The American Legion baseball season for the area&8217;s West Alabama Post has kicked off for the summer and the two teams have already put several games of ball under their belts.

The oldest and largest nationwide teenage baseball program in America, the Legion offers a chance for boys ages 15 through 19 a chance to compete with other talent in their regions, state and nationwide as they hone their skills during the summer. Organizer of the local Legions post Eddie Edwards said the program offers teenagers a chance to keep practiced after completing their school&8217;s schedules and wait for practice to begin again for the next year.

Edwards said the league keeps player&8217;s skills sharpened by inundating them with large amounts of play over the leagues month and a half to two-month schedule. Since kicking off play last weekend, the two groups of the local post have already had a chance to play eight games, six in a tournament and two in a double header.

Edwards said the organization will continue its play this weekend, as the senior group heads to a tournament in Florence where it faces a field of 25 competitors. The junior groups will likewise face tourney play this weekend as it travels to Livingston for a tournament at the University of West Alabama.

Edwards explained that the groups get the amount of games they have scheduled by competing in a number of tournaments, which allows them to face players from other regions, and by laying double headers when facing single opponents, largely during the week.

In the senior group&8217;s season thus far it has played six games in a tournament, where it fell twice as it worked its way to a second place finish. The group has also split a double header with Prattville.