Our Daily Show Interview! American Jr. Legion State Tournament Next Weekend!
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON - The American Junior Legion Baseball State Tournament runs throughout the weekend.
Starting on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park, the Alton American Jr. Legion team will compete against the top legion teams across the state. The championship game is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 27. Doug Booten, a coach for the Alton team, noted that they have won the state championship for two years and hope to stand their ground this year.
“It’s the top legion teams in the State of Illinois there competing for the title,” Booten explained. “We hope to have a threepeat. I never thought we would have won the first one. Then to go back and repeat was just unbelievable.”
The state tournament is a six-team double elimination tournament. The top teams in the five divisions in Illinois will compete, plus the host team.
Community members are invited to Gordon Moore Park to watch the tournament throughout the weekend. It costs $5 to enter the stadium for the day, which will help the Alton team recoup the costs of hosting. Booten hopes to see many community members come out and support the sport.
“We encourage the public to come out,” he said. “Former players, former coaches, come out and relive the past. It’s baseball at its purest.”
The American Jr. Legion team is made up of high schoolers below age 17. Booten said the Alton team is mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores who love to play baseball.
He noted that the coaches encourage the players to work hard and push themselves. He believes that American Jr. Legion baseball goes beyond the sport and teaches kids important life lessons.
“It’s more than just baseball,” Booten said. “It’s a time in their lives when they’re becoming men. So we try to give them some responsibility. It’s time to start doing things on your own, and we kind of instill that in the players.”
Booten hopes to see his team succeed in the state tournament. He encourages the community to support the team throughout the weekend and beyond. For more information about the Alton American Jr. Legion baseball team and the state tournament this weekend, visit their official Facebook page.
More like this:
