Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Post 15 Junior American Legion team hosts Ahoskie in its home opener Wednesday night after a 6-2 loss at Wayne Co. in Goldsboro Monday night.

Post 15 finished second in Area 1 and qualified for the state tournament in in its first season last summer and nine players from that team return along with nine newcomers.

The team is made up of five players from Northside, four from Southside, two from Washington, two from Farmville Central and one each from J.H. Rose, D.H. Conley, an 8th-grader from Bath Elementary and one home-schooled player. Pitt County players are eligible to play here because they only field a senior Legion team. Junior Legion is for players 17 years and younger.

“We’re missing three starters from Northside (Holden Boykin, Trenton Allen and Ashton Willard) who are playing for the state championship this weekend and we wish them the best,” coach Bobby Boyd said. “When they join us next week, we think we’ll have the best team in the area and should exceed last year’s finish. Our team has come together really well considering we are pulling from several schools. We’re looking forward to a fun summer.”

Boyd said Evan Woolard (PCA) and Jackson Harding (WHS) will split time at first base, with Jacob Spivey (WHS) at second, Phillip Dash (DHC) at shortstop and Northside’s Ashton Willard at third. Boyd expects Boykin, Allen and Caleb Grandy (JH Rose) to be in the outfield with Boykin, Emerson Howell and Taylor Ashley (Southside) to share time behind the plate.

Post 15 has 12 potential pitchers including Woolard, Southside’s Luke Bullock, Grandy, Howell, Willard, Allen and Dash.

The schedule calls for three games a week until the end of June, followed by the area tournament in Ahoskie and the state tournament in Goldsboro.
Wednesday is the first of eight home games at the Washington High School field. Other home dates include June 3 & 6, 20, 22, 27 & 28. All games start at 7 p.m.

Wayne Co., Perquimans, Ahoskie, Hobgood, Bear Grass and the Outer Banks are the opponents for the 15-game regular season.

“We had great community support in our first year and laid the foundation for the future,” Boyd said. “I had great response when I went back to our sponsors for this year, which tells me we are doing something right. We have plenty of flexibility within our roster, as most of them play more than one position and the majority pitch. This program exists to give our kids something positive to do in the summer and to help them become better athletes, students and citizens. They’ve been a great group so far and I think we will have a successful summer.”