Garner Nationals Post 232 Win NC American Legion Baseball State Championship

Garner Post 232 After winning the NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Posted Thursday, July 30, 2026 4:08 pm

By: Roger Sigmon - Wise News Network

Gastonia, NC (WNN) - The 2026 NC American Legion Baseball State Baseball Tournament, held in Gastonia, NC at Sims Legion Park, has concluded, and the Nationals from Garner Post 232 are Champions. In 2025, Garner lost to Asheville Post 70 in the finals, and they had one mission in 2026: to win the state championship and continue the road to Shelby. Championship Wednesday, July 29, 2026, featured Union County Post 535 and Garner Nationals Post 232. Garner only needed one win to claim the title, and Union County would need two victories, as they had emerged from the elimination bracket with one loss.

Union County's #9 making it to first - NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

The championship bout was close over the first five innings. Post 232 pulled out to a 4-0 lead by the top of the fourth, before Union County cut the lead in half at 4-2. After five innings, Garner’s lead was down to 4-3. The possibility of an upset and a final Game 17 was looking likely. The Nationals erupted at the top of the sixth to erase any doubt that this would be the final game. They plated six runs to take a commanding 10-3 lead heading into the final frame. Post 535 tried to rally but could only muster 2 runs, and the game ended with Garner’s 10-5 victory.

NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Garner out-hit Union County 13 hits to 7. Davis Ottaly led the way at the plate, going 3-4, along with Caleb Johnson, Nate Mizelle, and Jack Picinni, driving in 2 runs each. Cassius Grimsley was 2-4. The Nationals finish the tournament 4-0, bringing their overall record to 28-2. They will represent North Carolina in the Southeast Tournament in Cherryville, NC, running from August 5 to August 9.

Tournament Recap

Although this was not the first NC State Legion tournament held in historic Sims Legion Park, it was the first time to be hosted by the Gaston Braves Post 144-266. They did an outstanding job as hosts and kept things on schedule with only two delays due to weather and traffic. The Braves also did an outstanding job on the field as they advanced to the final four to finish fourth out of nine teams. This tournament featured plenty of action and several upsets, leading to several of the top teams making early exits. The 2026 tournament field was very competitive and well-matched. A team must be one of the best to advance to this point of the season, and this tournament proved to include nine of the best in the state.

NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Shelby Post 82 vs Gaston Braves Post 144-266 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 24, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

A twist to this year’s tournament included nine teams competing and an extra game played at the start. The Gaston Braves, as the host team, played the Area IV runner-up, Shelby Post 82, on Friday, July 24. The Braves set the tone for what to expect from this tournament as they upset Shelby 10-3. The unexpected loss sent Post 82 straight to the elimination bracket. Saturday featured the first full day of action, with the rest of the field completing their first games. The day began with another upset as the 22-5 Area II runner-up, Wilmington Red Post 10, knocked off one of the tournament favorites, the 31-4 Rowan County Post 342, by a score of 8-1. Only two games had been played, and two top teams were already in the elimination bracket. Game 3 went as much as expected with Cherryville Post 100 defeating Wilson Post 13, although it was closer than many might have thought with a 4-0 final. Game 4 saw Union County win over Beulaville 7-4. Game 5 was the second game for the Gaston Braves; it did not go as well, as they fell 13-3 to Garner Nationals Post 232. Sunday was day three, and the only day with five scheduled games. The weather looked gloomy, and there was rain in the area early, and an unknown delay with the officiating crew combined to push the 9 am start time to 10:28 am for the bout between Rowan County and Shelby in game 6. A medical delay of about 10 minutes for a bloody nose further delayed the day’s schedule, but the hosts kept things running smoothly after that. This was a matchup in an elimination game that no one could have predicted to occur on day 3. Nevertheless, this was the matchup in an early elimination battle, and for Shelby, their season ended as they fell 9-4 to Rowan County.

Game 7 saw the Gaston Braves get back on track as they eliminated Beulaville 6-0. Game 8 was another surprise as Wilson shocked Rowan County in a 9-6 upset win. Game 9 was just what would be expected from Cherryville Post 100 and Wilmington Red Post 10. This was a hard-fought nailbiter that ended with Cherryville besting Wilmington 4-3. Game 10 was another close fight with Garner squeaking by Union County 2-0. Monday began day 4 with another shocking upset as the Gaston Braves continued to show that being the host team didn’t mean an easy win for an opponent. The Braves eliminated Wilmington Red 10 by a score of 2-0. Runs were hard to come by in this pitcher’s duel, but Gaston came up with just enough to win. In game 12, Union County ended the hopes of Wilson with a 10-2 victory. Game 13 closed out the night, and Garner handed Cherryville their first tournament loss, 9-2. Garner advanced to Wednesday’s Championship series with the win. Tuesday was final four action, and only two games were on tap. In game 14, the Gaston Braves saw their impressive season come to an end as Union County earned a 15-3 victory. A weather delay caused by lightning and rain forced game 15 to start 2 hours late. The game ended just before the clock struck midnight, and, unfortunately for Cherryville, midnight marked the end of their state title bid, as Union won 11-6. The loss eliminated Post 100; however, as the host of the Southeast regional, their season will continue. The win placed Union County in a showdown with Garner for Wednesday. Game 16 concluded the tournament on Wednesday, with Garner Nationals Post 232 claiming the state championship with a 10-5 victory over Union County.

NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Two North Carolina teams, the state champion Garner Nationals and the host team Cherryville Post 100, will play in the Southeast Regional Tournament beginning August 5 at Fraley Field at Cherryville Memorial Stadium in Cherryville, NC. Teams from 6 other states will also be vying for a coveted spot in the American Legion World Series as the road to Shelby continues. Two teams from NC, along with state champions from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, and the territory of Puerto Rico, will take part, with one winner advancing to Shelby for the American Legion World Series. The teams have not yet been finalized; we will have a preview of the participating teams closer to tournament time.

NC American Legion Senior State Championship Photo Gallery

NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

Union County's #9 making it to first - NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026

Garner Post 232 After winning the NC American Legion Senior State Tournament - Garner Post 242 vs Union County Post 535 - Sims Legion Park - Gastonia, NC - July 29, 2026