Photo by Kevin Nagle
The Arkansas Senior American Legion State champion Bryant Black Sox will open the 2014 Mid-South Regional Tournament on Thursday, Aug. 7, against Retif Oil, based from Jesuit High School in New Orleans. Like Bryant, 42-4, in the Arkansas State tourney, Retif swept through the Louisiana tournament unbeaten, finishing up with a 7-1 win over Shaw Refuel in the title game on July 23.
The New Orleans team has been and will be playing games to stay sharp for the Regional. They were the host team for the Louisiana State tourney and, according to the Clarion Herald of New Orleans, might not have qualified for State otherwise. But the team won the 2012 American Legion World Series.
Last year, the Louisiana State champion, the Gauthier & Amedee Wombats of Gonzalez, La., won the Regional, beating the Oklahoma Outlaws in the final.
The Regional will include the champions of Tennessee, Columbia Post 19 and Mississippi, the Tupelo 49ers, along with those of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, which will be determined this weekend.
The Sox closed out the State title on Wednesday night with a 14-4 win in eight innings (of a scheduled nine-inning game) over the Jonesboro Ricemen. They opened the tourney with a 12-2 win over North Little Rock, which will serve as the host team at the Regional. A 14-6 win over Jonesboro, a 5-1 win over Mountain Home and a 23-10 victory over defending State champion Texarkana got Bryant to the final.
During the season, the Sox played against teams from all over the country, winning the Southwest Illinois Firecracker Classic in Alton, Ill., and finishing as runner-up at the Battle of Omaha as well as the Keith Hagan Memorial All-American wood bat tournament in Memphis. Bryant also went 8-0 in showcases in Jonesboro and Memphis.
The Sox’ 42 wins matches the program high victory total. The 2001 Black Sox were 42-14.
Bryant is contending to become just the sixth team from Arkansas to reach the American Legion World Series and the first program in the state to produce two World Series teams since 1926. The Little Rock Post 1 team reached the Series ion 1947. In 1990, Texarkana ended a long drought for Arkansas teams by advancing to the Series. Russellville made it in 1998, Bryant in 2007 and Jonesboro in 2008.
2014 SENIOR AMERICAN LEGION MID-SOUTH REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
At Vince DeSalvo Stadium, Burns Park, North Little Rock
Thursday, Aug. 7
Game 1 — Okahoma vs. Kansas, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2 — Missouri vs. Tupelo 49ers (Mississippi), 30 minutes after game 1
Game 3 — New Orleans Retif Oil (Jesuit HS) (Louisiana) vs. Bryant Black Sox (Arkansas), 4:30 p.m.
Game 4 — Columbia Post 19 (Tennessee) vs. North Little Rock Colts (host), 30 minutes after game 2
Friday, Aug. 8
Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. game 3 loser, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6 — Game 2 loser vs. game 4 loser, 30 minutes after game 5
Game 7 — Game 1 winner vs. game 3 winner, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 2 winner vs. game 4 winner, 30 minutes after game 7
Saturday, Aug. 9
Game 9 — Game 6 winner vs. game 7 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 10 — Game 5 winner vs. game 8 loser, 6 p.m.
Game 11 — Game 7 winner vs. game 8 winner, 30 minutes after game 10
Sunday, Aug. 10
Game 12 — Game 9 winner vs. game 11 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 13 — Game 10 winner vs. game 11 winner, 6 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 11
Game 14 — Game 12 winner vs. game 13 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 15 — if necessary, 30 minutes after game 14
Note 1: Pairings for Game 12 & 13 will not match previous opponents against each other unless absolutely necessary.
Note 2: If three teams remain after Game 13, the winner of Game 11 automatically draws the Bye for Game 14.
