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2026 American Legion Central Plains Tournament Primer

August 5, 2026
Dayne McNaughton
Upper Midwest, Prep Baseball

Mandan, North Dakota - The 2026 American Legion Central Plains Tournament is loaded up with some of the top talent from the Upper Midwest.

This year's field includes six teams, with three from the Dakotas, and one team each from Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota. The winner will head to Shelby, North Carolina for the American Legion World Series.

Before the action starts tomorrow, read up on two players from each squad that will look to make an impact on the field in Mandan. We will be providing boots on the ground coverage in Mandan. Follow along with the links to our social channels below.

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FARGO, ND - POST 2

+ '27 Caden Nelson (RHP/3B, Texas A&M commit)
The 2026 Dakotas High School Player of the year has top end velos on the mound, and high end outputs at the plate. Nelson delivered the game tying run for Post 2 in the ND state championship, and has been strong on the mound as of late.

North Dakota State Tournament - (05/30/2026)
+ '28 Henry Schrum (C/INF, uncommitted)
Schrum was with Team Minnesota at the 2026 Future Games just over two weeks ago in Atlanta. The backstop put on a clinic at the dish, consistently on the barrel against the nation's top arms in the 2028 class. 

RAPID CITY, SD - POST 22

+ '26 Wyatt Reeder (INF/OF, Nebraska commit)
One of the best raw hitters in the Upper Midwest looks to put on a show out in Mandan. Reeder spent a chunk of the summer competing in the Jayhawk League, earning All-Star honors. He has since returned to finish out the summer with the Hardhats, only being retired twice in the South Dakota Legion State Tournament.

+ '29 Jaxson Reeder (SS)
The younger brother of Wyatt went on a tear this summer, hitting .433 in 151 at bats. The left-handed hitter impacts the game and has signs of athleticism and grit in his game. A follow and name to know out of the 2029 class in Rapid City. 

LINCOLN EAST, NE - POST 3

+ '27 Kalai Larsen (SS/RHP, Nebraska-Omaha commit)
Kalai Larsen was a Future Games participant in 2025 and has since progressed in his game. Larson was named to Prep Baseball Nebraska's Second Team All State named by State Director Pascal Paul. Kalai possesses an upper-80s fastball and a banger breaking ball. 

+ '28 Bradyn Erickson (C, uncommitted)
Another 2026 Future Games catcher, Erickson has been behind the dish throughout CarpetLand's run to the regional tournament. Displaying pop and a higher end defensive skillset, Erickson will be a '28 to keep eyes on throughout the weekend. 

EXCELSIOR, MN - POST 259

+ '26 Carter Storts (OF, Augustana commit)
Carter Storts has one of the largest toolkits in the tournament. The top of the order bat has displayed a blazing 6.55 run time and 97 MPH arm from the outfield. Expect him to effect the game in a big way.

+ '27 Brody Schrupp (C, uncommitted)
The uncommitted catcher has been hot at the plate during Excelsior's Minnesota Legion State run. Schrupp shows power potential with his max exit velocity being 97.4 at the 2026 Minnesota Top Prospect Games this past June. 

Brody Schrupp - (06/25/2026)

MANDAN, ND - POST 40

+ '27 Aiden Bogner (SS/RHP, uncommitted)
Bogner has been a staple of Post 40's squad in 2026. During the high school season, Bogner showed some hop to his game with athletic ability and twitch. A name to watch up the middle this weekend.

+ '27 Troy Gerhardt (OF/RHP)
An interesting two-way from Mandan, Gerhardt has been hitterish this summer out of the 4-hole. In the spring, Gerhardt was low-80s on the mound in chilly 40 degree weather. 

DUBUQUE COUNTY, IA - POST 6

+ '27 JP Elbert (C/SS, uncommitted)
JP recently shined down at the Central Super Senior Games for Team Iowa. The uncommitted backstop put up mid-90s exit velos and an 80+ MPH arm from behind the plate. JP has also shown high-end bat speeds of 75+.

+ '26 Brett Harris (C, Iowa commit)
Harris has done nothing but hit throughout his prep career and will be taking his bat down to Iowa City in less than a month. Harris received First-Team Mississippi Valley Conference honors in his senior season at Western Dubuque. 

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