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May 30—MITCHELL — A new era of American Legion Post 18 is dawning this summer at Cadwell Park and Drake Field.
With Mitchell's varsity, junior varsity and teener summer baseball programs now under the leadership of the Palace City Baseball Association, a void is being filled. A major milestone is soon to be checked off, with the first Post 18 varsity game in nearly three years set for Tuesday, June 2, at Watertown.
"I think the word is just excitement," said Post 18 Legion coach Caleb Crist. "I know the boys are excited. We're excited to get a full Legion season going, and we're excited to play all these South Dakota teams again. We're really ready to go over here."
In September, PCBA was formed by parents as a break-off group from the Mitchell Baseball Association with a desire to move forward from the criminal activity from past players that ultimately stopped Legion baseball in Mitchell since the summer 2023. A new organizational structure was required by the state's American Legion in order to sanction Mitchell's teams to play again.
PCBA's American Junior Legion, 14-and-under and 13-and-under teeners have already started play.
"Organizationally, from top to bottom, these are a lot of fun, focused and driven people," Crist said of PCBA. "They really wanted this for their kids."
This summer, the program has 12 players eligible only for the Senior Legion level, and it will elevate players from the Junior Legion team as needed. Across all four levels of PCBA baseball, Crist estimated there are approximately 60 players in the program.
"I think that's a great place to start," Crist said of the Year 1 participation.
Though Crist was tabbed as the new leader of Post 18, he has experience leading varsity-level baseball in Mitchell. Crist served as the interim head coach for the Mitchell High School club team in the spring of 2024.
That spring, Crist got to meet and coach many of the current Senior Legion players as sophomores or freshmen. As PCBA gets its first summer of competition off the ground, Crist expects that familiarity to go a long way toward setting the organization up for success.
"Being familiar with these guys, not just jumping into something brand new with kids I don't know very well, I think that's going to be a great launching pad for all of us," Crist said. "They're going to be a blueprint for the future. We haven't even started playing, and I'm super proud of them already."
Last summer, an 18-and-under Mitchell baseball team unaffiliated with the American Legion compiled a 6-14 record facing a schedule almost exclusively made up of out-of-state opponents.
During the 2026 spring high school season, Mitchell finished with a 14-13 record. The core of that MHS roster is mostly intact for the Post 18 program, and Crist believes the club can have a successful reboot season. Post 18's first home game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, against Helena (Mont.), with a home doubleheader against Renner on Wednesday, June 17.
"I just expect us to compete as hard as we can. We know that we have a good baseball team," Crist said. "We've got very competitive players that want to play and want to win, so we're going to play as hard as we can and do everything we can to stay in every game."
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With Mitchell's varsity, junior varsity and teener summer baseball programs now under the leadership of the Palace City Baseball Association, a void is being filled. A major milestone is soon to be checked off, with the first Post 18 varsity game in nearly three years set for Tuesday, June 2, at Watertown.
"I think the word is just excitement," said Post 18 Legion coach Caleb Crist. "I know the boys are excited. We're excited to get a full Legion season going, and we're excited to play all these South Dakota teams again. We're really ready to go over here."
In September, PCBA was formed by parents as a break-off group from the Mitchell Baseball Association with a desire to move forward from the criminal activity from past players that ultimately stopped Legion baseball in Mitchell since the summer 2023. A new organizational structure was required by the state's American Legion in order to sanction Mitchell's teams to play again.
PCBA's American Junior Legion, 14-and-under and 13-and-under teeners have already started play.
"Organizationally, from top to bottom, these are a lot of fun, focused and driven people," Crist said of PCBA. "They really wanted this for their kids."
This summer, the program has 12 players eligible only for the Senior Legion level, and it will elevate players from the Junior Legion team as needed. Across all four levels of PCBA baseball, Crist estimated there are approximately 60 players in the program.
"I think that's a great place to start," Crist said of the Year 1 participation.
Though Crist was tabbed as the new leader of Post 18, he has experience leading varsity-level baseball in Mitchell. Crist served as the interim head coach for the Mitchell High School club team in the spring of 2024.
That spring, Crist got to meet and coach many of the current Senior Legion players as sophomores or freshmen. As PCBA gets its first summer of competition off the ground, Crist expects that familiarity to go a long way toward setting the organization up for success.
"Being familiar with these guys, not just jumping into something brand new with kids I don't know very well, I think that's going to be a great launching pad for all of us," Crist said. "They're going to be a blueprint for the future. We haven't even started playing, and I'm super proud of them already."
Last summer, an 18-and-under Mitchell baseball team unaffiliated with the American Legion compiled a 6-14 record facing a schedule almost exclusively made up of out-of-state opponents.
During the 2026 spring high school season, Mitchell finished with a 14-13 record. The core of that MHS roster is mostly intact for the Post 18 program, and Crist believes the club can have a successful reboot season. Post 18's first home game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, against Helena (Mont.), with a home doubleheader against Renner on Wednesday, June 17.
"I just expect us to compete as hard as we can. We know that we have a good baseball team," Crist said. "We've got very competitive players that want to play and want to win, so we're going to play as hard as we can and do everything we can to stay in every game."
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