Galesburg Post 285 American Legion Baseball is fielding two teams for the first time this summer, adding a Junior Legion squad to the existing Senior Legion program.
Jeremy Kleine heads the new Junior Legion team, which opens Saturday, June 6 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at East Moline. Andrew Thomas leads the Senior Legion, which opens Tuesday, June 9 with a game a 5:30 p.m. game at Moline, with the first home game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 11 against Rock Island at Jimmy Isaacson Field at H.T. Custer Park.
Both coaches joined Galesburg’s Morning News on Friday to talk about the expansion, the rosters, and what fans can expect this summer.
Why two teams, why now
The expansion was prompted by the Galesburg High School baseball program’s decision not to field a 16U summer team this year. Post 285 had discussed adding a junior program before, and the timing felt right.
“We wanted to make sure we could provide some quality baseball for players at that age that don’t necessarily want to do the big-time travel baseball,” Kleine said.
The Junior Legion is open to players ages 13–17. The Senior Legion takes players ages 14–19, as long as they don’t turn 19 before January 1 of the current year.
The coaching staffs
Kleine and John Simkins are co-head coaches of the Junior Legion, with Kadin Spencer as an assistant. Simkins handles pitching and outfield, Spencer handles infield.
Thomas returns for the Senior Legion with bench coach Gary Cameron, pitching coach Gunner Spivey, and first base coach Tristan Legate, a former Post 285 player.
The rosters
The Junior Legion carries 15 players. The Senior Legion carries 17.
Junior Legion
- Aaron Aplin — Galesburg HS
- Alex Sloan — Galesburg HS
- Braden Sholl — Galesburg HS
- Cooper Perez — Galesburg HS
- Jackson Darrah — Galesburg HS
- Jaron Jackson — Galesburg HS
- Jaxson Oeth — Galesburg HS
- Kane Johnson — Monmouth-Roseville HS
- Rylan Ingles — Galesburg HS
- Tyler Robinson — Galesburg HS
- Colton Spence — West Central HS
- Ethan Hyde — Bushnell-Prairie City HS
- Preston Huchinson — Galesburg HS
- Tanner Mackey — Galesburg HS
- Thomas Anderson — Bushnell-Prairie City HS
Senior Legion
- Grant Lambert — Knoxville HS
- Owen Timmons — Abingdon-Avon HS
- Hayden Ralston — Galesburg HS
- Chance Stewart — United HS
- TJ Heatherly — Galesburg HS
- Alex Ritchie — Galesburg HS
- Henry Ikrami — Galesburg HS
- Noah Nalley — Galesburg HS
- Gabe Irizarry — Galesburg HS
- Tyree Taylor — Galesburg HS / Lawson State CC
- Ian Leffler — United HS
- Caleb Claeys — Galesburg HS
- Alfred Ayala — Galesburg HS
- Nicolas Ojeda — Galesburg HS
- Ayden Clark — Galesburg HS
- Keegan Smith — Monmouth-Roseville HS
- Braley Burford — Galesburg HS / Carl Sandburg College
The philosophy: Jimmy Ball lives on
Both coaches carry on the “Jimmy Ball” tradition — small ball, fundamentals, and pressure baserunning — inherited from legendary Post 285 coach Jimmy Isaacson.
“Small ball still is a fantastic thing,” said Kleine, who also recognized former Galesburg Coach Gary Bruington. “It teaches those skills and we get after it.”
The Junior Legion focuses heavily on fundamentals — dugout positioning, baserunning mechanics, and defensive basics — so players are ready when they move up to the Senior program.
Field improvements at Jimmy Isacson Field
All home games for both teams are at Jimmy Isaacson Field at H.T. Custer Park. The city has made significant improvements to the facility this year, including new dugouts and new backstop netting down both baselines.
“The city’s done a fantastic job,” Thomas said. “Those new dugouts are amazing compared to what they had. It was like sitting in a brick oven.”
The Senior Legion season
The Senior Legion is scheduled for approximately 30 games. Two major trips highlight the schedule — a tournament in Omaha, Nebraska, beginning June 14, which includes a College World Series game, and a four-day tournament in Minneapolis beginning June 24.
The Junior Legion season
The Junior Legion is scheduled for 25–30 games, depending on tournament results. Post 285 has been asked to host the Junior Legion division tournament this year — a significant honor for a first-year program. The team will also compete in the Nolan Keane tournament in Annawan.
Schedules for both teams are posted on the Galesburg American Legion Baseball Facebook page and on the Game Changer app. The program’s Instagram is @post285baseball.
