91Ӱ���ƽ��

Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 must replace the entire roster from last year’s title-winning squad.

Defending American Legion World Series championship coach Larry Bowles understands why his team was considered a “come out of nowhere” story when it became only the second Virginia title-winner last season.

But Bowles contends Chesapeake Post 280’s 2025 ALWS success was a process of several years even as he admits he and his coaches still can’t believe they will begin the 2026 season as a defending champions.

“We got a taste of the World Series in 2010,” said Bowles, whose team has won five state, three regional and one ALWS title in the past 15 seasons. “And then we didn’t make another one until 2022, and we were over the moon to make it. I’d heard all these great stories about how great it was to be in Shelby and how much fun we were going to have there.

“So when we got back last year, we knew what it was about and knew we had a great team.”

Nicknamed the Seals, Post 280 lost its opener in the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Ridge, Md., before its offense came alive to win five straight games and punch its ticket for a return to Shelby.

Once in the ALWS, Chesapeake won its first two games before suffering a one-run loss in its third game to advance to the single-elimination semifinals.

Then, Post 280’s combination of offense, defense and pitching sealed their first title, and Virginia’s first since 1985, with victories over Portland, Ore. (7-3) and League City, Tex. (5-0).

“We knew we had a really talented team and guys in our area were noticing how strong our program was becoming,” said Bowles, whose team has advanced to five straight Virginia state tournament championship games. “We felt really good about what we were going to have in the 2025 season starting two years earlier.

“And we had eight NCAA Division I signees last year and all 18 were signed to play college baseball at some level.”

Bowles and his staff of Tim Agreste, Clayton Inskeep, Michael Johnson, Tyler Morgan and Justin Shockley had a roster highlighted by American Legion Player of the Year Wes Stubbe (Lynchburg), Louisville Slugger Award winner Keegan Haesler (James Madison), Bob Feller Pitching Award winner Aiden Parker (George Washington) and Mid-Atlantic Regional MVP and ALWS all-tournament outfielder Reid Downs (Richmond).

“So, for us, this wasn’t a ‘coming out of nowhere’ story,” Bowles said. “It’s been a dream and a goal for us all along.

“And when we recruit guys to play for us, we tell them how great the World Series is in Shelby and why we want to get there.”

Still, even in the afterglow of the 2025 championship game, Bowles told reporters it was hard for him to believe his team had reached the pinnacle of its sport.

The annual trip to the major league World Series that ALWS title-winners make gave Bowles more proof of that historic success.

“To me, that was the epitome of what we had been selling guys on why they wanted to play for us,” Bowles said of visiting Game 4 of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Toronto Blue Jays World Series. “Walking on the field at Dodger Stadium and looking around and seeing (Fox TV announcers) A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) and (Derek) Jeter and Big Papi (David Ortiz) over there doing the broadcast on the field and (Dodgers’ star Shohei) Ohtani going through his warmups while we’re out there was just amazing. And then we see some celebrities behind home plate and our guys were taking selfies with them.

“So it was really surreal for us. And it made us realize what we had accomplished.”

This year, Bowles and his staff will have a full rebuilding chore as all 18 players from last year’s team are either ineligible to return and will play summer collegiate baseball.

“We knew 2025 was going to be a great class and team,” Bowles said. “And they were so talented that their college coaches have put the five guys that we had that could come back into collegiate leagues.

“So we’ll have a whole new roster.”

However, it will be another talented group.

“We haven’t put the final touches on our roster yet,” said Bowles, whose regular season begins on June 6. “I’ve got 13 of our 18 spots figured out. Of those 13 guys, we do have eight NCAA Division I commits. That’s one thing that winning the World Series last year helps you do: Talented players are beating down my door reaching out to me wanting to play.”