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ROCHESTER — The New Hampshire American Legion Junior Baseball State Tournament begins Friday, July 24. Rochester Post 7 earned the right to skip the opening weekend and will wait four days before playing its first postseason game.
Rochester went 16-1 during the regular season, with its only loss a 3-2 setback to Salem on July 10, earning the District B top seed.
More: Exeter, Rochester to start NH American Legion baseball tourney
Rochester will face the winner of the opening-weekend best-of-three series between District B No. 3 seed Newmarket and District A No. 2 seed Merrimack Navy.
"I honestly didn't think we would have the year we had, I really didn't," Rochester Post 7 coach Nate Drapeau said. "The kids practiced, worked hard and we took one game at a time and had a great season. I enjoyed it. These are great kids, and I am excited for the tournament."
Members of the team include Daniel Altemose, Brady Angell, Brandon Bilodeau, Samuel Brandt, Gabriel Cuevas, Benjamin Eidson, Nolan Ganley, Conor Hogan, Brayden Hubbard, Logan LaCoss, Joshua LaRochelle, Christopher Sherman, Easton Truax, Lucas Uraskevich and Bailintyn White.
"Some of these kids never had a chance before, and I gave them that chance," Drapeau said. "They proved not only to me, but to their teammates, that they could play. That's the thing about coaching. You can't coach one kid the same way as another kid. You have to give them a chance to see what they can do."
Post 7 will host the winner of the Newmarket-Merrimack Navy series on Tuesday, July 28, at 5:30 p.m. at Spaulding High School. The series continues July 29 at the home field of the opening-round winner. If necessary, a third and deciding game will be played at Spaulding on July 30.
The winner advances to the best-of-three state championship series, which begins Thursday, July 30, at Gill Stadium in Manchester.
"These kids have worked so hard to be where they are in the playoff seeding," Drapeau said. "The coaches and I cannot express how proud we are of them. If we get to the championship series and make it to regionals, it will just solidify that if you put in the work and stay humble, it will all pay off in the end. No matter what the outcome is going to be, we're so proud of this team and the achievements they've accomplished this season."
District B No. 2 Salem and District A No. 3 Nashua will meet in the other opening-weekend best-of-three series. District A No. 1 Hudson will face the winner of that matchup in the semifinals.
Both teams that reach the championship series qualify for the Northeast Regional Tournament, scheduled for Aug. 7-9 at Gill Stadium.
Rochester won its first five games of the season with doubleheader sweeps of Londonderry (10-0, 11-1) and Exeter (13-0, 10-5), along with a single-game victory over Dover (19-4). However, it wasn't until a doubleheader against Salem on July 1 that Drapeau felt this team could be poised for a special summer.
Rochester swept that twinbill, 10-9 and 8-1, to improve to 7-0.
"Salem has always been our nemesis," Drapeau said. "Salem is very good, the coach is phenomenal and they are a very smart team. I remember going to the field that night and saying, 'Alright, here we go.'"
Salem led 9-4 in the first game before Rochester rallied by scoring the final six runs.
"The momentum kept going, and that's what I was preaching to the kids," Drapeau said. "You have to have energy in the dugout, and when you get down one or two runs, you can't just sit there and sulk. You have to have that momentum and chip away, and that's what creates a great team."
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester Post 7 earns top seed in American Legion junior baseball tourney
Continue reading...
Rochester went 16-1 during the regular season, with its only loss a 3-2 setback to Salem on July 10, earning the District B top seed.
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More: Exeter, Rochester to start NH American Legion baseball tourney
Rochester will face the winner of the opening-weekend best-of-three series between District B No. 3 seed Newmarket and District A No. 2 seed Merrimack Navy.
"I honestly didn't think we would have the year we had, I really didn't," Rochester Post 7 coach Nate Drapeau said. "The kids practiced, worked hard and we took one game at a time and had a great season. I enjoyed it. These are great kids, and I am excited for the tournament."
Members of the team include Daniel Altemose, Brady Angell, Brandon Bilodeau, Samuel Brandt, Gabriel Cuevas, Benjamin Eidson, Nolan Ganley, Conor Hogan, Brayden Hubbard, Logan LaCoss, Joshua LaRochelle, Christopher Sherman, Easton Truax, Lucas Uraskevich and Bailintyn White.
"Some of these kids never had a chance before, and I gave them that chance," Drapeau said. "They proved not only to me, but to their teammates, that they could play. That's the thing about coaching. You can't coach one kid the same way as another kid. You have to give them a chance to see what they can do."
A look at the tournament field
Post 7 will host the winner of the Newmarket-Merrimack Navy series on Tuesday, July 28, at 5:30 p.m. at Spaulding High School. The series continues July 29 at the home field of the opening-round winner. If necessary, a third and deciding game will be played at Spaulding on July 30.
The winner advances to the best-of-three state championship series, which begins Thursday, July 30, at Gill Stadium in Manchester.
"These kids have worked so hard to be where they are in the playoff seeding," Drapeau said. "The coaches and I cannot express how proud we are of them. If we get to the championship series and make it to regionals, it will just solidify that if you put in the work and stay humble, it will all pay off in the end. No matter what the outcome is going to be, we're so proud of this team and the achievements they've accomplished this season."
District B No. 2 Salem and District A No. 3 Nashua will meet in the other opening-weekend best-of-three series. District A No. 1 Hudson will face the winner of that matchup in the semifinals.
Both teams that reach the championship series qualify for the Northeast Regional Tournament, scheduled for Aug. 7-9 at Gill Stadium.
How Rochester got here
Rochester won its first five games of the season with doubleheader sweeps of Londonderry (10-0, 11-1) and Exeter (13-0, 10-5), along with a single-game victory over Dover (19-4). However, it wasn't until a doubleheader against Salem on July 1 that Drapeau felt this team could be poised for a special summer.
Rochester swept that twinbill, 10-9 and 8-1, to improve to 7-0.
"Salem has always been our nemesis," Drapeau said. "Salem is very good, the coach is phenomenal and they are a very smart team. I remember going to the field that night and saying, 'Alright, here we go.'"
Salem led 9-4 in the first game before Rochester rallied by scoring the final six runs.
"The momentum kept going, and that's what I was preaching to the kids," Drapeau said. "You have to have energy in the dugout, and when you get down one or two runs, you can't just sit there and sulk. You have to have that momentum and chip away, and that's what creates a great team."
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester Post 7 earns top seed in American Legion junior baseball tourney
Continue reading...
