THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Wednesday, May 20, 2015

After two years, the Coeur d'Alene American Legion baseball program has finally settled into its new home of Thorco Field at Ramsey Park.

The goal for this year - showcasing it to the rest of the state.

WHILE THE home opener for the AA team won't be until a doubleheader May 27 starting at 4 p.m. against Prairie, the program now has everything it needed - a press box, concession stands, bathrooms - at the field.

"The facilities and all the updates have been completed," Coeur d'Alene American Legion Baseball president John Wade said. "The concession stand is a godsend, and will be here soon. The city maintains the grass and we take care of the dirt. From the first meeting we had with them in February, it's been the best relationship we've had. Both Steve Anthony and Bill Greenwood (with the city of Coeur d'Alene) told us the same thing, and I think we'll get along with them great."

Coeur d'Alene has 58 players in its program, spanning the Double-A, Single-A and 14-and under team.

Coeur d'Alene will host the AA Area A (District 1) tournament July 23-25 and the State AA tournament July 28-Aug. 1 at Thorco Field.

"The 14U team has been playing for a month now and the Double-A will finish the first week of August here. We're really looking forward to it. We've got everything we wanted now. Now it's time to showcase it."

By way of hosting state, Coeur d'Alene will get an automatic berth to state.

"Hosting state is cool for us," second-year Coeur d'Alene AA coach Zach Clanton said. "We're going into the season a lot like we did at Lewis-Clark State when we got to host nationals. Everyone thought it was an unfair advantage to get the World Series and get an automatic bid. Some started to joke it was the Lewiston Invitational at the end of the season.

But it also gave (Lewis-Clark State) coach (Ed) Cheff freedom to coach the way he wanted and to schedule games how he wanted. This year, I can coach with a little more freedom and sit guys for stuff that we didn't get a chance to do last year. This year, I can coach how I can coach, and not necessarily worry about wins and losses, because I know we'll be in it at the end of the year and those guys will be prepared at the end of the season."

"We've still got to win games, and win at the end, but my goal is still to win districts, and that's the goal coach (Lloyd) Duman always had. The first goal was to win districts and then second was to make it to state. With this group, I want to win districts, I want to win state and I think these guys are going to be better because I've got the freedom with the schedule. We'll play Lewis-Clark, Prairie and Northern Lakes four times, and with some of those tournaments, I think these guys are going to be better for it at the end of the season."

COEUR d'ALENE RETURNS most of its starters from last year's team, which finished 20-25.

"Luckily for me, I return a lot of my starters from last year and knew what my team was going to be," said Clanton, who is also a coach for Wenatchee Valley Community College. "I had an idea of the guys that would fill in as role players because they're program guys and what our program is about and what we represent."

After playing for club teams last year, Lake City High's Jarred Hall, Sam Slusser and Reilly Cherry join the Lumbermen this year.

"I want to say it's because we're doing things the right way," Clanton said. "I love recruiting the high school kids to come to Wenatchee. Unfortunately, I'm having to do it at a younger age in the high school programs for Legion due to select teams. I have to recruit kids to stay and play where they're supposed to play and essentially build a fence around the two schools and make sure they don't leave. We've got a lot of energy in the program right now and I think the kids are drawn to the fact we've got such a young staff that recently got done playing."

Gibson Green and Conner Cardinel - both of Coeur d'Alene High - have signed letters of intent to continue playing at Wenatchee Valley next year.

"I've been very open with the guys that I'm not going to recruit everyone to play in college," Clanton said. "Playing in college, it's not for everyone, but if you work your butt off for me in the summertime, it might not lead to scholarship money, but maybe a roster spot because I know what you'll give me to as a starter or role player."

IN THE Single-A North Idaho League, there is currently nine teams in the north, with Kendrick, Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint and the newly formed Northern Lakes (Lakeland-Timberlake) joining Coeur d'Alene, St. Maries, Orofino, Moscow and Lewis-Clark.

"They're going to get to play 44 or so games, which is a blessing for us so we don't have to schedule games with club teams as much," Wade said.

Getting to away games will be a little more difficult as the team is unable to rent vans to transport players to and from games.

"We wanted to rent passenger vans, but the company we used won't rent to an organization under the 12th grade, and we understand that," Wade said. "We're going to have to rely on parents to shuttle kids. Financially, we're not in a position to go out and buy a van and we'll need help financially getting a van. We'll support whoever wants to support us by putting advertising on that van and work with them. If not, we'll make due and put it in the budget for next year and hopefully secure something."

"We're really lucky to have it (the state tournament). Those curveballs we're being thrown, like with the vans, we'll get through. We've got a great group of parents and our board is awesome. We've got a great group of players and I would put them up against anybody. We'll get through this."

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.