PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The boys of summer are soaking up the heat around the diamond as the Portland Barbers prepare to host the state tournament, while honoring the last American Legion team from the Rose City to be crowned national champions.
“Legion is important because it’s about community, it’s about that grind of baseball that traditionalists love,” said Joe Duran.
The Portland Barbers, Legion Post 158, are comprised of some of the top high school athletes in the 503.
“It’s not just pay-to-play, you earn your spot. You represent your school, you represent your family, you represent your community,” Duran said.
The Barber boys of summer are off to a sizzling start with eight guys who are soon to be competing at the Division I level.
“Playing for something, playing for a goal and we want to win the state tournament and we want to go farther than that,” said Connor Parry, Sherwood HS class of ‘25 graduate. “Playing with a group of guys and competing and having one goal in mind.”
The Barbers will proudly host the AAA American Legion State Tournament at the University of Portland, starting July 26 through July 30, while celebrating the 100th anniversary of American Legion Baseball.
“We hear about it all the time, there’s a lot of MLB greats that have come through Legion ball and we want to continue that legacy and just be better,” Parry said.
The Barbers are in a 15th year of leadership under head coach Joe Duran, a Roosevelt High alum from the Roughriders class of ‘94.
“To do it in my backyard, my old stomping grounds, the University of Portland…really exciting,” Duran said.
It’ll be homecoming for Coach Joe at Joe Etzel Field and the future college home of Sherwood’s Connor Parry, who is a baseball commit for the University of Portland Pilots.
Five of Parry’s teammates are also Pilots commits.
“Getting to play the state tournament where I’m going to play the next four, super cool to think about and a cool experience to host,” said Parry.
Ultimately, the Barbers are sharpening their blades to cut through it all and win it all, just like the national champs out of Madison from summer 1969.
“The ’69 team is the only Portland team to win an American Legion World Series,” Duran said. “It was 1969, the base school was Madison (H.S.), the Madison Contractors and it’s ironic that the first base school of the Barbers was Madison so, we’ve moved to the westside now as things have changed so it’s kind of coming full circle.”
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