OKLAHOMA BOUND: MISSOURI AMERICAN LEGION CHAMPS PREPARE FOR MID-SOUTH REGIONAL

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- As exhilarating as Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy's run to the Senior American Legion state championship was, the squad hasn't had all that much time to savor its feat.

That's because an even bigger tournament looms on the horizon.

Chaffee is getting ready for the eight-team Mid-South Regional that will be played Thursday through Monday in Enid, Okla.

"You don't get much of a break," said a laughing Chaffee manager Jeff Graviett, whose squad stormed back from the loser's bracket and claimed a 7-6, 10-inning thriller in the finals to win the state tourney that concluded Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

"In high school if you win the state title, your season is over. That's the one thing about Legion baseball, you really have to re-focus in a hurry and get ready for the next tournament."

Not that Graviett is complaining. He said it's still almost a bit mind-boggling to consider that Chaffee is one of just 64 teams across the country still playing out of the thousands and thousands of American Legion posts that field squads.

"I compare it to the NCAA Tournament, the Big Dance," Graviett said. "We're one of 64 teams left and for little Chaffee, that's kind of hard to believe."

But some of Chaffee's players didn't seem all that surprised by their success as they went through a light workout at Harmon Field Tuesday night. The squad is scheduled to fly from St. Louis to Oklahoma City this morning and then bus to Enid, all courtesy of the national American Legion organization.

Familiar territory

"It's not something you really expect, but I knew we had a chance at the beginning of the year," said ace pitcher Matt Stroup.

Said John O'Rourke, "This area is loaded with talent. I'm not surprised. I knew all along we could win state."

Maybe Chaffee's players aren't stunned by this kind of success because it isn't new to them. In 1999, 10 of the 13 team members played on Chaffee's Junior American Legion team that won a state title and finished third in the regional tournament.

"I think that experience will help us," said Justin Simpher, the team's leading hitter who ranks as something of the squad's co-ace pitcher, along with Stroup. "We'll kind of know what to expect."

Added Graviett, "These kids have played in big games all their life. They're used to it and I'm sure that's helped them out."

Chaffee doesn't have a big roster, but Graviett pointed out that all of the players have contributed, particularly during the state tourney.

Team members

The Medicap Pharmacy squad is made up of five players from Notre Dame High School (O'Rourke, Andrew DePeder, Todd Friend, Scott Eftink, Lance Dohogne); four from Chaffee High School (Stroup, Perry Rice, G.P. Glueck, Travis Hanback); two from Kelly High School (Simpher, Jon Heuring); and two from Oran High School (Garrett Cook, Adam Friga, although Friga will not make the trip to Oklahoma because of other obligations).

O'Rourke, Friend, Dohogne, Stroup, Rice, Glueck, Hanback, Simpher, Cook and Friga all played in the Junior Legion regional two years ago. And Graviett's coaches, Joe Rice and Darrell Dannenmueller, coached on that Junior Legion squad.

"We're looking forward to getting out there," Graviett said. "From what I understand, it's really going to be a big-time event. I was worried about what kind of money we were going to have to raise, but everything is taken care of."

* The format for the eight regionals being held across the country is different than what took place during district, zone and state tournaments, which were true double-elimination.

Each regional is broken down into two four-team divisions, with three rounds of pool play Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The top two finishers in each division advance to Sunday's semifinals, with those winners meeting for the championship Monday.

Chaffee, which is in the American Division, plays Mississippi state champion West Point at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nebraska state champion Omaha at 1 p.m. Friday and host Enid at 8 p.m. Saturday.

The National Division consists of the Texas (Texas City), Oklahoma (Midwest City), Arkansas (Pine Bluff) and Louisiana (Merrero) state champions. Texas City is the defending regional champ.

The winners of each of the eight regionals qualify for next week's American Legion World Series in Yakima, Wash.

* As was the case during the state tournament, all of Chaffee's regional games will be broadcast live by KAPE-1550.

AMERICAN LEGION MID-SOUTH REGIONAL

at Enid, Okla.

American Legion Mid-South Regional

at Enid, Okla.

American Division

Chaffee, Mo.

West Point, Miss.

Omaha, Neb.

Enid, Okla.

National Division

Texas City, Texas

Pine Bluff, Ark.

Midwest City, Okla.

Merrero, La.

Schedule

Thursday

(Pool Play)

10 a.m. Chaffee vs. West Point

1 p.m. Texas City vs. Pine Bluff

5 p.m. Midwest City vs. Merrero

8 p.m. Omaha vs. Enid

Friday

(Pool Play)

10 a.m. Texas City vs. Merrero

1 p.m. Chaffee vs. Omaha

5 p.m. Enid vs. West Point

8 p.m. Pine Bluff vs. Midwest City

Saturday

(Pool Play)

10 a.m. Omaha vs. West Point

1 p.m. Pine Bluff vs. Merrero

5 p.m. Midwest City vs. Texas City

8 p.m. Chaffee vs. Enid

Sunday

(Semifinals)

1 p.m. American Pool winner vs. National Pool runner-up

7 p.m. National Pool winner vs. American Pool runner-up

Monday

(Championship)

7 p.m. Semifinal winners