Leghorn American Legion team has state hopes

Another successful season for the Petaluma Leghorns American Legion baseball team is rapidly coming down to a single-elimination season.

After wrapping up their regular season this weekend with a three-game series against the Napa Riverdogs in Yountville, the Leghorns head for Clark Field in Woodland for the Area Tournament on July 22 through July 26. The Petalumans need to win that tournament to reach their annual goal of playing in the State Tournament in Yountville.

Going into this week’s play, which includes a single game Tuesday evening against the Santa Rosa Rebels at Maria Carrillo High School, the Leghorns had a strong 18-6-1 record.

Included in their record was strong efforts in the Chico Tournament where they were 4-0-1, but lost the championship because of a tie-breaker rule in their opening tie game against the Chico Nuts; the Reno tournament that they won and the Fairfield Fourth of July Tournament where they were denied playing in the championship game because of another tie-breaker rule.

Playing 25 games in 33 days as the Leghorns have done so far this season takes a toll on all 18 players on the roster, but especially on the pitchers.

Petaluma is carrying 10 players capable of pitching. They come with varying degrees of experience and arm strength, an important consideration considering Leghorn non-tournament games are nine innings, as opposed to the seven innings played by high school teams.

The Leghorn staff is headed by Casa Grande graduate Eric Parnow and returning American Legion veteran Cooper Casad.

According to team coach Casey Gilroy, left-hander Parnow, who has already committed to play next year for Oregon State, is having an exceptional summer. “He is throwing great,” the coach says, “and he is really hitting the ball.” Among Parnow’s performance this year was a 13-strikeout game against a highly regarded El Segundo team in the Chico Tournament and a great effort against Chaffey from Washington. In that game he carried a one-hitter into the seventh inning.

Casad was a pleasant surprise for the Leghorns last season, and has just kept getting better. He now pitches for College of Marin after attending a high school (Summerfield Waldorf) that doesn’t even have a baseball program.

After those two, it has been all arms on the mound with everyone needing to make a contribution, including Jaymin Graveman from Rancho Cotate, Jack Hill from Casa Grande, Nick Bostow from Casa Grande, Will Nevin from Petaluma, Jarred Robison from Petaluma, Noah Rogerson from Rancho Cotate, Luke Wheless from Petaluma and Maxwell Yankovich from Sonoma Valley. The Leghorn coaching staff has also been working with Petaluma High lefty Ben Sanderson, a hard-hitting outfielder/first baseman, in hopes he can bolster the mound corps as they head into the playoffs.

All of the pitchers benefit from having Petaluma High School graduate Austin (Bubba) Thomason behind the plate. “He is a tough kid, he plays the game with so much desire and passion,” says Gilroy. Through the Leghorns’ grueling season, he has caught all but two of the Petaluma games. As a bonus, he is belting the baseball, batting clean-up in the batting order.

The Petaluma infield will be strengthened for the Area Tournament by the return of American Legion veteran Tyler Moore, a Casa Grande High graduate, to shortstop. He has been hampered by what Gilroy calls a “tweaked” knee. His return will allow Sonoma Valley’s CJ Vitale, who has been filling in at shortstop, to return to third base.

Petaluma High’s Logan Douglas is making the difficult jump to American legion baseball at just 15-years-old. Gilroy says that the high school junior, while learning with every game, has done a solid job at second base.

Parnow and Maclean Meyn bring big bats to first base. Meyn, from Sonoma Valley, also backs Thomason up behind the plate.

Graveman and Nevin give the Leghorns quality infield insurance.

Playing on full-sized diamond with lots of outfield space magnifies the importance of strong outfield defense and Petaluma has several quality athletes in the outer garden.

Sonoma Valley’s Vinnie Albano, a returning starter from last year, is a mainstay in the Leghorn outfield. “He is one of the best defensive outfielders a coach could ask for,” says Gilroy. “He is the pitchers’ best friend.

Parnow and Wheless were both outstanding center fielders for their high school teams. Parnow is having a big hitting summer, while Wheless is a high on-base percentage table setter.

Gilroy has been impressed with the way Petaluma High’s Austin Gabbert hits the baseball. “He is a great asset for us,” the coach says. “I really believe he could play D-1 baseball someplace after SRJC.”

Sanderson, who plays both outfield and first base is another who is having a good summer with the bat. “He is really swinging it,” says Gilroy. “He is learning to use the whole field.”

Bostow is also a strong defensive outfielder and a solid hitter.

Gilroy is again helped by long-time assistant Paul Sequeira, pitching coach Spencer Finkbohner and former player Alex Byrne. Charlie Parnow, Eric’s brother, is also helping as he rehabs from an injury in preparation for the SRJC season.

Gilroy knows that getting out of the Area Tournament will not be easy against difficult competition, but he thinks with the improvement the Leghorns have made through the course of a busy summer, they have a good chance of reaching state.

“We are as capable as anybody of having a successful run,” he says.