American Legion senior baseball state title up for grabs

Offense has not been hard to come by for the eight teams in this year’s American Legion senior baseball state tournament.

Every team enters this postseason averaging better than six runs per game on offense. The offense tends to decline once the tournament starts, but this year, that might not be the case.

Six of the eight teams have allowed more than four runs per game this season, and for two teams, that number is over five.

Exeter Post 32, last year’s runner-up, looks to be the most well-rounded team, as Post 32 is the top team in runs scored (10.2) and runs allowed (3.5). Milford Post 23, which is making its second tournament appearance in a row, has one of the best lineups top to bottom, while Lebanon Post 22 and Rochester Post 7 have been two of the top pitching teams.

No. 4-A Bedford Post 54

• Record: 9-7.
• Last title: 2011.
• Run differential: +28
• Runs allowed per game: 5.2.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 3-3.

Bedford got off to a good start this season, winning its first three games by a combined 45-8, and going 6-2 over its first eight. But since then, Post 54 is 3-5, including two losses to Keene (5-11). Bedford dropped five of six before winning its final two games against Sweeney and Laconia.

No. 1-B Dover Post 8

• Record: 12-2.
• Last title: 2014.
• Run differential: +42
• Runs allowed per game: 4.3
• Record vs. tourney teams: 5-1.

Dover ends up as the top seed out of District B thanks to having a better record against the other three tournament teams than Exeter. Post 8 comes into the postseason with one of the better pitching staffs in the field, but that could be in jeopardy depending on the status of pitcher Wes Tobin, who threw over 160 pitches in a win over Rochester on July 7. Dover finished the regular season with three straight wins, giving up a total of seven runs.

No. 2-B Exeter Post 32

• Record: 12-2.
• Last title: 2006.
• Run differential: +94
• Runs allowed per game: 3.5.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 4-2.

Exeter looks like the team to beat, despite not being a top seed in the tournament. Post 32 has won 10 games in a row and has averaged more runs (10.2) than any other team in the tournament. Exeter can also pitch, surrendering just 3.5 runs per game, allowing more than four runs in a game just three times all season.

No. 3-A Lebanon Post 22

• Record: 12-4.
• Last title: never.
• Run differential: +62.
• Runs allowed per game: 4.1.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 3-3.

Lebanon enters the tournament allowing the fewest runs per game among teams from District A, giving up just 4.1. Post 22 allowed four runs or fewer nine times this season, including three shutouts, and gave up three runs or less in six of its final eight games.

No. 4-B Merrimack Post 98

• Record: 8-6.
• Last title: never.
• Run differential: +16.
• Runs allowed per game: 5.1.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 1-5.

Merrimack is making its first appearance in the tournament in the program’s history. Post 98 had an up-and-down regular season, averaging 8.5 runs in its eight wins and 3.2 runs in its six losses. Merrimack had a one-run game against each of the three tournament teams in the district, but also lost to each one by an average of nine runs.

No. 1-A Milford Post 23

• Record: 14-2.
• Last title: 1975.
• Run differential: +40.
• Runs allowed per game: 4.3.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 5-1.

Milford enters the tournament on the longest winning streak in District A, having won eight in a row, with wins over each of the other three tournament teams during that stretch. Post 23 hasn’t been as explosive offensively as some other teams, scoring more than 10 runs just three times this season, but Milford has scored fewer than four just twice, losing both games.

No. 3-B Rochester Post 7

• Record: 10-4.
• Last title: 2015.
• Run differential: +72.
• Runs allowed per game: 3.7.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 2-4.

The defending champions will be looking to win their third state title in the last four years; no team has won back-to-back titles since Jutras Post 43 in 1996-97. At 8.9 runs per game, Rochester trailed only Exeter in offense this season, but Post 7 was swept by the top two teams in its district.

No. 3-A Sweeney Post 2

• Record: 11-5.
• Last title: 2007.
• Run differential: +68
• Runs allowed per game: 4.3.
• Record vs. tourney teams: 2-4.

Sweeney was cruising through the regular season as recently as two weeks ago, winning seven games in a row and scoring at least 12 runs in six of those wins. Post 2 scored 10 runs or more eight times this season and went 8-0 in those games, but did it against teams that were a combined 43-84. In its five losses, Sweeney allowed seven runs or more, and gave up an average of 4.3 per game this season.

Friday’s schedule

• Game 1: Sweeney vs. Exeter, 9 a.m.
• Game 2: Rochester vs. Lebanon, 12 p.m.
• Game 3: Bedford vs. Dover, 4 p.m.
• Game 4: Merrimack vs. Milford, 7 p.m.

All games played at Holman Stadium in Nashua.