Bismarck vs. winner game 2, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 5: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 4, 9:30 a.m.

Game 6: Loser game 2 vs. loser game 3, 12:30 p.m.

Championship:Winner game 3 vs. winner game 4, 3:30 p.m.

Third place: Winner game 5 vs. winner game 6, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday

Challenge game, if necessary, 1 p.m.

3 NOTE:The top four teams advance to the state tournament, which begins Aug. 8 in Fargo.3 NOTE:The top four teams advance to the state tournament, which begins Aug. 8 in Fargo.