By Michael Letendre
The 2022 19U Connecticut American Legion State Tournament field is set and our squad from Bristol is in the mix.
The state was divided into Northern and Southern Divisions – meaning thirty-two teams make up the playoff field.
All first round games commence this Saturday from the site of the higher seed.
And as always, the tournament is a double-elimination format — meaning Bristol (10-6 Zone 1) and every other team will get two games in the playoffs.
Post 2 starts the postseason in Pod C along with Zone 6 winner Waterford (21-3).
In fact, Waterford is the top team in the pod and drew Zone 3’s Enfield (9-13) in a first-round showdown.
Bristol is ranked second and gets an unbelievable draw as the squad starts play on Saturday against No. 3 Tri-County (10-11-1).
It’s a rematch from opening day for Bristol as the two teams tangled from Muzzy Field.
Tri-County, the only non-Zone 1 squad Bristol played this season, defeated Post 2 by a 9-4 final back on June 11 – which feels like a decade ago.
But the Zone 3 challenger will have to square off against Matt Beaucar (2-4 overall), one of Bristol’s top pitchers.
The hope is that Enfield pulls off an upset against Waterford, meaning a chance for another game at home for Post 2.
On Sunday, Roberto Cruz – injured last Sunday in the sweep from Meriden – will be ready to go.
Others in the rotation that could see time on the hill includes Dylan Woodsome, Jayden Churchill, Alexander Canzellarini, Tyler Martin, and Elliot Norris.
Also in the Northern Division, West Hartford – perhaps the top team in all of Connecticut – is the No. 1 team in Pod A, carrying an undefeated 16-0 Zone 1 ledger.
Middletown (19-3) is rated first in the Pod B bracket and down in Pod D, Willimantic – the Zone 6 runner-up (20-4) – is the top program.
Other teams from Zone 1 in the Northern Division includes Torrington – ranked fourth in Pod B (5-11) – while Simsbury (6-10-1) is third in Pod D.
Meriden
And in the Southern Division, Zone 2 runner up Hamden (12-6) is the top seed in Pod E and in Pod F, Zone 4 winner Stamford (18-6) is No. 1.
Zone 2 winner West Haven (15-3) leads the charge in Pod G and in the final pod, Zone 4’s Danbury (16-8) is ranked first in Pod H.
The winner of each pod then goes on to the Super Regional starting on Saturday, July 23.
Again, it’s a double elimination format between two brackets.
Both Muzzy Field and Palmer Field in Middletown will host the games and those two cities could see their American Legion squads advance to play on their own home sites.
The winners from the “A” and “B’”brackets will then battle it out in a best-of-three challenge from Palmer Field.
That winner will be crowned the Connecticut state champs and head off to the New England Regionals.
The Northeast tournament takes place from Fitton Field in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts from August 3-7 and that winner advances to World Series play in Shelby, N.C.
The eventual state champion from Connecticut has a ton of baseball to play – and win – just to qualify for the Northeast Regional.
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