Effingham Junior Legion Takes Second At Omaha Tournament

Members of the team are, front row, left to right, Ethan Greene, Zac Bateman, Cory Osborn, Bryar Jansen, Jordan McCabe, Parker Seacrest, Brett Koester and Coach Grant Beals.  Back row, left to right, Coach Chris Koester, Drew Gibson, Blake Lohman, Mason Hull, Brent Beals, Colby Utz, Bryce Lohman, Coach Phil Hull, Alec Morrissey and Ryan Sandifer.

OMAHA, NE -- Effingham Junior American Legion Post 120 claimed second place honors in the 36 team 17U Battle of Omaha Tournament played in Omaha, Nebraska this past weekend. The tournament was played in conjunction with the College World Series which started the same week. Effingham defeated teams from Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado to advance to the championship game before falling 5-1 against the Twin City Prospects from St. Joseph, Michigan.

In its first game against the Northern Knights, Effingham pitcher Brent Beals pitched a complete game allowing only one run on six hits. Ryan Sandifer had two hits and an RBI while Drew Gibson and Cory Osborn drove in a run each to propel Effingham to victory.

After losing to Blue Springs 3-2 in pool play Friday night, Effingham bounced back the next day by defeating the Easton Tigers 4-2. After trailing 2-0 after four innings, Effingham scored two runs in the fifth and seventh innings to seal the victory. Mason Hull had two hits and two RBI’s while Gibson and Bryar Jansen also delivered two-hit performances. Bryar Jansen pitched a complete game to earn the victory, allowing two runs on six hits.

In the semi-final game Sunday, Effingham handled Eureka Post 177 by the score 12-0 to advance to the championship game. Drew Gibson earned the pitching victory while Hull, Gibson and Jansen contributed two hits each for the offense. Ethan Greene, Cory Osborn and Zac Bateman also had hits and each scored a run the five inning game.

Effingham fell 5-1 to the St. Joseph Michigan in the finale in large part due to five errors committed by the team. Effingham scored one run on five hits.

“We picked the wrong game and the wrong team to have a defensive lapse,” explained Coach Chris Koester. “St. Joe’s is a very good team comprised of mostly juniors and seniors and we simply could not afford to give them outs. But in the end, I’m very proud of our players for finishing second among 36 very good baseball teams.”

Effingham also participated in the College World Series festivities during their four day stay. The Effingham team stayed in the same hotel with the college players and frequently encountered former major league players and sports personalities.

“We had the opportunity to mingle with the likes of Dave Winfield, Frank Thomas and several ESPN sports broadcasters in the hotel lobby and speak with the players and coaches from Virginia and Arkansas during our stay,” Koester said. “We really wanted to allow the kids to just enjoy the whole world series experience and play some baseball while we were there. The fact that we enjoyed success on the field was really icing on the cake.”

Effingham improved its record to 9-2 and will face Dieterich Wednesday.