Players from numerous American Legion baseball teams of varying age groups in Southern Maryland will soon have the chance to take the field in a rapidly expanding format, following a year in which none were able to compete in a single game or tournament.
Teams from Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s and Prince George’s counties compete in the Frank Riley American Legion League each summer — save for 2020 due to the pandemic — and this year there will be a sum of 23 teams spread among three age brackets.
And, after more than 25 seasons as the coach of the St. Mary’s Legion team, Don DeGraves has focused his attention on helping legion grow.
“We’ve seen a lot more interest in high school kids wanting to play baseball this summer,” DeGraves said. “In 2019 we had 14 teams and this year we’re going to have 23 teams in three different age groups. There will be only four senior teams, but this year they will have the chance to compete for a spot in the state tournament [at Funkstown], the region tournament and nationals.”
Charles County high school spring sports will begin in earnest next week, with baseball games slated to run through late May. Calvert and St. Mary’s County spring sports will commence in late April or early May and run through June 19.
La Plata Post 82 will field three teams, one senior squad and two junior teams, all of which will practice and play at La Plata High School.
Ray Michael, whose brother, Aaron Michael, is the head baseball coach at the College of Southern Maryland, is the head coach of the La Plata Post 82 senior team. Many of his players were part of the junior team last summer that competed in limited tournaments and also played in the Charles & St. Mary’s County (CHASM) baseball league last summer.
“I think the kids are excited to be able to practice and play a normal summer schedule,” said Ray Michael, noting that Will Burgess and Matt Cooke, the former baseball coach at Gwynn Park High School in Prince George’s County, will coach the two junior teams. “We should be able to start practices in late May after the high school season ends in Charles County. It’s going to be a compact schedule, but the guys are excited to be able to compete for a spot in the state tournament.”
La Plata High School baseball coach John Childers will have 10 seniors on his roster this spring, several of which played for the La Plata Junior team last summer in the CHASM league. Like Michael, Childers noted that his current group of Warriors will likely continue playing throughout the summer in the revamped Legion schedule, several on Michael’s Senior team and the others on the Junior teams coached by Burgess and Cooke.
“Ever since the high school practices started last month, the guys have really been excited to get back on the field and even get back in the gym,” Childers said. “Some of the top older, elite players were able to play travel and play in tournaments last summer, but a lot of the younger players had limited chances to compete. This year those guys will have a chance to play for the high school and then play in the legion league during the summer.”
