Wyoming's Legion Baseball AA Championship Tournament in the year 2025
The Wyoming Legion Baseball AA State Tournament is currently underway in Cheyenne, utilizing a modified double-elimination format to ensure an exciting and balanced competition. The first two days of the tournament followed a traditional double-elimination structure, but starting from Day 3, the format takes a unique twist.
On Day 3, three games were played: two elimination games and one between the two undefeated teams. As a result, one team remained in the winners bracket, while three teams found themselves in the losers bracket.
As the tournament progresses, the winners bracket team will face a losers bracket team they have not yet faced on Day 4, if possible. Regardless of the outcome, the winners bracket team will advance to the championship game.
However, the format provides a twist depending on the Day 4 game result. If the winners bracket team emerges victorious, the opposing team from the losers bracket must win twice on Day 5 to claim the championship. Conversely, if the winners bracket team loses on Day 4, the championship game becomes a single winner-take-all game on Day 5.
This modification to the traditional double-elimination format prevents teams from playing twice in one day, except possibly on the final day, and alters the championship situation based on the Day 4 game outcome. In a standard double-elimination tournament, the team from the losers bracket must beat the undefeated winners bracket team twice in the finals, often requiring a "true" double-elimination final series.
The tournament has already seen some exciting matches. On Monday, July 28, the Sheridan Troopers defeated the Laramie Rangers 6-0, the Gillette Roughriders defeated the Rock Springs Stallions 10-0, and the Casper Oilers defeated the Cheyenne Hawks 9-2.
On Tuesday, July 29, the Jackson Giants and the Rock Springs Stallions were eliminated from the tournament. The Cheyenne Hawks followed suit the next day. On Wednesday, July 30, the Sheridan Troopers advanced to the championship game by defeating Cheyenne Post 6.
The Wyoming Legion Baseball AA State Tournament now has two teams left in the running: the Gillette Roughriders and the Sheridan Troopers. The championship game is scheduled for Friday, August 1, but due to the modified format, it has become a 1-game winner-take-all match. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the AA Northwest Regional Tournament in Billings, Montana, from August 6-10.
It's important to note that Cheyenne Post 6, the 5-time defending state champions, have won 21 of the last 24 tournaments. However, they were eliminated from the tournament on Thursday, July 31. The tournament's unique format promises an exciting conclusion, as the remaining teams battle it out to claim the championship title.
[1] Source: Wyoming Legion Baseball [3] Source: Modified Double-Elimination
The unique twist in the Wyoming Legion Baseball AA State Tournament's modified double-elimination format means that the championship game on Friday, August 1, between the Gillette Roughriders and the Sheridan Troopers, will be a 1-game winner-take-all match. In standard double-elimination tournaments, the losing team in the competition would need to win twice in the finals, but this tournament structure alters the championship situation based on the Day 4 game outcome.
