A-B home for the holiday weekend
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| Paul Kopsky photo Following an impressive 7-1 record this spring with St. Louis U. High, Anheuser-Busch Post 299 pitcher A.J. Greiner is off to a 4-1 start this summer. Consecutive complete-game shutouts has Greiner's ERA down to a team-best 1.12. |
Post 299 is hosting 13 teams for its annual Fourth of July Tournament, which will be played at three sites - Fultz Field at The Greens, Webster Groves High School and Vianney High School. Each site will host round-robin pool play, beginning Thursday. The top eight teams will then advance to a one-day tournament on Saturday. The championship game will be played at Webster Groves Saturday night at 5:30.
Only four other area Legion teams - Kirkwood, Crestwood, Washington, St. Charles North - are in the tourney as Clifton wanted his players exposed to clubs they won't see on a regular basis. Jefferson City Post 5 and Ste. Genevieve Post 150 join six out-of-state teams from Indiana, Utah, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado."If you're flying, you've got to be pretty good," Clifton said. "You don't travel across the country unless you've got some talent."
Post 299 traveled to Omaha, Neb., for a June 13-15 tournament before coming back to St. Louis and playing in Eureka's Mid-America Classic. The team went 7-2 in the nine games, advancing to the semifinals of both tournaments. Clifton said while it's nice to be home, he knows it's a lot of work to host a tournament with so many teams coming in from out of town. He added that his club plays better on the road.
"Honestly, I think my kids would like to be on the road," he said. "The kids are such roadies. We are a road team. We like to travel. When you've got to bunk with somebody, and eat with them every day, it brings you together. It's like a family."
One of the teams that Post 299 could see is the Colorado Kahos G team, which it played earlier in Omaha, when Kevin Frigerio shut them out, 2-0. The Kahos had double-digit run totals in their next three games. The hottest pitcher of the tournament, though, might be Post 299's A.J. Greiner, who is coming off of consecutive complete-game shutouts. His latest victory was a 2-0 blanking of Herbert Hoover last Thursday.
Greiner struggled last year, but worked with former Post 299 player and current minor leaguer Brad Stone during the offseason, and that time has paid off. After posting a 7-1 record with St. Louis University High this spring, Greiner is 4-1 so far for Post 299 with a 1.12 ERA.
"He's been outstanding on the mound," Clifton said. "Last year, he was just all over the place and erratic. A.J. busted his tail, got himself into shape and he's been awesome."
Post 299 (16-5) will open tourney play in the Musial Pool at The Greens Thursday afternoon at 1 against Smithfield, Utah. Crestwood will play the Kahos B team Thursday at 3:30 at Vianney in the Ozzie Pool. Washington and Ste. Genevieve pop the top in the Gibson pool at Webster Groves at 3:30 on Thursday.
The top three teams from the five-team Musial Pool and the top two teams from the other two pools will advance to Saturday's eight-team, single elimination tournament along with one wild card team. The quarterfinals will be Saturday morning at 9 and 11:30. The semifinal will be at 3, following the championship game at Webster Groves.
Post 299 isn't the only team hosting a holiday tournament. The Oakville Legion will welcome in several area teams to Heine Meine this weekend, including Lemay Post 162, House Springs, Thoman Boothe, New Baden, De Soto and Maryland Heights. Oakville (6-25) plays House Springs Thursday night at 8 preceded by Lemay (9-10) taking on De Soto at 5:30.
Fourth of July
Tournaments
Anheuser-Busch Post 299 Tournament
at The Greens
Thursday, July 3
Post 299 vs. Smithfield, Utah, 1 p.m.
Plymouth, Ind. vs Wichita, Kan., 3:30 p.m.
Post 299 vs. St. Charles North Knights, 6
Friday, July 4
Smithfield vs. Plymouth, 8 a.m.
Smithfield vs. North, 10:30 a.m.
Wichita vs. North, 1 p.m.
Post 299 vs. Wichita, 3:30 p.m.
Post 299 vs. Plymouth, 6 p.m.
at Webster Groves High School
Thursday, July 3
Washington vs. Ste. Genevieve, 3:30 p.m.
Kirkwood vs. Boise, Idaho, 6 p.m.
Friday, July 4
Washington vs. Crestwood, 9 a.m.
Jefferson City vs. Kirkwood, 11:30 a.m.
Jefferson City vs. Boise, 2 p.m.
Kirkwood vs. Colorado Kahos G, 4:30
at Vianney High School
Thursday, July 3
Colorado Kahos B vs. Crestwood, 3:30
Colorado Kahos G vs. Jefferson City, 6
Friday, July 4
Kahos G vs. Boise, 9 a.m.
Kahos B vs. Ste. Genevieve, 11:30 a.m.
Kahos B vs. Washington, 2 p.m.
Crestwood vs. Ste. Genevieve, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 5
Quarterfinal 1, 9 a.m., site TBA
Quarterfinal 2, 11:30 a.m., site TBA
Semifinal, 3 p.m., site TBA
Championship game, 5:30 p.m., at Webster Groves
Oakville Legion Tournament
at Heine Meine
Thursday, July 3
Lemay vs. De Soto, 5:30 p.m.
Oakville vs. House Springs, 8 p.m.
Friday, July 4
Lemay vs. Maryland Heights, 11:30 a.m.
New Baden vs. Oakville, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 5
Oakville vs. Thoman Boothe, 11:30 a.m.
Lemay vs. Rock Memorial, 7 p.m.
