Full weekend ahead for Junior, Senior Legion; JVs get two wins

    It will be a big holiday weekend for a lot of events, but for Imperial’s Legion team—it’s baseball.
    After younger Junior Legion players got a JV double-header in Sunday, the junior-senior schedule has four back-to-back double-headers starting Saturday.
    Imperial opens on the road at Cozad Saturday, but its Sunday, Monday and Tuesday games next week are all at Imperial’s Campbell Park.
    This year’s Legion roster numbers are up from last year’s COVID-ravaged season.
    Coach Bruce Peterson has a roster of 26 players this year, compared to 21 at the start of the 2020 season and 19 at the end.
    Teams played a shortened schedule in 2020 due to COVID, but there are no restrictions in place this season, according to state Legion officials.
    In addition to players from Imperial, three from Perkins County and two from Dundy County are on the roster, too.
    Overall, seven are “true” senior age players and 19 are in the junior age group. Among the juniors, nine are first-year players, moving up from last year’s Pee Wee age group.
    Peterson said those numbers give him and Asst. Coach Jeff Lempke a lot of depth.
    Three senior players, Dominic Sis, Bennett Bauerle and Trevor Peterson, remain age-eligible for Legion after a year of college.
    Everyone on the senior roster can pitch, Peterson said, and most of the juniors can perform on the mound, as well.
    He’s also happy with the increased depth at the catcher position.
    There are three catchers, he said, who perform well behind the plate—Trevor Peterson, seniors; Jaret Peterson, juniors; and Thomas Reeves, JVs.
    Peterson is pleased with how  positions at all three levels are filling out.
    “What’s best is that about 75% of my players can pitch, and a couple in each age group can play anywhere,” he said.
    He said that’s going to be a big plus “in filling holes” in those back-to-back game scenarios.
    Here’s the lineup of junior/senior games opening weekend. Times listed are MT:
    May 29—at Cozad, 12 noon/2:30 p.m.
    May 30—Holdrege here, 12 noon/2:30 p.m.
    May 31—Lexington here, 12 noon/2:30 p.m.
    June 1—Hershland here, 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
    The full Legion schedule can be found on the city of Imperial website: imperial-ne.com.
JVs get two Ogallala wins
    Having nine first-year Legion players has allowed Imperial to schedule five JV double-headers.
    The first one of the season, a double-header with Ogallala, was played in Imperial Sunday as Imperial picked up both wins.
    In the opener, Imperial JVs scored every inning, outhitting Ogallala 6 to 4 in the 10-2 victory.

    Camron Lempke, who started on the mound, led the team at the plate with 2 singles. Cooper Dillan tripled, with singles also recorded by Thomas Reeves, Gavin Wisnieski and Carson Terryberry.
    Lempke and reliever Dillan each struck out three batters.
    Despite a late threat from Ogallala, Imperial pulled out a 6-5 win in the nightcap.
    Imperial had a 6-1 lead heading into the sixth when Ogallala scored three, and put up another in the seventh.
    Ogallala bettered Imperial at the plate, 5-4. For Imperial, Wisnieski batted a double, with singles recorded by Lempke, Reeves and Westyn Mendenhall.
    Tyler O’Neil started on the mound, and struck out five. Relievers Wisnieski and Jaret Peterson each registered two strikeouts.
    One of Imperial’s younger players was gone, but all eight of the first-year players saw action in both JV games Sunday, Coach Peterson said.
    Teams from Sidney and Curtis-Maywood are also on Imperial’s JV schedule.
    The next JV double-header will be played in Sidney, June 7, at 4:30/6:30 p.m.