American Legion strives for state

The Iola AA American Legion’s baseball season has already started and the team is looking good through its first four games.
Right now, Post 15 sits with a 3-1 record.
On Tuesday, the Iola Indians split a doubleheader with Fort Scott. Iola lost the game opener, 6-5. Iola scored two runs in the first inning to start the game, but Fort Scott answered back with five. Kason Siemens was on the mound.
“The pitchers have been doing a fantastic job, even the one inning Kason struggled, he plugged the score after it and got going,” coach Roland Weir said. “We gave up a couple of errors, so we should have been out of that inning down 3-2 or 2-2 at the most. It could have been a different ball game if we had made a couple plays.”
Siemens only allowed one more run over the next four frames. Iola had multiple chances to tie and win the game. The Indians had 14 base runners, but couldn’t get them in. In the top of the seventh, Derrick Weir hit a triple with one out. But, he was stranded, and the game ended.
Coach Weir said that he wasn’t displeased with the team’s effort. They more than made up for it in game two with a 19-0 win in four innings. Trent Latta got the start and mowed down eight of the nine hitters he faced.
Coach Weir described the effort as “Latta-like.” Ben Cooper came in for relief to finish the game and gave up only one hit.
On Wednesday, Iola earned two more wins in a sweep of Osawatomie.
Iola won game one 11-0 behind the arm of Caleb D’Armond. He pitched all six innings. Coach Weir said Hunter Murrow, Trent Latta, Ethan Scheibmeir and Keanen Badders all hit the ball well in the game.
Game two was the same story. Ethan Scheibmeir earned the win on the mound, pitching four scoreless innings in the 10-0 affair. As of now, the team hasn’t allowed a run in 20 straight innings.

COACH WEIR expects nothing less from his team this season. The Indians are down to 10 active players, with two out indefinitely. Caleb Vanatta, the team’s center fielder from a year ago, is going to have shoulder surgery and may be back in two to three weeks; or he’ll miss the entire season.
Vanatta’s bat will certainly be missed. He hit .405 last year and had 21 RBIs. He also had 14 extra-base hits.
 Siemens is currently ill, and there is no timetable for his return. He only had 47 plate appearances last season, but was expected to have a much bigger role this season.
“My expectations are the same. Win the zone, get to state and win state,” Weir said. “The team’s looking good. We’ll take care of business. Ottawa will be our biggest obstacle. They got better last year and improved. We played them at the end of the year last year when we were playing our worst.”
Ottawa won the Zone 6 Championship last year against Paola, the team that took out the Indians in a 10-10 game. Iola didn’t have anymore subs and only eight players left on its roster during the game, forcing the game to end in a forfeit victory for Paola.

OF THE PLAYERS who are healthy, Weir and Latta’s bats will be heavily appreciated.
“Trent hasn’t hit all year long because all he did was pitch down at Neosho (County Community College),” Weir said. “His timing is a little off, but at Osawatomie he hit the ball well. He’s a natural athlete, so he’ll be fine. Derrick needs to relax a little bit more, but we know he will hit.”
Derrick was the team’s top hitter last year. He had a .519 average and only one strikeout during the regular season. He was a singles machine, hitting 31 of them, and knocked in 47 runs. Latta Hit .324 and had 21 RBIs.
At Neosho County this season, Latta’s arm excelled. He went 8-3 and had five complete games in his first season. He pitched 74 innings to lead the team and had a 4.74 ERA. He struck out 46.
After Latta, pitching is a little bit shakier than years past.
“Pitching is not as deep as it has been over the past three years,” coach Weir said. “But, it’s still solid. We’re a little weak on the back end for relief.”
D’Armond, first-year Legion player Scheibmeir and Siemens are expected to carry the load as starters. Iola High’s Ben Cooper also may see some innings.
“Cooper will pitch a little relief and may get a spot start or two,” coach Weir said.
Another key contributor back this season is Drew Faulhaber. Last year, he hit .313 and drove in 13 runs. He led the team with 19 steals and played a solid second base. Hunter Murrow is back at shortstop. Last year, as the leadoff hitter, he hit .349.
New players to the team include Iola High’s Keanen Badders, Garret Wade, Ethan Sigg and the above mentioned Cooper and Scheibmeir.

OF NOTE, home games this year will be played at Riverside Park. Allen Community College’s baseball field is getting new grass and there aren’t as many Humboldt players, making Riverside the top choice.
The league dropped from 12 teams to seven. The Indians still have 35 games and could end up playing more. They will play at two tournaments this season: The Adam LaRoche Tournament June 19 in Fort Scott and a Chanute tournament over July 4 weekend.
Team members are selling 50/50 raffle tickets starting Sunday through June 25. Tickets will be $1 each or six for $5. The prizes include 40 percent of the raised money and two tickets to a Royals baseball game courtesy of Adam LaRoche of the Chicago White Sox. The tickets also will come with spending cash for the game plus autographed baseballs from LaRoche, Chris Sale and Jose Abreu. LaRoche played baseball at Fort Scott and for its Legion team.
The Indians are still looking for more players who are at least 14 years or older. If interested, call Roland Weir at 228-7777.