2019 District 10 Champions • Varsity (19U)

Front row: Trevor Finley, Jackson Schmersahl, Mitchel Hoffman, David Ecklund, Adam Hellmann, Alex Venturella, Noah Sainato, Trenton Bell Back row: Tim Weir (coach), Chris Mueller, Wes Degestad (coach), Mathew Bemus, Robbie Norman, Brendan Wuller, Michael Wheeler, Michael Bellville (manager), Greg Soaib (manager) Not pictured: Gabe Van Horenbeeck, Vince Spinella, Connor Hall, Drew Ellis

Ballwin Post 611 is on a roll this postseason in American Legion baseball action.

Post 611 won the District 10 postseason tournament. Ballwin slipped past Lemay 9-7 in 11 innings in the championship game played at Bridgton Municipal Athletic Complex.　

As a result, Ballwin earned a spot in the Zone 4 tournament at Ste. Genevieve this week. Post 611 opens play at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (July 25) Thursday against Jackson at Yanks Field.

Ballwin is on a five-game winning streak. Post 611 finished the regular season with a record of 11-14.

2014 District 10 Champions • Varsity (19U)

2014 • The postseason drought is over for Ballwin Post 611.

Ballwin scored a 9-8 victory over Eureka Post 177 to win the District 10 Tournament and earn a spot in the Zone 4 Tournament in Festus.Ballwin improved to 30-5 overall after going undefeated at 14-0 in district regular season action and 4-0 in the postseason tourney.

Post 611’s last district tourney title came in 2006.  The last regular season title was in 2003.

However, Ballwin has been more than competitive in the interim, having reached the tourney championship four years in a row from 2009 to 2012 but finishing second each year.

1972 National Championship team Ballwin Post 611

Ballwin Post 611, defeated Memphis in the 1972 ALWS.

It’s happened only three times in St. Louis area American Legion Baseball history – winning the National Legion championship. But in 1972, the Ballwin American Legion Post 611 accomplished this most difficult feat.

They had been to the playoffs winning the 10th District three straight seasons before advancing to the finals. They defeated Hazelwood and Wentzville in the Interdistricts to reach the Missouri State tournament. Ballwin reached their goal of winning Missouri for the first time, and then won the Eastern Plains Regional Tournament in Hastings, Neb., to advance to the World Series in Memphis, Tenn.

The final road was not easy. Ballwin was shut out in the opening game of the World Series, so they had to come back from the loser’s bracket. The turning point might have been the win in Game 4 over the same Findlay, Ohio, club that had shut them out in Game 1. Ballwin would have to win three games in one day to win the title, while unbeaten Memphis needed only one win! The championship game was a thriller, with Ballwin edging Memphis, 3-2, to earn the title.

Ballwin’s pitching star, Mike Murphy, was the National Tournament’s Most Valuable Player and the Legion National Player of the Year. Five more player made the ll-Tournament Team. They ended the season record woth a sizzling 45-8 record. The team was managed by Billy Bullock, who heading a seasoned coaching staff.

The dream season climaxed with a trip to Major League Baseball’s World Series, being introduced on the field before the Cincinnati Reds-Oakland A’s game.