The Pittsburg Post 64 American Legion Patriots will travel to Pelham, Alabama for the 2023 American Legion Mid-South regional tournament for the third consecutive year after sweeping Iola in the super state championship on Friday.
The Patriots will play their first game in the double-elimination tournament on Wednesday at Pelham’s Bobby Hayes Stadium, facing off with Shelby City, Alabama at 7:30 p.m.
With a victory, Pittsburg would head to the winner’s bracket on Thursday to play the winner of Wednesday’s game between Paragould, Arkansas and Washington, Missouri at 7:00 p.m. A loss would mean Pittsburg would play in the losers’ bracket on Thursday at 1 p.m, needing a victory to keep the season alive.
Last season, the Patriots fell to Tupelo, Mississippi 5-2 in the opening game before defeating Shelby City 11-0 in the loser’s bracket before falling 4-3 to Jefferson City, Missouri. The regional was held in Hastings, Nebraska in 2021, and Pittsburg was eliminated in two games falling 9-4 to Oak Grove, Missouri before losing 3-0 to Gretna, Nebraska in the losers’ bracket.
Pittsburg is one of 64 teams advancing to regional play, with the field divided into eight regions. The regional winners will move on to the 96th American Legion World Series held in Shelby, North Carolina. Troy, Alabama comes into the tournament as the reigning champs after advancing through the mid-south region and defeating Idaho Falls 6-5 in the championship game.
