AMERICAN LEGION NOTES July 28, 2015

When Coeur d'Alene last hosted the state AA Legion tournament in 2005 at McEuen Field, the Lewis-Clark Twins won the state title that year, beating the Idaho Falls Russets in the championship game. Coeur d'Alene went 1-2 at state under coach Jim Straw, and tied for fifth on its home field. The Lums were eliminated by Sandpoint, which finished fourth. The Lums played at McEuen through the 2012 season, then the baseball field was bulldozed as part of the McEuen Park makeover. The Lums, who started playing at McEuen in 1965, are in their third season at Thorco Field ... The Boise Gems, the fourth seed out of Area B, are the defending state champions. The Gems beat the Meridian Rangers in the title game. Boise Gems coach Larry Price, who during the school year is baseball coach at Timberline High in Boise, is a former Coeur d'Alene High standout. He has won 11 state high school baseball titles - six at Timberline, and five at Boise High before Boise High split and Timberline opened. Price has been the Gems' coach since 1988, where he's won 10 state titles - three in the last five years. In the 2005 state Legion tourney at McEuen, Price and the Gems went two and out. ... According to IdahoLegionBaseball.org, Lewis-Clark has won 36 state titles, most recently in 2009. According to other references, the Twins could have as many as 38. ... The Twin Falls Cowboys are making their 13th straight trip to state ... Coeur d'Alene had made 10 straight trips to state, before failing to qualify last year.

- Mark Nelke