When the Aberdeen Smittys take the field today, they will be doing something they have not done since 2017: playing in a state tournament.

The Smittys, 27-16 on the season, qualified for the Class A State American Legion State Baseball Tournament after sweeping Watertown last Thursday and Friday in the opening round of the playoffs.

While the players are excited to be competing in the double-elimination state tournament, Smittys coach Brandon Kusler said the team is not just content to be there.

“The goal is obviously to go win the whole thing, and this group is capable of doing that,” Kusler said. “Every single team in this final eight is capable of going and winning this whole thing. I told the guys all year I really think it’s more difficult to get to the state tournament than it is to win it, and we’re there already, so the hard part is out of the way. Now we’ve just got to go find a way to put a week of baseball together and find a way to go get out on top.”

The road to a championship begins at 12:30 this afternoon when the Smittys take on second-seeded Harrisburg Gold, a team the Smittys are familiar with. The Smittys hosted Harrisburg in a doubleheader on July 16, losing game one 6-3 before bouncing back with a 19-9 upset win in game two.

Kusler said there are several things he hopes his team can replicate from the win over Harrisburg.

“The biggest thing we want to replicate is our offense,” Kusler said. “In that game against Harrisburg that we won, our offense was really clicking. One thru nine in our lineup, we were hitting balls hard, finding holes, and doing a lot of good things offensively to produce a lot of runs.”

While there were positives from the previous meetings with Harrisburg, Kusler knows there are also improvements that need to be made this time around.

“Some things we want to adjust are just on the mound, and pitching around a really tough lineup, one of the best lineups in the state,” Kusler said. “All of their guys have the ability to go hit the ball out of the yard and that’s tough to navigate at times, so that’s going to be the key for us is keeping the ball down in the strike zone and keeping their hitters off balance, and hopefully keeping them inside the ballpark.”

Kusler also noted that in addition to Harrisburg’s hitters, the Tigers’ pitching is another strength the Smittys will need to deal with.

“Their pitching staff year in and year out is really solid,” Kusler said. “They’ve got guys that throw with a lot of velocity and throw multiple pitches for strikes, all those things that you’re looking for in a dynamic pitcher, and they’ve got a few of them. So, we’re going to see some really good arms on the mound from them, but we’re going to be ready for some good competition.”

Kusler himself is used to state tournament competition. He was a player for the Smittys on the 2017 team that qualified for the state tournament and says the feeling of playing in a state tournament is unlike any other.

“That was a special group, too. A lot different group than this one, just in terms of like our play style and the guys on the team and stuff like that,” Kusler said. “Just going to experience a state tournament with all of your brothers and going to compete for a state title, there’s just nothing like it.”

Kusler said he sees differences from being a coach compared to being a player.

“I feel more nerves and more anxiousness as a coach than I ever did as a player, and I think a big part of that is just things being out of my control,” Kusler said. “But it’s all surrounded with excitement and just the enjoyment of being in that moment is really special.”

The team has been gleaming with excitement since qualifying for the state tournament late last week, knowing the hard work has paid off.

“It’s really exciting and this group just deserves it,” Kusler said. “To work so hard to get to this point, and then to get that satisfaction of getting there, is just obviously a very good feeling for all of the guys and for us coaches. To be in this position to go compete for a state title, it’s what you work for all year. Just really exciting all the way around.”

With the excitement comes the hard work of preparing for the state tournament, which runs through Saturday. While there is a physical aspect, the majority of the preparation is mental.

“You just try to keep them calm, keep them level-headed,” Kusler said. “Obviously, the stakes are that much higher, being the state tournament and competing for a state title, but at the end of the day, you just have to remind the guys that it’s just another baseball game. Just simplifying your job is the main thing and not making the moment bigger than what it is.”

After all is said and done, Kusler had one simple message for his players as they head to Yankton for the state tournament.

“Just go compete. Go compete every single pitch, every single at bat, every single inning,” Kusler said. “No matter who’s in the other dugout from us, no matter where we’re playing, this group has shown that we’re just going to go compete and the results will be what the results are, but we just have to trust in our preparation and trust what we’ve built throughout this entire season.”