Post 180 Hangs Playoff Hopes on Pitching, Defense

Vienna Post 180 will enter the District 17 American Legion Tournament on Monday night as the No. 1 seed, ending the regular season with a comfortable three-game lead over No. 2 West Springfield Post 176.

The double-elimination tournament opens 7 p.m. today, with Post 180 facing Falls Church Post 130 at Waters Field and Post 176 battling Fairfax Post 177 at Oakton High.

The annual six-team tournament has been cut to four teams this summer because sixth-place Alexandria Post 24 could not fill the required 12-man roster for the tournament. Post 130 earned its position in the tournament through a single-elimination game against Arlington Post 139 on Saturday.

Post 180 (22-6) has faced Falls Church four times this season, tallying a 3-1 record against the Post 130 squad. Post 180 has outscored the team 27-13 over the four contest.

They've outscored all District 17 opponents 177-75, including seven shutouts, in the 2012 season. 

But Coach Frank Werman, who has led Post 180 baseball for the past seven years and last earned the District 17 title in 2007, said offense is not his squad's forte this year. 

"I still think we could be playing better offense," said Werman, a critique he has had for his team all season. "The key to this year's team is pitching. Nothing fazes them. And our defense, with the catching. The catching is so strong with Jack [Anzilotti] and Chris [Hanson] behind the plate. They're just so good."

Post 180's go-to pitchers — Tim Davis, Daniel Bayer and Mark Gunst — boast an average ERA of 1.52. In relief, Post 180 has relied mostly on Henry Brandmark and Justin Padgett, who have thrown a combined 25.4 innings and given up eight runs in the role.

With Davis (0.90 ERA) — a Georgetown University commit who has thrown two complete games, including a no-hitter — unavailable to pitch this week, Monday's likely starter will be Bayer (0.91), who has thrown two complete games of his own. Bayer, so far undefeated, has not yet faced the Falls Church club this season.

"Our pitching staff is great. We've gone deep into games, and we've got a good bullpen," said Brandmark, a first-year Post 180 player who starts at first base and posted the team's highest batting average at .371. "Then on offense, we can move the runners over and play a little small ball when we have to to get the win."

Brandmark notes the relaxed approach Werman promotes and veteran players perpetuate have helped the team to "sit back and play good baseball" without the pressure often felt in high school ball. 

Hanson, who has played on the team for five straight seasons, has already seen Post 180 well-seeded entering the tournament after successful regular seasons only to fall short of winning District 17 title.

"I think every year I've played we've finished the season either first or second in the district. What has happened is we've started playoffs in first place thinking we've already won the tournament. That's what's gotten us in trouble," Hanson said. "This year we're going out like every game is a regular season game we need to win, and hopefully we can win the last one."

Werman said the responsibilty of keeping the team focused lies with him, and he plans to remind the team of the goals they set out from the beginning: hold first or second place ahead of the All-Star game, win the regular season, take home the District 17 title, and win the state tournament to "go as far as we can."

"We're ticking them off, but when it gets to tournament time it always gets tougher," Werman said. "Every team is going to be playing up a level, but I like our team going in. Based on how we've played and our pitching, I think we can get really, really far."

Hanson thinks the team's camaraderie might help this year's squad come out with a championship win, which would give them a berth into next week's state tournament.

"This might be the most fun I've had in summer ball. The guys are hilarious," Hanson said. "We just all get along, and I think that'll make us want to win even more."