West earns conference, state baseball honors

Carson West, a soon-to-be junior from Columbus, was recently rewarded for the hard work he puts into the Laurel Dodgers American Legion baseball team.

Not only was he awarded an all-conference designation for the second year in a row, but he also received an all-state award for pitching.

West plays second base, in addition to pitching for the Dodgers. He has two years of eligibility remaining for the team.

This season, West and the Dodgers competed well. The team entered the district tournament at the end of July seeded first, with a conference record of 22-2.

Despite the impressive record, the tournament did not prove to be a walk in the park for the Dodgers. After dropping the first game to the Miles City Mavericks (15-9), the team found itself on the loser-out side of the bracket.

The next day, Laurel beat the Billings Blue Jays (7-3) and the Glasgow Reds (15-5), putting the team one game away from the championship.

A loss the next afternoon to the Billings Cardinals (6-4) ended the Dodgers’ season at third place in the eastern division. The Mavericks won the tournament.

The Laurel Dodgers are one of 31 Class A teams in Montana-Alberta American Legion Baseball.

There are American Legion baseball teams in all 50 states and Canada, and since its 1925 creation, there have been millions of players, according to the American Legion website.

West is a member of a group of American Legion ball players that includes Yogi Berra, Justin Verlander, and Albert Pujols.