SABETHA — With a full head of steam, Iola American Legion Leslie J. Campbell Post 15’s AA Indians go into their second straight Kansas American Legion AA State Baseball Tournament.
The AA Indians (37-3) take on the host team, Sabetha, in the late game Wednesday in the opening round of the tournament.
“It has been the goal from the beginning to get back to the state tournament,” said Jarred Latta, right fielder and pitcher for Iola. “We’re going after a better result than last year. We have more experience.”
The AA Indians are coming off winning the KABA tournament then the AA Zone 2 tournament.
“We’re down but never out,” Latta said of several come-from-behind wins in those back-to-back tournaments. He said the team really appreciated the great crowd support that it has received this season.
For the Indians’ second baseman Clint Heffern, the 2012 state tournament is a culmination of a longtime association.
“We’ve been together playing baseball forever starting with peewee traveling ball,” Heffern said. “We have something special as a group and we want to go out right.
“Winning a state championship has been our goal from the very beginning.”
Heffern, who also pitches, said this year’s team has been focused on overcoming adversity in games. He said it shows the character of the AA Indians’ team.
“We understand just how tough it is to win a state championship from last year’s experience.”
In the 2011 state tournament, the AA Indians went 1-2, winning their opener and losing the next two games.
“The kids are excited to play in another state tournament,” said Mike Taylor, Iola AA team head coach. “We’re getting to play on a great baseball field. A guy in Sabetha used his own money to build a field of dreams for the Sabetha Legion baseball program. It’s a great facility and the kids are going to enjoy playing on it.”
The state tournament opens Wednesday and runs through Sunday at Somerset Park.
There are seven zones in Kansas AA Legion baseball and the state host team gets an automatic bid to the double-elimination tournament. Schools with enrollment of 500 students or fewer are classified as AA in American Legion baseball.
Kansas American Legion
2012 AA State Baseball Tournament
