American Legion baseball teams from across South Carolina including Richland Post 6, West Columbia Post 79 , and defending state champion Irmo–Chapin Post 193 began the playoffs Monday, July 5 at the home sites of the higher seeded teams. Starting July 23, everything shifts into semi–neutral as the surviving teams from South Carolina’s eight leagues will convene at two Columbia venues – Capital City Stadium and Dreher High School’s field – for the American Legion State Championship double elimination tournament. The schedule calls for 11 games to be played at Capital City and three at Dreher High field at Memorial Stadium.

Columbia’s Richland Post 6 Pathfinders are the hosts and are in the field as an automatic contender for the top prize. Coach Ray Derrick’s Pathfinders will be in a least one of two games played at Dreher, their home field, and will play the final game of the first day’s action. The other battle at Dreher will be announced later as the field is set. A conflict with the Columbia Blowfish Coastal Plains League squad that plays home contests at Capital City forced the move of two first round games and another in the third round.

Scheduled start time for the first three days will be 9:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, and 8 p.m. There will be two games on day four with the championship game slated for Tuesday, July 27.

Then, the eight teams advancing out of state tourneys play at the next plateau. For instance, the South Carolina champions will move on to the Southeast Regionals in Columbia, Tenn. from August 5–9. That will be followed by the American Legion Baseball World Series Championship played between eight Regional Championship teams at Avista Stadium in Spokane, Wash.

Single game tickets are priced at $6. All–day passes are $12 each and, tournament passes—good for at least 14 games—are priced at $25 each.

Among other payment methods, major credit cards will be accepted when advance tickets for the S.C. championship are placed on sale Tuesday, July 6 at Richland Post 6 headquarters at 200 Pickens Street in person or by phoning 799-2735. Fans may order tickets also by contacting Post 6 Athletic Officer Doyle Tipton at 753-7055.

Sumter leads in overall State Championships with 12. Richland Post 6 has nine and Spartanburg eight.

S.C. State Champions

past 10 years 2000 – Richland 6 2001 – Easley 52 2002 – Manning 68 2003 – Spartanburg 28 2004 – Spartanburg 28 2005 – Sumter 15 2006 – Sumter 15 2007 – Richland 6 2008 – Sumter 15 2009 – Irmo/Chapin 193