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Florissant 444 Top Seed In District 10, American National Wins SLABA Playoff
BY JIM WIENERS
A year ago Florissant American Legion Post 444 Baseball had a 26-10 season and was 8-4 in Missouri District 10 play, first in the North Division.
However, an opening-round loss to in the double-elimination District 10 Tournament put Post 444 in the losers’ bracket. Florissant responded by eliminating five teams and was the loser’s bracket survivor. Ballwin Post 611, playing on their home field, ended Florissant’s season defeating 444 by a score of 6-2 as 611 won the District 10 Championship.
This year Post 444 is on a mission to win the District 10 Tournament, which begins Thursday, and move on to the Missouri Zone Tournament later this month or in August. Florissant’s first opponent in the double-elimination tournament, date, time and site, have not been determined at press time.
Florissant will be the top seed in the District 10 Tournament after going 10-0 in District 10 play and finishing first in the North Division. Two Legion teams, Brentwood and Chesterfield, did not field senior teams this season. Florissant secured the best record. Post 444 secured the top spot in District 10 with an 11-4 over South Division Champion Manchester Post 208 July 8 at Parkway South High School and defeated Post 611, 7-2 July 6 at McCluer North High School.
Overall Post 444 is 29-3 and has outscored the opposition, 294-97. They played in three tournaments — was 4-1 in Lebanon, Mo., in late June was 5-1 in Illinois during the week of Independence Day and was 6-1 in the Blue Springs, Mo., Wood Bat Tournament that ended July 15.
Post 444 wants to stay out of the losers’ bracket. After all; “everyone wants to avoid the losers’ bracket, to avoid altering their pitching rotation,” said Coach Mike Sevier after the July 8 game at Parkway South.
Florissant has been playing like a focused team, not looking back to last year and not looking too far ahead. “They think of one game at a time,” said Sevier.
Cory Young has scored 41 runs on 51 hits including 10 doubles and drove in 26 runs. Young has 13 walks and has stolen 29 bases on 35 attempts.
Tommy DiMercurio has pitched in 14 games, starting in five of them while completing two. DiMercurio is 5-0 and has five saves. He has a 1.07 earned run average while striking out 34 batters.
Tom Latimore has scored 35 runs on 44 hits including three home runs, 32 RBIs and has been hit by pitchers seven times. As a pitcher Latimore has started seven times, completing two with a 5-0 record, a 1.04 ERA and has struck out 46.
Matt Goldstein has 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 37 RBIs. As a pitcher Goldstein is 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA and has struck out 30.
Cory Remspecher has 13 walks, three triples and 33 RBIs while not allowing a run in four relief pitching appearances, all saves. Zack Doyle has only 26 At Bats but is batting .462, has an on-base percentage of .559 in 34 plate appearances and has a slugging percentage of .577. Zack Malawey has started five games; completed two is 6-0 with a 1.14 ERA and 47 strike outs.
AMERICAN NATIONAL EAGLES varsity baseball team (18 and under) a member of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association, and champions of the Varsity North Division, defeated the Jefferson County Blazers two games to one in a SLABA playoff championship. American National (8-2 SLABA Varsity, 19-13 overall as of last Sunday) won game one 8-5, July 11 at Hazelwood YAA, lost game two, 11-0 July 12 at Fox High School in Arnold, and won game three 15-5 last Saturday at Mehlville High School.
In game one American National scored five runs in the first and coasted from there. Tyler Kuehn drove in five runs and scored twice on a triple and a home run. Brett Seitrich was three-for-three, all singles, Adam Wojciechowski scored twice and Brian Patrick drove in two.
Game two was a five-inning 10 run rule four hitter by Jefferson County pitcher Kenny Brengle.
Game three started off with a bang for American National as the Eagles scored six runs. With an 8-4 score after four innings the Eagles sealed the championship in the fifth inning by outscoring the Blazers 7-1. The Game was called after five innings because of the 10-run margin rule.
Josh Grumke drove in five runs on four hits including a triple. Seitrich, who had a double and triple, and Wojciechowski drove in two runs and scored twice, Kuehn walked twice and scored twice, Todd Woods scored four times on three hits including a double while stealing three bases .
