American Legion World Series teams arrive in Shelby

As the American Legion World Series teams walked off their busses Tuesday, they stepped into the spotlight.

Greeted by host families and volunteers, the arriving teams got a small taste of what's to come this week as they compete in front of thousands of fans at Keeter Stadium and even larger audiences on ESPN.

For most of the players, like Wilmington, Delaware Post 1 catcher Marshall Awtry, the World Series experience will be a first.

“Getting to be one of the top eight teams in the country and getting to play with this much publicity is exciting and it ups the tempo a little bit,” Awtry said. “But I think we're still going to play great baseball regardless.”

Familiar grounds

Some of the arriving players from two teams were already familiar with Shelby and the series, having played in the tournament last year.

Both Randolph County Post 45 and Midland, Michigan Post 165 competed in the 2017 World Series. Post 165 is making its sixth appearance in the series since 2008.

Post 165 third baseman Tyler David was excited to return for the series for the second year in a row.

“We played hard enough to make it to the next round, but we just came up a little short last year,” he said. “We've got some unfinished business to take care of.”

With only a few hours in Shelby under their belts, David said he and his teammates had already received a warm welcome from the locals. It was a feeling he was familiar with from last year's series.

“They're all friendly and they're all going to come support you at the games,” he said.

Haircuts and mascots

The teams that arrive in Shelby for the World Series often have their own superstitions, traditions and good luck charms built up over the past season.

Awtry cut his hair into a mullet leading up to the state and regional tournaments, and he said several of his teammates planned to cut theirs into a similar fashion Tuesday.

Gonzales, Louisiana Post 81, nicknamed The Wombats, have a good luck charm on their side: a toy wombat they named Womby. A parent picked up the mascot as the team traveled through Tennessee.

“After we lost our first game we got him, and then we won 19 in a row,” shortstop and pitcher Preston Thrash said.

As they completed orientation at the Cleveland Mall Tuesday morning, Thrash and his teammates felt confident entering the World Series after their wins against top teams in the state and region.

“We've made it this far, we might as well go all the way,” he said.

Casey White can be reached at 704-669-3339 or cwhite@shelbystar.com.