Post 17 scheduled to open its 2024 season with doubleheaders this weekend in Iowa

A big season could be in the works for the 2024 Watertown Post 17 American Legion Baseball team.

Post 17 is scheduled to kick off its new season this weekend with doubleheaders on Saturday against Iowa Great Lakes at Spirit Lake (Iowa) and on Sunday against Moville Post 303 at Moville (Iowa). Both twinbills are scheduled to start at noon.

Watertown returns a number of key performers off a squad that went 32-32 last summer but missed out on the state Class A tournament for the second-straight year.

"Our No. 1 goal is to get to the state tournament. No. 2 is to win a game at state and obviously the third goal is to win the state tournament," Post 17 head coach Ryan Neale said.

A talented group of players

Watertown Post 17 has won only one American Legion Baseball state championship and that came in 1931.

Watertown's 2024 team, and likely the 2025 squad next year that will host the state tourney for the first time since 1991, will include a group of talented players who have shined at state level during their rise through Watertown Baseball Association.

Many of the team's players combined to win the Class A 13-and-under state title as members of the Watertown Grey Sox in 2021 and the Class A 14-and-under state title as members of the Watertown Black Sox in 2022. A group of the same players helped Watertown Post 17's Junior Legion team to a top-three finish in 2022 and then moved up to Post 17 last summer.

"This is a very competitive group that has been together for a long time. They've been separated the past couple of years but they've had a ton success going all the way back to 13 years old," Neale said. "We have the combination of veterans returning and the competitive new guys and they just seem to gel so well. You may a see a young team with only four seniors but they're going to look like a veteran squad."

2023 Post 17 Season Wrapup: With a mix of veterans and young players, Post 17 compiled 32-32 record this summer

Going over the roster

Neale and assistants Nick Geffre and Travis Schmidt have a 15-player roster that includes senior pitcher Justin Remmers, senior infielder-pitcher Dylon Rawdon, senior pitcher-infielder Will Engstrom and senior first baseman-outfielder Marcus Rabine.

Engstrom spent a lot of time on the infield and also went 5-2 on the mound last summer with a 2.66 earned-run average and Remmers 2-7 with a 5.74 ERA. Rawdon also saw plenty of action in the field and on the mound. Rabine is back after sitting out last summer due to shoulder surgery.

The group of returning underclassmen includes pitcher-catcher Kaden Rylance, infielder Treyton Himmerich, infielder-pitcher Nate Briggs and outfielder Spencer Wientjes.

Rylance, a South Dakota State University baseball commit who has two summers of eligibility left, went 4-2 on the mound last summer with a 2.30 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings. He also batted .273 with three homers while primarily playing first base. Himmerich hit .250 and scored 41 runs as the team's starting second baseman, Wientjes batted .274 with 42 runs scored and Briggs took over as the team's starting third baseman in July and batted .421.

Briggs and utility player-pitcher Talan Jurgens, (4-1 record with a 1.86 ERA) spent a lot of time on the Junior League team last summer while also becoming key parts of the Legion team. Infielder-pitcher Hayden Ries, utlity player-pitcher Mitch Olson, first baseman-pitcher Nash Berg and utfielder-pitcher Markus Pitkin were also Junior Legion regulars who also saw action with Post 17.

Catchers Max Dylla and Jonathan Lake round out the team. Dylla played for the Junior Legion team and Lake for the Watertown U14 Black Sox last summer.

2023 Post 17 Recap: With a mix of veterans and young players, Post 17 compiled 32-32 record this summer

"Versatility is a common theme with this group and it's one of the reasons we're carrying the smallest roster since I returned as Post 17's head coach," Neale said. "We also feel we have 10 guys who can pitch for us and pitch effectively."

Rylance is not only expected to be the team's No. 1 pitcher but will also serve as the No. 1 catcher, although Neale admits that figuring out the best way to deploy him is going to be challenging. Lake and Dylla are other catchers on the rosters. Rylance, Jurgens, Rabine and Berg will also see time at first base and designated hitter with Himmerich, Briggs, Rawdon, Engstrom, Ries and Olson all expected to see tim in the infield.

Olson, Pitkin, Wientjes, Rawdon and Rabine will see time in the outfield.

Engstrom, Jurgens, Remmers and Berg will join Rylance in the regular rotation with Rawdon, Olson, Ries, Briggs and Pitkin also expected to see time on the mound.

Teams to beat and what else to watch for?

Neale, who at 203 career wins is only three wins shy of becoming the program's all-time wins leader, says defending state champion Harrisburg Gold returns almost its entire team from last season and is the team to beat in the state along iwth perennial power Rapid City Post 22 and Sioux Falls East.

2024 Post 17 Schedule: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24549011-2024-watertown-post-17-schedue?responsive=1&title=1

Aberdeen, Brandon Valley adn Renner also should be formidable.

Post 17 certainly has the makings of a team that can compete with everybody it faces.

"We've talked a lot about the success this group has had, but right now that doesn't matter," Neale said. "Nobdy cares what you've done at 13 or 14 and a couple of years of Junior Legion. But college coaches and others know that this group is pretty good. What makes them great is they're all so darn competitive. They cheer for each other and they want each other to do well."

Again in Class A baseball this summer, teams will accumulate seed points when facing other South Dakota Class A teams. The seeding is used to determined super regional matchups for postseason play,. The Super Regionals are scheduled for July 25-26, with the winners advancing to the state tournament July 30-Aug. 3 in Brookings.

Post 17 Junior Legion

Head coach Jerod Cyrus and assistant Jack Heesch will lead a 13-player squad this summer. Watertown went 38-15-1 last summer and advanced to the state championship game before falling to Sioux Falls East 13-0.

Team members include Lincoln Schutt, Cain Everson, Tripp Jorgenson, Hunter Halajian, Kohl Nygaard, Carter Buisker, Cole Hansen, Ashton Rabine, Jaxon Falak, Kooper Heiser, Luka Lessin, Jackson McClemans and Max Martenson.

Watertown is scheduled to open its season on Thursday, May 2 by hosting Lake Norden in a doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. at Watertown Stadium.

Complete schedules for Watertown Post 17 American Legion and Junior Legion Baseball teams are available at www.thepublicopinion.com or by visiting https://sites.google.com/view/watertownbaseball.

2024 Post 17 Junior Legion Schedule: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24549010-2024-watertown-jl-schedule?responsive=1&title=1

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Preview for the Watertown Post 17 American Legion and Junior Legion baseball