Photo Provided The St. Clairsville Post 159 Jr. American Legion baseball team captured the Region 4 championship Sunday by defeatingCambridge/Belle Valley Post 84/641 twice at Marietta College. This is the first year for the team which is currently 18-7. It will play Thursday at 5 p.m. against Lancaster Post 11 in the first round of the Jr. State Tournament at Beavers Field in Lancaster. Team members are, front row, from left, Aaron Pacifico, Kohen Holmes, Matheson King, Jaxon Starks, Caiden Bailey and Colby Carpenter. Back row, from left, are assistant coach Tyler Tonkovich, Trent White, Cooper Roberts, Elijah Hill, Jaxten Swallie, Landon Stack, Blake Burkhart, Tyler Kosek, Dalton Neff, Karson Grigaitis and head coach Mason Ramsay. Not pictured are Eli Czapp, Hudson Florence, Roby Hanna and assistant coaches Jake Heatherington and Tucker Roberts.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — In its first year of existence, St. Clairsville Post 159 has advanced to the Jr. State Tournament later this week in Lancaster. It did so by defeating Cambridge/Belle Valley Post 84/641 twice on Sunday at Marietta College.

The team is made up of players from Barnesville, River, Shadyside, St. Clairsville, Union Local and Wheeling Central high schools, with St. Clairsville being the base school.

Representing St. Clairsville are Caiden Bailey, Hudson Florence, Roby Hanna, Elijah Hill, Kohen Holmes, Matheson King, Tyler Kosek, Dalton Neff, Landon Stack and Jaxon Starks.

Barnesville players are Blake Burkhart and Jaxten Swallie, while Union Local is represented by Colby Carpenter, Brody Gregor, Karson Grigaistis and Trent White.

The team is rounded out by River’s Cooper Roberts and Shadyside’s Aaron Pacifico.

Matt King serves as general manager of the squad, with Mason Ramsay the head coach. Assistants include Tyler Tonkovich, Jake Heatherington and Tucker Roberts.

“This is something that has been needed for a long time. The talent is here in Belmont County and the surrounding area. There have always been really good younger guys that have inquired about being a part of this,” Mike Mukliewicz, manager of the Post 159 Sr. team, said. “You just can’t have 15-16 year old kids competing against returning college freshmen who are 19. It just doesn’t work so this fills a huge gap.

“We are thrilled to be able to allow additional young ball players the opportunity to play high-level quality competitive baseball.”

Starting a Jr. team wasn’t a last-minute decision.

“The idea has always been thrown around but it takes a lot of work. Matt King and I met back in our Ohio Valley Baseball League days in Barton and, ironically, both played at Bethany College. He and I teamed up to make this thing happen and get it off the ground and I can’t thank him enough for the time he has contributed. He loves the game like I do and saw the vision too.”

Mukliewicz knows the Jr. team coaching staff well.

“Also special is that we have three former players coaching it. Mason, Tyler and Jake all played for me at one time since taking over all those years ago. It’s really neat to see past players give back and invest in kids in the same position they once were. They have done an outstanding job with this group. Hopefully they can keep it going this week in Lancaster.”

Post 159 will start state tournament play on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Lancaster Post 11, the Region 3 champ, at Beavers Field in Lancaster.

Other regional champions include Troy Post 43 (Region 2) and Bettsville Post 733 (Region 1). Four runners-up also qualified in Carey Post 344 (Region 1), Utica Post 92 (Region 2), Chillicothe Post 757 (Region 3) and Cambridge/Belle Valley (Region 4). Those four compete against each in play-in games on Thursday morning.

The state tournament runs through Sunday’s 10 a.m. championship game. Should a second game be needed, it would be played at noon.