Bennington Legion Teams Shine at Battle of Omaha Tournaments

By Marisa Dawson, Photos by Jeff Douglas (other photos labeled)

A baseball player in a blue uniform reaches for a ball while another player in a black uniform slides into base, with dust kicking up from the ground.

Bennington’s American Legion Post 266 baseball programs turned in an impressive week of competition at the annual Battle of Omaha tournaments, with the Seniors, Juniors and Reserves all posting strong performances against quality competition from across the country.

The Seniors highlighted the week by reaching the championship game of their bracket, while the Juniors finished 4-1 and the Reserves advanced to a tournament title game of their own.

Seniors Reach Championship Game

A baseball pitcher in a blue jersey throws a ball from the pitcher's mound during a game on a sunny day.

A youth baseball catcher in a blue uniform prepares to catch a pitch while a player in black runs towards the base.

Bennington Post 266 Seniors continued their strong summer by finishing runner-up at the Battle of Omaha Tournament, posting victories over teams from Minnesota and Oregon before falling in the championship game.

The Seniors entered the tournament riding a hot streak and showed why, opening pool play with a 13-5 victory over Moorhead Blues Post 21 from Minnesota. Bennington collected 10 hits in the win, led by Connor Smith with two hits and three RBIs, Brendon Da Luz with two hits and two RBIs, and Brandt Schmidt with two hits and two RBIs. Max Swoboda earned the win on the mound, allowing just two hits over five innings while striking out one.

Bennington followed that up with a 5-2 quarterfinal victory over West Linn (Oregon), the reigning Oregon Class 6A state champions. Gabe Nickel scored twice and collected two hits, while Noah Langford added two hits and Myles Gifford drove in two runs. Connor Smith delivered a strong start, allowing just four hits and two runs over six innings.

A young baseball player swings at a pitch, attempting to hit the ball during a game. He is wearing a blue jersey and white pants, with a batter's box visible in the foreground.

A young baseball player wearing a blue and red jersey with the number 16 stands in a field, looking down while holding a glove. In the background, the scoreboard shows a score of 2-4.

The Seniors continued their championship run with an 11-6 semifinal win over Champlin Park (Minnesota), the Minnesota state runner-up this season. Kellen Mlnarik paced the offense by going 3-for-3 with four RBIs, while Bennington pounded out 12 hits as a team. Dominic Driggs added two hits and scored twice, and Gabe Nickel and Braydan Kloster each contributed two-hit performances. Dominic Mendicino earned the win, allowing six runs — only two earned — over four innings before Driggs closed the door with three scoreless innings.

Head Coach Collin McClain said facing elite programs from outside Nebraska was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the event.

“It was a great tournament! Playing out of state teams is fun, and especially getting to host them at our field,” McClain said.

A baseball player in a black shirt is attempting to field a ground ball while another player in a blue shirt slides into base.

A pitcher in a blue baseball uniform winds up on the pitcher's mound, with a scoreboard visible in the background displaying game statistics.

The championship game brought a difficult matchup against PrimeTime Westview 18U, which handed Bennington an 8-0 loss. Westview limited Bennington to a single hit, a double by Da Luz, while collecting 10 hits of its own.

Despite the championship-game setback, McClain was pleased with how his team performed throughout the weekend.

“We hit really well all weekend (until that last game haha),” McClain said. “But we were able to put continuous pressure on good teams, and it ended up playing in our favor. An aggressive offensive mindset has been our focus.. whether we are at the plate or on the bases, and it showed this weekend.”

McClain also credited his pitching staff for helping Bennington navigate a demanding tournament schedule.

A group of young baseball players in blue uniforms with 'B' logos sitting in a dugout, watching the game.

A baseball player in a blue jersey with 'Post 26' and number 12 smiles while running towards home plate on a sunny day. Another player in a blue hoodie stands in the background.

“Our pitching also did a nice job of being able to get through games without having to use too many guys. Whenever you’re in a big tournament like that, it can be stressful to keep pitchers eligible.”

The tournament presented another challenge Sunday when rain left Bennington’s field in poor condition before quarterfinal and semifinal action.

“On Sunday, our field was really wet after the rain. We had several dads and players come down to work on the field. We worked on it for several hours to get it ready to play which then gave us the chance to win those two games in the quarters and semis,” McClain said.

The strong tournament showing helped continue an impressive stretch for the Seniors, who entered the week with an 8-2 record over their previous 10 games and a 13-4 overall mark.

A young boy wearing a baseball helmet and jersey runs on a grassy baseball field, holding a bat and a glove.

A young baseball player in a blue jersey with the number 5 running toward home plate on a baseball field.

Juniors Post 4-1 Tournament Record

The Bennington Juniors also enjoyed a successful week, finishing 4-1 at the Battle of Omaha Tournament while narrowly missing out on bracket play. Last week’s tournament saw several games rained out, resulting in only two of the games played.

Although the record was strong enough to contend for a postseason spot, tiebreakers kept the Juniors from advancing.

“Going 4-1 and missing bracket play is a tough situation to look back on, but there is a lot of good to reflect on and definitely room to improve,” Head Coach Caden Prendergast said.

Several players delivered standout performances throughout the week.

Sophomore shortstop Brecken Petula led the offense, collecting nine hits in 13 at-bats, including four doubles, while also providing strong defense. Freshman Chase Dean contributed six hits in 12 at-bats and threw a complete game while allowing just one run. Sophomore Rylan Yakopec was dominant on the mound, tossing six shutout innings while striking out 11 batters.

Prendergast said the team’s success extended beyond the individual statistics.

“We had very impressive individual success this weekend with many guys, but we are more impressed on how they played together as a team,” he said.

The Juniors repeatedly responded to adversity throughout the tournament.

“We found ourselves in tough spots and time games a few times and always found ourselves ways to persevere. Being able to bounce back in games we are down has been big for this team. One good thing often leads to another in the aggressive style of baseball that we play, and it has pushed us ahead of many good opponents leading to solid victories.”

Prendergast said that collective approach has helped fuel a strong first half of the summer season.

“Supporting each other has led to a lot of success this year. The team as a whole has been playing great baseball and it has resulted in a 17-4 first half of the summer.”

Despite the success, he believes there is still room for growth before postseason play begins.

“The team is playing very well, but we still have a lot of things to smooth out before we get to districts. Through a lot of hard work and dedication to the weak spots on our game, we feel ready to make a deep run in playoffs this year.”

Reserves Finish Runner-Up

The Bennington D1 Training Reserves joined the list of successful tournament performers, compiling a 3-2 record and advancing to the championship game of their bracket.

The Reserves opened with a loss to Berthoud Badgers of Colorado before bouncing back with three consecutive victories. Bennington defeated Premier Sports Academy of Missouri 5-0, topped PDX Phillies of Oregon 12-4 and knocked off Motor City Hit Dogs of Michigan 6-2 in the semifinals.

A baseball pitcher on the mound preparing to throw, with a scoreboard in the background showing game details at Lynn R. Pruess Field.

A young baseball player in a blue jersey stands ready to bat at home plate, with a catcher in red gear crouched behind him and an umpire nearby. Another player stands on the pitcher's mound in the background.

^{Photos of Jake Crawford, courtesy of Sheri Crawford.}

The tournament concluded with a rematch against Berthoud in the championship game, where the Badgers escaped with a 5-4 victory.

Coach Garet Wright pointed to a complete team effort as a key reason for the successful run.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we were finally able to put everything together and play a complete baseball game, our pitchers were able to attack the zone and limit free bases, we played clean defense, and our offense continued to find ways on base and we were able to manufacture some runs from there,” Wright said.

Levi Birge led the pitching staff, throwing five scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks against Premier Sports Academy.

At the plate, Birge also starred offensively, collecting six hits during the tournament, including five doubles. Trey Almond and John McCrillis each recorded four hits, with McCrillis adding two doubles. Jaylen Wojtkiewicz tallied three hits and two doubles, while Luke Japp added four hits.

Wright hopes the team’s performance serves as a reminder of what the group is capable of when it plays together.

“The big thing that I would love them to take away from this is that we can compete with any team, as long as we show up, do our jobs, and play together, we are are really tough team to beat.”

With all three Bennington Legion teams turning in strong performances against talented competition from multiple states, the organization leaves the Battle of Omaha tournament with momentum as the summer season continues.

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