Headed for Home

Post 68 Aces head coach Greg Vincent speaks with players during the Chappel Allen Invitational at the Lee S. Jones Park.

The 2018 season was a turning point long coming for American Legion Post 68 baseball.

The Aces had been at the edge of winning the senior title time after time, but came up just short. Until last season. Down seven runs and looking like it was over, the Aces put together a nine-run sixth inning to take the Senior state championship 9-8 over Owensboro in Ashland.

A year later, the Aces will have a chance to repeat their success with a team that may be even better, according to head coach Greg Vincent. And this time, they’ll have a chance to play for the title in their own backyard. For the first time ever, the post will host the senior state tournament at the Lee S. Jones Park beginning July 23.

Vincent said having the games at home makes an impact not just on the players, but also the coaches.

“Last year we had to travel about six hours,” Vincent said. “Staying in hotel rooms, the travel, the expense was just huge. It was worth it of course. Being able to sleep in our own beds, the fans in the community, it’s big all the way around. And not just for Lyon County, but all of western Kentucky.”

The journey to bringing the tournaments to Lake Barkley has been a long one, both for the post and for the community. The county and volunteers have worked in recent years to add a concession stand, upgrade the field and develop buildings located inside Lee S. Jones. The result has been one of the finest parks in western Kentucky, highlighted by the baseball field.

There has also been a push by county leaders to promote keeping the park clean.

“The ballpark here is second to none,” Vincent said. “We played at a beautiful place last year. They had a big, big hitting facility. But from a pure ballpark point of view — when you take in parking, concessions, the cleanliness — you’d have to go to Murray State or Western Kentucky University to find a better place. I really believe that.”

This year will feature a handful of firsts for the Kentucky state tournaments.

“We’re going to hold a banquet the night before the senior state tournament,” Vincent said. “We’re bringing all the teams in a night early and we’re going to feed them up at the Lyon County Convention Center.”

Vincent said the banquet is a tradition at the regional level.

“When we got to North Carolina last year, they have a big dinner beforehand and introduce their players,” Vincent said. “We’re excited about it. We presented the idea to the state back in January and they really liked it.”

At left, Coach Greg Vincent has a word with his Aces during the Chappel Allen Invitational Tournament in June. At right, Kevin Brooks defends third during a game against Oldham County.

This year will also be the first time a site has hosted both the Junior and Senior tournaments. Bob Harbison with Post 68 said the idea was proposed by American Legion Baseball Commissioner Hardy Gentry, a former Paducah resident now living in Florence.

“We started [trying to get the state games] about three years ago,” Harbison said. “We were successful in getting the junior tournament game in 2016. We kept working and we were surprised when they gave us both the junior and senior games.”

The tournament will likely draw in about a dozen teams from across the state competing in the two tournaments. Harbison said Kentucky has fewer teams than other states.

“Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, those places have 100 to 200 teams,” Harbison said. “In Kentucky, we’ve got about a dozen. Travel ball is really hurting American Legion baseball.”

Harbison — who joined Post 68 in part because of the benefit the baseball arm of the organization brings to communities — said the Legion works hard to keep it affordable.

“Our fees for a first year player are $300,” Harbison said. “For returning players it’s $200. I know travel teams charging anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000.”

LOOKING AT THE 2019 TEAM

“When these kids take the field, they just expect to win,” Vincent said. “That’s a great thing. You’ve got guys who are used to leading off or hitting third, and we’ve got them hitting six, seven or eight. But that’s what they’ve got to learn, to adjust.”

Vincent said the pitching is as strong as it’s ever been.

Three weeks into the schedule, it was hard for Vincent to have a precise picture of this year’s Aces, as he’s yet to play a game with all of his players present.

“I really like this team,” Vincent said of his seniors. “We’ve got something special going on. We’ve got speed, we’ve got power. We’ve got more pitching than we’ve ever had. We play great defense. I’m a little concerned about our outfield because they haven’t been able to play together, but I don’t think it will be an issue because they’re talented.

“They’ve got great attitudes. They’re a lot of fun to be around. You don’t have to do a lot of coaching. You make up a lineup and let them go play.”

Vincent said the junior team was younger, but growing.

“They’ve got to learn how we play baseball,” Vincent said. “A lot of them come here and they haven’t done a lot of bunting or running. They haven’t done a lot of hit-and-run. It’s odd that they haven’t learned it at a younger level. But they haven’t been taught.

“They’re young, but there’s a lot of potential.”

Given the talented rosters and last year’s success, expectations are high. Vincent said there’s still a lot of baseball between now and then, and a lot that can go wrong.

“It’s not a cakewalk,” Vincent said. “You have an injury here and there, and you’re in trouble. If we can stay healthy and peak at the right time, then I think we’ll be ok.”

A repeat win could see this year’s team go further than it ever has. This year, Kentucky will compete in the Great Lakes Region instead of the Southeast. Vincent said his team will fare better if it makes it to regional competition.

Gabe Board of Lyon County slides into second base, beating the throw for Post 68. Board recently signed to continue his baseball career at Lindsey Wilson College.

NO EASY ROAD

Looking at competition, Vincent said he expects posts from Shelbyville, Oldham County, Ashland, Bowling Green and Owensboro to be contenders along with Post 68. But there are still a few question marks.

“The main competition will probably be Shelbyville,” Vincent said. “We beat them for the junior state championship two years in a row; they beat us for the senior championship two years in a row. You never know, they might get eliminated, or we might, but I think the two best teams are Shelbyville and Post 68.”

Post 68 got a preview of possible matchups for both the juniors and seniors as it hosted the Chappel Allen Invitational Tournament in mid-June.

The results were mixed, in part due to injuries and having four starters out for the senior team.

COMMUNITY READY

Vincent said the community has been outstanding, from local businesses supporting the team through sponsorship and also from parents.

“It’s neat for some of these parent, their kids have been on teams that have been good but not great,” Vincent said. “I’m not much on texts, but it’s great to get them from parents saying ‘my son is having so much fun.’

“The businesses have been so supportive, too. They helped out with our program and anything we needed.”

The Lyon County Fiscal Court has endeavored to improve Lee S. Jones Park in recent years. Community members have contributed to amenities, too, such as the pavilion and seating area built by local contractor Don Wallace. Volunteers have worked to improve the facility.

Judge Executive Wade White said preparation has been underway for months, and will continue until the tournament.

“A lot of the maintenance to the field we wanted to do regarding the state tourney was done over the winter,” White said. “We have several small projects to make the field better for the upcoming tourney.

“But the field is in better shape than it has ever been in my opinion thanks to our hard working staff, especially Scott Coney. He is a master at making our field look the best it can. But honestly we put that much effort in whether its a regular high school game or a state tournament, we always want the field looking top notch. We are excited to have the State Tournament at our facility this year.”

Above, Michael Thomason makes a clutch catch at second base for Post 68.

BUILDING ON TRADITION

Legion Baseball was formed in 1925 during an American Legion South Dakota Department state convention, according to the organization’s web site. By 1926, Legion Baseball posts in 15 states had developed. Today, the program registers more than 5,400 teams in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Approximately 20,000 young men annually participate in Boys State, a Legion program dedicated to promoting leadership. Boys State alumni include former President Bill Clinton, news commentator Tom Brokaw, professional basketball player Michael Jordan, astronaut Neil Armstrong and many more

At least 81 players inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame have been former Legion players, including Yogi Berra (1972), Stan Musial (1969), Mike Piazza (2016), Johnny Bench (1989) and Kentucky’s Jim Bunning (1996).

Post 68 has had a number of standout regional players and numerous college signees since forming. Earlier this season, the post retired the No. 1 worn by Jay Vincent — son of coach Greg Vincent — during his time with the Aces. Jay, a Livingston County native, was a three-time Post 68 Player of the Year, an NAIA Scholar Athlete at the University of Pikeville in 2019 and 2018, named second team all conference his junior year and first team his senior year and recently graduated with a degree in sports business management.