Legion baseball will get into full swing this weekend as the Post 43 Jackson Giants begin the ’21 season in Rock Springs where the teams will square off for doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday. Following a season shortened by COVID last year, American Legion baseball will be back with a full schedule in 2021 as the Giants have some 70 regular season games on the slate.
In AA ball, Casper, Evanston, Jackson, and Rock Springs make up the West Division. Cheyenne, Gillette, Laramie, and Sheridan fill out the East Division.
The state tournament will be held at Cowboy Field in Laramie, July 26-30, 2021. Jackson will host in 2024.
Manager Jason Huggins begins his 12th season heading the Giants. He’s excited about this season and the youthful team he’ll bring to the diamond in 2021.
“We are very young. I think we lost more players than any team in the conference,” Huggins said. “But that means we’ll have a lot of these kids for at least two years—a lot of time to get them coached up.”
In addition to a bumper crop of 16-year-olds, Jackson returns a few standouts from last season. Parker Bleggi, Connor Lang, and Steven Ashurts will all be expected to make big contributions at the plate and on the mound. Other players including Mason Wright, Xander Witt, Ayden Gralund, Lukas Gralund, Grant Parkin, Aaron Huggins, and Bridger Hammond, will also be counted on to step up their game after getting a season under their belt last year.
Huggins has 17 players on the roster and another 15 at the U15 level making their way up to the “big leagues.” Some players, like Bleggi, are finishing their commitments at junior college, so they will be unavailable early in the season. Huggins expects to travel with just 13 players this weekend.
Local coverage of Jackson Giants baseball games can be heard on KZ95. Follow the season at Jackson Hole Radio.
photo:Chris Chow
