LEGION BASEBALL: Limited travel takes Lums from state tourneys

Season will continue, but with no overnight trips, no bus rides

When — and maybe if — the Class A and AA state American Legion baseball tournaments are played, those won’t include the Coeur d’Alene Lumberman teams.

Coeur d’Alene’s Legion program, due to COVID-19, is limiting travel for its for the remainder of the season.

“We don’t want to travel in big groups,” Coeur d’Alene AA coach Erik Karns said. “We’re trying to limit the size of groups that we travel with.”

Coeur d’Alene transports its players via bus to road games. The Lums have eliminated overnight trips, and players will now travel to games in separate vehicles.

The state AA tournament is scheduled for July 27 to Aug. 1 in Idaho Falls. The state A tournament is also July 27 to Aug. 1 in Pocatello.

Prairie’s AA program has yet to make a decision if it will compete at the state tourney in Idaho Falls.

“The kids really want to go,” Prairie AA coach Mick Zeller said. “All of the parents I’ve heard back from are good with it right now, so we’re planning on it.”

Coeur d’Alene, by way of a sweep of a June 22 doubleheader against Prairie, was to be top seed to state from Area (District) A, and Prairie was to be the second seed. Lewis-Clark, the only other team in the Class AA North Idaho League, opted not to field a Legion program this year.

Coeur d’Alene will continue with the AA season starting on July 15 against the Missoula Mavericks. Prairie will host Moscow at Post Falls High in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.

“We’re committing to restarting the season and doing what we can for these kids,” Karns said. “The entire way (season), we’ve made it a priority to get those games in and keep playing all season.”

Coeur d’Alene, which sponsors six teams (AA, A, 16U, 14U and two 13U teams), suspended baseball activities on June 26 due to positive COVID tests within the program, forcing the cancellation of the Senior Wood Bat Classic July 3-5, as well as the Junior Wood Bat Classic, scheduled for this weekend.

Lums teams were cleared to return to action Monday.

The AA Lums were scheduled to play doubleheaders Wednesday vs. the Wilder Baseball Club of Port Angeles, Wash., and today vs. the Spokane Expos.

“It’s been a challenging season,” Karns said. “There hasn’t been a day since we started the season when something hasn’t changed. We’d been playing on a consistent basis and then had to adjust for the safety of the community and our families.”