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Delaware has another American Legion World Series team. How to watch DelVets

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Delaware has another American Legion World Series team. How to watch DelVets

Six years after Delaware had its first American Legion World Series baseball champion, another First State squad is seeking identical glory.

Delaware Veterans Post No. 1 − DelVets as the team is known in American Legion baseball − comprises players from Wilmington and its northern suburbs. DelVets won state and Mid-Atlantic titles to become the fifth Delaware team to reach the World Series since its 1926 debut.

Here are the details:

How did DelVets qualify?

DelVets finished first among Delaware’s seven American Legion teams with a 14-4 record, then won the state tournament.

DelVets walloped Stahl Post at Wilson Field 17-3 in the title game. Tournament MVP Matt Speicher had three hits, including a homer and five RBIs, and winning pitcher Jack Rossi allowed just four hits. Speicher and Rossi are recent Salesianum graduates.

That earned DelVets a spot in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals at Joe Cannon Stadium in Ridge, Maryland. There, DelVets lost the first game 3-0 but then fought their way out of the losers’ bracket, winning five straight games to secure the title.

There was plenty of drama. In its semifinal game, DelVets trailed Fort Cumberland of Maryland 6-4 entering the bottom of the 11th inning before Brady Fox rapped a two-strike, two-out single that drove in two runs and then scored on Rossi’s single.

DelVets then nipped the Northeastern American Legion Bobcats from York, Pennsylvania, 3-2 in the final. Aidan Kee’s fifth-inning fielder’s choice groundout scored the winning run.

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Where is the American Legion World Series?

Eight regional champions gather in Shelby, North Carolina, at Keeter Stadium in a tournament running from Thursday, Aug. 15, to Tuesday, Aug. 20.

What is DelVets’ schedule?

DelVets is among four teams in the Stripes Division. The team plays Billings, Montana, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Midland, Michigan, Saturday at 3 p.m.; and Bossier City, Louisiana, Sunday at 4 p.m.

The top two finishers in each of the Starts and Stripes divisions advance to semifinal games Monday at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Those winners reach Tuesday’s 7 p.m. title game.

Who is streaming and airing the games?

DelVets’ three games are being streamed on the ESPN3 subscription service.

ESPNU will televise the semifinal and title games.

Who plays American Legion baseball?

American Legion players are ages 16 to 19, meaning many are late in their high school careers or have started college.

What Delaware team won the Legion World Series?

In 2018, Delaware Post One was the first Delaware team to reach the American Legion World Series since 1976 and won Delaware’s first title in an eight-inning thriller 1-0 over Las Vegas (Nevada) Post 40 on national television.

Saint Mark’s grad and University of Delaware pitcher Chris Ludman threw his second shutout of the World Series in the title game. Austin Colmery’s one-out single up the middle scored Michael Cautillo with the winning run in the eighth inning.

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

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