Junior legion team off to good start; Team looking for big things this season

Published 7:47 pm Monday, May 26, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CHOCOWINITY, N.C. — It’s good to have goals, no matter who you are. The goal of returning to the state championship series in Junior American Legion baseball is one Beaufort County Post 15 has for this season.

The team began another season of competition on Monday, beating Ahoskie 5-1 at Chocowinity Middle School. That’s where the team will play its home games this season. With a relatively new group of teenage boys on the squad, repeating past success of advancing to the state championship series won’t be easy. But it’s definitely the goal, something Post 15 has done the past two seasons.

“My goal is to hopefully keep leading this and keep building it,” said Boyd, who is in his third season as legion coach and has also had success on the Babe Ruth level. “We’re taking 18 ballplayers from different schools. So I told them all, playing time is not guaranteed in Legion. We’re trying to find the core to win ballgames.

“And if you have the understanding that you haven’t played in six or seven ballgames, somebody gets hurt, your number’s up, you need to be ready.

“Doesn’t take any talent to hustle, to respect each other, and to play hard. Those are required, and the other one is to learn from it. So if you make a mistake, learn from it, let’s not repeat it. Do those four things over and over, but then that’s gonna also carry over in life.”

Boyd said he has 13 players out of 18 who can pitch, who the coaching staff feels good about. That and good defense are the keys to success in the past and will be relied on again this season. Post 15 is the only Area 1 team, which encompasses much of Eastern North Carolina, to reach the state championship series the past two seasons.

Luke Bullock and Sam Mullis combined for a three-hitter against Ahoskie, striking out 16, including 10 from Bullock. Post 15 had six hits and five walks, used a lot of small ball with bunts and strategic baserunning to push runs across.

Bullock and Salil Desai are the players with the most experience on the squad and are co-captains.

“We’re young, but we have talent,” said Desai, who plays in the outfield, shortstop and also pitches. “And with talent and being coachable, I think we can make it far and go to state.

“(In Monday’s win) It was a lot of small ball. We played the right way. Simple way. Didn’t make it hard on anybody. Defend our pitcher, which is our goal to win games.”

Players come from Northside, Southside and Washington high schools in Beaufort County, along with Pungo Christian Academy. Some athletes on this season’s team played at D.H. Conley High School in Pitt County, Bear Grass Charter, TEACH and at Riverside and Tucker Creek middle schools

“It’s just the love or the passion, I guess, that really stands out the most,” said Philip Dash, who played at D.H. Conley. “Everybody’s cheering on everybody. Nobody’s really wanting to get ahead of somebody.”

Fundamentals, good team chemistry and hard work are some of the things that have worked for Post 15 teams in the past. Boyd believes those things will lead to success again this season.

“We purposely look for pitchers that have got some talent, and we feel like that if we can pitch with anybody, pound the zone, don’t walk people, you’re giving yourself a chance,” Boyd said. “I’d rather for you to throw three pitches and get three outs than throw nine and get three outs, you know, pitch count.

“So we have preached, preached, preached, especially this team with it being younger. If you guys play defense, don’t make any foolish errors, and pitch, you at least are going to give yourself a chance.

“We’re going to manufacture a run. We’ll do something to manufacture a run, but we’ve done a lot of small ball (Monday) night. This, so far, is the best bunting team. It’s only one game and a few practices, but it’s the best bunting team that we’ve had.”

More Northside Panthers

State champs x 2: Andrew Harding, Colten Smith take home individual track gold medals

Northside joins other schools in spring football workouts

Twice as nice: Northside’s Andrew Harding, Colten Smith win state titles at 1A track final

State of the Athletics: Beaufort County AD sees positives, goals for 2025-26

Print Article

  • Polls

    In general, how comfortable are you swimming in the Pamlico River and nearby creeks?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...