Welcome back: After a year playing as an independent, the Bandits are American Legion state champs

NAMPA – The Idaho Falls Bandits won the American Legion AA state title on Monday, downing the Twin Falls Cowboys 14-2.

The Bandits now head to the American Legion Northwest Regional tournament in Billings, Mont. on Aug. 6-10. The regional winner advances to the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina beginning Aug. 14.

Idaho Falls (38-10) was the top seed in the state tournament and didn’t disappoint, scoring double figures in all five game and finishing the tournament by outscoring opponents 81-14.

In Monday’s matchup with Twin Falls, the Bandits trailed 1-0 after the first inning, but plated six runs in the second. They added runs in the third and fourth and finished with 12 hits in six innings.

Four Bandit pitchers combined to hold the Cowboys to just one earned run, with Jackson Ropp earning the win with three solid innings.

Offensively, shortstop Carter Bowen knocked in five runs with three hits and Taye Lords finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs. Third baseman Cole Croft also had two RBIs.

Bowen had a bases-clearing double in the second inning to spark the Bandits’ big inning.

Idaho Falls is back in the American Legion postseason after playing last year as an independent.

Even so, it looks like the program’s success didn’t miss a beat.

The Bandits became the first team from Idaho to with the American Legion World Series in 2019. The 2020 season was suspended due to COVID, but the Bandits returned to the World Series and repeated as champion in 2021.

No team had won three straight World Series titles, but the Bandits advanced to the 2022 championship game, only to suffer a heartbreaking loss to Troy, Ala.

“There’s just something about American Legion … it’s real baseball,” coach Ryan Alexander said earlier this season.