Brooklawn Finishes Runner-Up In State American Legion Baseball Tournament

by Marc Narducci | Aug 4, 2026

Brooklawn owns the record for the most Senior American Legion (19-and-under) baseball state championships with 32 and this season the team made it to the championship round of the state tournament but finished runner-up to Whitehouse of Central Jersey.

In the four-team double-elimination state tournament, Brooklawn made it to the final day before losing to Whitehouse 15-3. The two teams met earlier in the tournament and Whitehouse won, 6-4.

Brooklawn earned its championship series appearance by beating Allentown, 6-4 and North Hamilton, 10-4.

Coach Dennis Barth’s Brooklawn team had earned a berth in the state final by winning the District 4 championship, going 3-0 in that tournament.

“We didn’t have everybody with kids away at different camps, but Whitehouse was good,” Barth said. “That was a talented team.”

Had Whitehouse lost to Brooklawn, the two teams would have had to meet the next day since this was a double-elimination tournament. Instead, Whitehouse went 3-0 to win the title.

It was the third state title for Whitehouse, which won its previous two in 2016 and 2009 competing as Flemington. Whitehouse now advances to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament Aug. 5-9 in Shrewsbury, Mass.

Brooklawn was seeking its first state title since 2024. Last year Brooklawn lost in the state final to Cherry Hill, 6-5.

Despite the loss, this was a spectacular tournament for recent Gloucester Catholic graduate Guy Lynam, who missed the high school season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Before the surgery, Lynam was considered a potential MLB draft pick. Instead, he will now continue his education and baseball career playing for Auburn in the always difficult Southeastern Conference. He is expected to be a second baseman at Auburn, but played first base for Brooklawn in the tournament.

Despite being on the runner-up team, Lynam was named the MVP of the American Legion state tournament.

Lynam batted .571 (8-for-14) with six runs, four doubles, one triple, a home run and five RBIs.

“He had an awesome tournament,” Barth said. “He worked his butt off to get back and I don’t remember the runner-up team earning the MVP.”

Before the tournament, Barth talked about how dangerous his top of the order was and that certainly played out in the state tournament.

The leadoff batter was shortstop Dante Bell, a recent Bishop Eustace graduate who is headed to La Salle. Bell went 6-for-16 (.375) with four runs scored and two RBIs. Lynam batted second in the order just ahead of second baseman Brayden Thorp, a recent Kingsway graduate who is headed to Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester. Thorp went 6-for-13 (.462) with four runs scored, two doubles and three RBIs.

Brooklawn earned an opening 6-4 win over Allentown as third baseman Chase Ladik, a recent Gloucester Catholic graduate, drove in three runs. The winning pitcher was Kevin Boulden, a rising junior from Gloucester, while Hammonton rising senior Cooper Mull earned the save with two shutout innings.

After losing that aforementioned 6-4 game to Whitehouse, Brooklawn punched its ticket to the final with a 10-4 win over North Hamilton as Lynam was 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs and Ladik was 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Then came the final game when Brooklawn simply ran out of pitching, but based on its history, will no doubt be competing for another state title next season.

Guy Lynam / Marc Narducci

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Author: Marc Narducci

Brooklawn Finishes Runner-Up In State American Legion Baseball Tournament

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