Garrett County opens Md. legion state tournament Friday

HANOVER — Mountain District champion Garrett County Post 71/208/214 begins its Maryland American Legion state tournament run on Friday.

Garrett County (17-5-1) draws Frank Riley League winner St. Mary’s Post 255-Stefko (21-5) in the day’s second game at 1 p.m.

The tournament is double elimination and will run Friday through Tuesday. All games are at Joe Cannon Stadium, a turf baseball field home to Coppin State University.

Garrett advanced to states by taking eight of 10 games against two-time defending state champion Fort Cumberland for the district crown, and it won a play-in game over St. Mary’s Post 255-Bean, 11-1, on Sunday in Mount Airy.

“I told them, one of the best things I ever did was play in the tournament when I played,” Garrett County manager Phil Carr said after the win. “They’ll have a great time. The camaraderie is good from our guys from Northern and Southern, which is fun to see.

“It was like that when I played, and some of my best friends are from the other side of the county. It’s all because of legion baseball.”

The district title was Garrett’s first since 2021, the same year it recorded its best result to date, falling to eventual national World Series participant St. Mary’s in the championship game in Funkstown.

That St. Mary’s squad was coached by Carr’s longtime friend Steve Zumpano, a Northern graduate and a member of the Frostburg State Hall of Fame.

The St. Mary’s team Garrett County plays Friday also has local ties.

Its manager, Tony Stefko, is also a Frostburg State graduate who coaches St. Mary’s Ryken, a private high school in Leonardtown, in the spring. He’s a member of the Maryland semi-pro baseball Hall of Fame committee.

Mtn. District dominance

Over the last four state tournaments, the Mountain District has four championship game appearances — no other district has more than one.

The district has a 16-5 overall tournament record over that time.

Fort Cumberland won the last two state championships, beating Wicomico Post 64 in 2023 and Cecil County Post 15 in ‘24 in the title game.

Post 13 was the state runner-up in 2022 to Francis Scott Key Post 11.

Fort Cumberland’s title in ‘23 was its first since 1976. It’s won seven overall, tied for fourth-most by any post.

The district has one other state champion, Farraday Post 24 (Frostburg) in 1991.

Fort Cumberland came up two wins short of making the national World Series last year, finishing third in the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament.

First-round preview

Despite having the most combined wins of any first-round matchup (38), neither Garrett County nor St. Mary’s have any current college baseball players on their rosters.

Garrett will start one of left-hander Robert Deatelhauser (4-1 record, 2.70 ERA, 33 2/3 IP) or right-hander Landon Yoder (3-0 record, 0.74 ERA, 19 IP) in the first game, with Ryan Bird, Caleb Hinebaugh, Liam Stewart and Brayden Upole in the bullpen.

Garrett was primed to have the deepest pitching staff in the field, but Luke Ross (4-0 record, 1.66 ERA, 33 2/3 IP) and Jared Haskiell (4-1 record, 3.46 ERA, 30 1/3 IP) are unavailable on the mound due to injury.

Haskiell played right field Sunday, going 1 for 3 with an RBI in the play-in game.

Five everyday Garrett hitters are batting at least .300 in Jake Chambers (.397), Devin McKenzie (.357), Stewart (.339), Reece Tasker (.339) and Cole Folk (.321).

Ben Lohr, the fill-in center fielder for Ross, has hit safely in four of five games since Ross’ injury, raising his average .106 points.

St. Mary’s has 10 players that play for Stefko at St. Mary’s Ryken, which finished seventh in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference with a 7-8 record.

The rest of its team hails from Leonardtown and Chopticon high schools.

Third baseman Anthony Stefko is signed to Division 3 Alvernia University and center fielder Jason Gregory is signed to D3 Eastern University. First baseman Donovan Brown is committed to CCBC Essex.

Rest of the field

Last year’s state runner-up to Post 13, Cecil County, opens the tournament at 10 a.m. against Old Mill Post 276 (16-4-2).

At 4 p.m., Ocean City Post 166 (12-3) takes on Caroline Post 29. Caroline has won the past five Eastern Shore North District titles.

Host Severna Park Post 175 (6-6) faces Boonsboro Post 10 (6-2-1) in the day’s final game at 7 p.m.

If Garrett wins Friday, it’ll play the winner of Boonsboro and Severna Park at 7 p.m. on Saturday. If it loses Friday, it’ll battle that game’s loser in an elimination game at 1 p.m. instead.