Atlas, Prairie Should Contend For Legion Title Combination Of Area Players Could Give N. Idaho Squads Plenty Of Punch

Some would say that American Legion baseball is nothing more than an extension of the high school season.

That would be a fair evaluation most of the time. But this year could be the exception.

Take, for example, the teams from Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls/Rathdrum.

The Atlas Building Center Lumbermen of Coeur d’Alene is made up of the top players from Coeur d’Alene High, which finished runner-up in the State A-1 Tournament two weeks ago. The Couer d’Alene High contin gent comprises half the roster; the other half of the team is players from Lake City, which took fifth at state.

The Prairie Cardinals are a combination of Post Falls and Lakeland players. Lakeland recently captured its second straight State A-2 title. Throw in a couple of older standouts and Prairie will be out to become the lone team in the state to advance to the state tourney for a fifth straight year.

Under coach Darren Taylor, Prairie has been to state four straight years. No other team can claim as much.

The North Idaho District I season begins this weekend, and two of the district’s six teams will advance to state in August.

Both Atlas and Prairie will challenge for the league title and two berths. The task will be difficult, as five of the six teams figure to contend.

Atlas should be one of the top hitting teams in the league, if not the state. Prairie will feature the deepest pitching staff in the league, if not the state.

District I teams will play a reduced league schedule. Instead of home-and-home doubleheaders, teams will play one double header and a single nine-inning contest against each other. Coaches believe the nine-inning game will help their teams prepare for the similar district and state format.

Taylor welcomes back three pitchers who graduated from high school last summer. They are Brett DeBoer (Lakeland), Jake Medlock (Post Falls) and Eric Singer (Lakeland).

They join Lakeland standouts Kurt Reese and Ryan Banks and St. Maries’ D.J. Eberlin, who joined Prairie after being cut by Atlas. “I think we’ll have one of the top pitching staffs in the state,” Taylor said. “I think the most improved thing will be our hitting. They worked their fannies off in the winter. I think there’s going to be some payoff.”

LC coach Cory Bridges, head Legion coach for two years in the early 1980s, returns to Atlas for at least a year. He will be assisted by CdA coach Brian Holgate.

Bridges is blessed with two starters at almost every position. He’ll be able to start an infield featuring Andy Potter (first base), Ben Johnston (second base), Nick Rook (shortstop) and Scott Moglia (third base).

Atlas’ pitching staff will feature Scott Ross, Casey Hoorelbeke, Jeff Brennan and Potter.

“We have a good chance to be pretty good,” Bridges said. “We’re going to play everybody. Granted, some kids will have more at-bats than others, but we have plenty of kids who can play. The wins will come.”

District will be held July 24-27 at Trail, British Columbia. State will be held the following week in Boise, and Boise will also be the site of the regional tournament.

Both teams open today. Prairie entertains Sandpoint at 1 p.m. and Atlas meets Moscow in a doubleheader at 2.

, DataTimes