Legion’S Alliance Peaking At Right Time

The Coeur d’Alene Alliance Allies American Legion baseball team has gone from hoping to get to state to hopeful of doing well at state in a matter of just days.

Alliance, seemingly gutted by the departure of three top returners to an area select team and just one starter back, wasn’t sure if it could return to state.

But something happened last weekend that has the Allies chomping at the bit for state. In a word, Alliance appears to be peaking.

The Allies, who were hammered by a combined 65-14 score by talent-rich Lewis-Clark during the regular season, knocked off the Twins twice during the Area A district to earn a state berth.

Alliance (23-22), which went into district with a sub .500 record, will take on the Area C runner-up in state-opening action Saturday at Borah High School in Boise. The Area C state berths weren’t decided until late Wednesday night.

Joining Alliance at state are the Prairie Cardinals (22-22), a team that fell short of potential at district. Prairie will take on Centennial in the first game at state.

Prairie defeated Centennial 3-2 in the Scott Klaudt Memorial Tournament in Missoula.

Alliance and Prairie are on the same side of the bracket. Lewis-Clark (35-12), last year’s state host, will meet this year’s host, the Boise Senators, in the final game Saturday.

Prior to district, L-C figured to be a serious contender at state. Now, Alliance figures to fare well, at least based on its offensive abilities.

L-C coach Kevin Matthews says it’s nice to have a team loaded with hitters, but the key at state will be pitching.

“When we won state in 1996 and finished third at regionals we had five pitchers throw complete games in 13 of 14 games from district through regionals,” Matthews said.

If district is any indication, though, Alliance, L-C and Prairie will have to count on contributions by many to fare well. None of the teams possess dominant pitchers.

Blake Whiteman, Alliance’s top pitcher who mans center field when he’s not throwing, stopped short of predicting a state title.

“Nobody even thought we’d be there (at state),” said Whiteman, who hit three home runs in the Allies’ 15-8 district title victory over L-C. “We’re pulling together. Everything’s coming together. It’s a whole team thing.

“I’m not going to say we have a shot at (winning state) because I don’t know what the competition is like, but I think we’re going to make some heads turn. We’re going to make a dent.”

Prairie coach Brian Bradley hopes his team reverts to playing like it was before district. If the Cardinals play like they did at district, their stay at state will be brief.

“If we don’t play well, we’ll be going home real quick,” Bradley said. “We’ve got the pitching, we’ve got the hitting. We’ve just got to make the key plays.”

A new champ will be crowned as the powerhouse team of the 1990s, the Boise Gems, didn’t qualify.

The Gems won four state titles in the ‘90s. This is just the third time in 13 years they haven’t gone to state.

The state champ advances to regionals, which will be held Aug. 9-14 in Yakima. The World Series will be played Aug. 17-22 at Alton, Ill.