In case you hadn’t noticed, these are halcyon days for Lawrence’s American Legion baseball program.

A city team, the Raiders, won the AAA Legion state title Monday in Chanute, and one of the city’s two junior teams, the Bandits, captured the A state championship last week in Emporia.

Moreover, Lawrence had an unprecedented two teams qualify for the AAA tourney. The Outlaws — basically the Legion B-team — advanced to the meet’s final four before being eliminated.

“It’s really cool the Outlaws made it so far,” said Carl Brooks, head of the baseball program for Lawrence Dorsey-Liberty Post 14. “This has been our most successful year ever in postseason play.”

What’s going on here? Why is Lawrence suddenly a Legion baseball hotbed?

A handful of factors are involved.

For one thing, not all of the Raiders and Outlaws players are from either Lawrence or Free State high schools. Both team’s rosters — particularly the Outlaws — are dotted with talent from Eudora, Baldwin, Perry-Lecompton and Mill Valley high schools.

Another factor, and an important one, is Lawrence’s willingness to allow 19-year-olds to play. Three of the Raiders’ key players — Chris Coleman, Taylor Martin and Aaron Madill — played college ball last spring.

Many Legion programs, notably in Olathe and in the Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley districts, don’t subscribe to that philosophy.

“They don’t even want high school seniors on their teams,” Brooks said. “They want to use Legion baseball as summer training for their high school baseball teams.”

Lawrence adopts that strategy with its junior teams. The Bandits, composed strictly of Free State players, are coached by the Firebirds’ varsity coach, while the Mavericks, made up of Lawrence High U-16 players, are coached by the LHS manager.

At the AAA level, however, Lawrence wants to field the best team it possibly can — regardless of high school affiliation — while still providing opportunities for the other 17- to 19-year-olds who want to play summer baseball.

Here’s an example:

In late June, when players had to be certified for the postseason, the Raiders and Outlaws made a trade. The Raiders needed a second baseman so they “dealt” back-up third baseman Cory Cooper to the Outlaws for second baseman Paul Metzler.

Cooper, who had been stuck behind Raiders’ veteran Tyler Blankenship, became the Outlaws’ full-time third baseman. Cooper wielded a big bat in Chanute, driving in six runs in one game — four with a grand slam. Meanwhile, Metzler filled the Raiders’ gap at second base.

Have you wondered how both the Raiders and Outlaws could qualify for the state tournament?

Lawrence High and Free State High are always, as you know, in the same Class 6A sub-state, meaning only one of the city schools ever can qualify for a KSHSAA tournament. Kansas Legion baseball, however, is divided into seven zones — the host team always fills the eighth state slot — and the Outlaws and Raiders are in different zones.

“We asked that both our teams not be placed in the same zone, and the state agreed,” Brooks said. “Manhattan has the same thing. Its two teams are in different zones, too.”

Another factor in Lawrence’s ascension into the Legion baseball stratosphere has been its ability to attract quality coaches. Brooks coached the Raiders to the state title last year, then retired and former KU aide Reggie Christiansen took over this summer. The Outlaws had Matt Schubert, a Baker University grad who in just two summers turned spit and bailing wire into spit and polish.

But now Christiansen has moved to South Dakota, and Schubert has gone to southern Missouri so Brooks has two “Help Wanted” signs out.

It goes without saying that finding men willing to make the time commitment to coach a summer baseball team will be difficult.

However, the potential rewards are readily apparent because the talent is there and the Lawrence Legion post is serious about its hardball.