It was a great weekend for the Brooklawn Legion Post 72 baseball team, which defeated Lawrence on Sunday afternoon, July 20, at Joe Barth Field to win the District Four Championship and advance to the State Championship playoff round.
If successful against New Jersey’s best teams this weekend, the Brookers will advance to the Legion World Series this August in Shelby, NC.
On Saturday, July 19, Brooklawn had defeated Harrison Township, 15-1, also at Joe Barth Field, to advance to the district title game.
The state finals will begin this Friday, July 25, at the Wood-Ridge Athletic Center, in a double elimination tournament.
Brooklawn has won 32 state championship, including last year, and has won the World Series four times, most recently in 2014. The Brookers will play the District Two winners at 3 p.m.
Many of the players this year also were on the Gloucester Catholic High School baseball team, which won the NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship, which was the programs 22nd state championship – the most of any high school baseball team in New Jersey.
Both teams are managed by Dennis Barth, son of the legendary Joe Barth and one of the most successful baseball coaches in the state.
Over the years, both programs have played fundamental baseball – great defense, excellent pitching and timely hitting – to win multiple championships.
This year’s Brooklawn Legion Post 72 players are Nikolas Kalogiros, Gavin Friel, Jude Morgan, Noah Danza, Mason Myers, Guy Lynam, Gabe McCracken, Brayden Thorp, Griffin Clarke, Jason Bogart, Charlie Neal, Tyler Rodgers, Braden Lipoff, Andrew Valay, Chase Kroberger, Brody Gates, Zachary Brodsky and Evan Brasberger. They are all looking forward to the state championships and hoping for another trip to the World Series.
