NEW LONDON, WI – The New London Clippers are headed back to the American Legion Baseball State Tournament after defending home field and capturing the AA Regional Championship in front of their hometown fans.

The Clippers put together an impressive tournament run, scoring 39 runs in four games while overcoming their only loss of the weekend to claim the regional title.

“It’s always fun to be at home,” New London manager Jim Thorpe said. “There’s a program with a lot of good history and a lot of great supporters. Our parents are always showing up, we have a lot of fans, and it’s always special to win in front of that home crowd.”

New London opened tournament play Thursday with a dominant 15-1 victory over Shawano, earning a spot in the winners’ bracket against Kaukauna.

After Kaukauna advanced with wins over Freedom and Waupaca, the Clippers delivered another strong performance Friday, defeating Kaukauna 9-5 to move within one victory of a regional championship.

Kaukauna battled back through the bracket Saturday, first defeating Waupaca 7-2 before handing New London its first loss of the tournament, 7-4, forcing a winner-take-all championship game.

With the title on the line Sunday, the Clippers responded in convincing fashion, rolling to an 11-3 victory over Kaukauna to secure the regional championship and another trip to the state tournament.

Thorpe said his team intentionally challenges itself throughout the regular season to prepare for moments like Sunday’s championship game.

“We prepare ourselves every year for this,” Thorpe said. “We know the challenges of these state tournaments because there’s some really good competition. But we also believe in ourselves and what we do. We’re not really too concerned with what anybody else is doing. If we take care of our stuff, we’re generally in most games.”

The regional title marks the fourth straight state tournament appearance for the Clippers, a streak Thorpe believes is a direct result of the culture his players have built.

Asked to describe this year’s team in one word, Thorpe didn’t hesitate.

“Determined,” he said. “They put in the work. They are smart. They are hardworking. They’re great teammates. They’re the kind of kids that you can dangle the carrot in front of and say, ‘Go get it,’ and they’ll go get it. They set their goals, and they were going to accomplish the goals they had set for themselves and for us as a team.”

AA Regional at Kewaunee County: Denmark Takes Title

The Denmark Legion program claimed the AA Regional Championship at Kewaunee County after a strong run through the tournament.

Denmark opened play with a 12-2 victory over Ashwaubenon before defeating Kewaunee County 5-0 Friday.

Kewaunee County battled back through the elimination bracket with a 14-4 win over Ashwaubenon, but Denmark secured the championship with a close 4-3 victory over Kewaunee County.

Denmark Regional Champion

A Regional at Bonduel/Cecil: Little Chute Wins Championship

The Bonduel/Cecil regional featured several area teams, including the host Bonduel squad and Clintonville.

Bonduel opened tournament play with a strong 10-0 win over Clintonville, while Little Chute defeated Crandon 14-1.

Little Chute continued its strong tournament run with a 5-0 win over Mishicot before defeating Bonduel 9-3 Friday.

Bonduel responded in the elimination bracket, defeating Mishicot 14-0 to stay alive, but Little Chute ended the Braves’ postseason run Sunday with a 7-0 shutout victory.

Clintonville was eliminated after splitting early games, falling to Mishicot 8-6 after defeating Crandon 10-7.

Little Chute Regional Champion

A Regional at Stratford: Host Team Advances

The Stratford regional came down to a championship battle between Stratford and Wittenberg.

Wittenberg opened play with a 5-2 win over Stratford, but the host team answered with a 2-1 victory over Marathon to stay alive.

Stratford eliminated Marathon with a 6-4 win over Wittenberg, setting up a championship matchup.

The Tigers responded in a big way, defeating Wittenberg 13-0 before winning the deciding game 11-8 to claim the regional championship.

Stratford Regional Champion

Area Legion Teams Continue Postseason Pursuit

With regional championships now decided, teams like New London, Denmark, Little Chute, and Stratford move forward into the American Legion State Baseball Tournament.