Thursday, October 1, 2026
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North Carolina (WNN) - Most American Legion North Carolina Area IV baseball teams experienced delays in beginning their 2026 seasons due to so many high school teams from Western-Central NC being in the state playoffs. During the past week, play has begun, with many teams still scrambling to adjust their schedules to accommodate games postponed due to playoffs and weather. A few teams have not had their full complement of players report yet, due to time off between high school graduation, playoffs, and American Legion division games. All standings and results in this article are for games played through June 3, 2026.
The Junior teams will play through the end of June, followed by the Area IV playoffs beginning July 1, and with the NC State Junior Tournament July 18-22, in Cherryville, NC. The Senior division will play through early July, with Area IV playoffs beginning July 5, followed by the NC State Senior Tournament July 24-29 in Gastonia, NC. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regionals will be hosted by Cherryville Post 100 August 5-9 at Fraley Field in Cherryville and Sims Legion Park in Gastonia, NC. The American Legion World Series will be held August 13-18 in Shelby, NC. The NC Junior Legion Lady Fast Pitch Softball League will play through late July. Baseball and softball fans will have plenty of action to choose from during the summer months.
Nine teams will be competing this season for the Aera IV title. Asheville is looking to build on its success from a historic 2025 season. In 2025, Asheville Post 70 finished 37-3 as they won the Area IV, NC State, Southeast Regional, and barely missed the semifinals of the American Legion World Series due to a tiebreaker. Other teams looking to make a run at the Area IV title include perennial powerhouse Cherryville Post 100. Boosting the hopes of the team this season is a roster comprised of players from three schools, fresh off the state high school playoffs. North Lincoln won the 5A state championship, East Rutherford was the state runner-up in 3A, and Cherryville finished as the state runner-up in 2A. These schools make up the core of the Post 100 team.
Hickory is an early surprise, knocking off Asheville 4-3 on June 2. The following night, June 3, 2026, Cherryville defeated Hickory 12-4 to remain in first place. Post 100 was led by the pitching of Camden Williams, allowing 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched. Preston Henson made several outstanding defensive plays, and Tyler Gates came off the bench to hit 3 straight doubles as he went 3-3 and drove in 5 runs.
There will be 14 teams vying for the Junior Area IV title this season. The 2026 Junior teams are Asheville Post 70, Cherryville Post 100, Burke County Post 21, Burns, Lincolnton Post 30, Shelby Post 82, Bessemer City Post 243, Gaston Braves Post 144/266 Red, Gaston Braves Post 144/266 Blue, Gastonia Post 23, Hickory Post 48, Rutherford County Post 423, South Caldwell Post 29 Maroon, and South Caldwell Post 29 Silver. An early favorite is Cherryville Post 100, which is looking to repeat as Area IV Junior champions. They are 4-0 to begin the season. After taking care of the Gaston Braves Blue 19-5 in a rain-shortened game to begin the season, they have gone on to defeat Gastonia Post 23 by a score of 12-1, Gaston Braves’ Red 10-7, and Bessemer City 12-3.
Fast pitch softball has quickly gained popularity over the past few years, and as a result, more American Legion posts are sponsoring Senior or Junior softball teams. Cherryville Post 100 is no exception. More young ladies will now have an opportunity to hone their skills during the summer months. The American Legion provides a more affordable alternative for these players as they chase scholarships and the possibility of playing in a professional league. Cherryville returns 9 players from a team that finished 6-3 in 2025. They will compete in a league against Davidson Post 8 Junior Choppers, Rowan Post 146 Blue, Rowan Post 146 Red, Miller Creek Post 31 Flashers, Wilkes, Burke Post 21, Hickory Post 48 Blue, Hickory Post 48 Red, Iredell, McDowell Post 56, Sawmills Post 29, Shelby Post 82, and Rutherford County Post 423. Post 100 and Burke Post 21 split a doubleheader on May 28, with Cherryville taking game 1 by a score of 8-6 and Burke winning the second game 9-0.
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