RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City Post 22 Hardhats are off to a strong start in the 2025 Legion baseball season, entering this week’s crosstown matchup against Post 320 with an unblemished 6-0 record.
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Head coach Kelvin Torve, now in his 14th season leading the storied program, said early indications are positive, even with a roster full of new faces.
“We’ve got a team that competes,” Torve said. “It’s not perfect—we’ve walked too many guys and made some errors—but the work ethic, coachability, and competitiveness are there. So far through six games, we’ve checked all the boxes.”
Post 22 graduated 11 players from last year’s team and has been working to rebuild chemistry with a younger, less experienced group. Torve said the team isn’t deep, but that gives players more chances to improve over the course of the long summer schedule.
“We’ve got a lot of new guys, and we’re not very deep,” he said. “But that means guys are going to get at-bats, and if they’re struggling, they’ll have the time to try to get right.”
Tuesday’s matchup with Post 320 will be the team’s first in-city rivalry game of the season. Torve expects a challenge from a veteran 320 squad led by new head coach Mike Jansen.
“Mike’s going to do a fantastic job over there,” Torvey said. “They’ve got an older team, a lot of experience. We’ve had success against them recently, but that guarantees nothing. It’ll be a tough game.”
Torve also spoke about the growing competitiveness of Legion baseball statewide. Post 22 has long been a dominant force in South Dakota, but other programs have caught up in recent years.
“The last time we won state was 2022,” he noted. “The baseball universe in Rapid City and Sioux Falls is more fractured than it used to be. There are more options to play now, and that’s created a more level playing field.”
One topic Torve addressed directly was the comparison between traditional Legion programs and travel or showcase baseball, which has grown in popularity across the country.
“One thing that separates us—we don’t charge our players to play,” Torve said. “It’s all fundraising and ticket sales. We play for something. We live on buses, in hotels, and we learn how to be teammates. That’s a big part of what we do.”
Torve emphasized that Legion baseball offers more than just game reps—it teaches life lessons.
“When college coaches get a kid from Post 22, they know they’re getting a teammate who knows the game. We play the full game—bunts, hit-and-runs, double cuts. It’s not just about how far you can hit it or how hard you can throw.”
Looking ahead, Torve said this year’s team may not be the most talented group he’s coached, but they bring the kind of intensity that wins games.
“It’s been fun so far,” he said. “This team competes. They’re willing to run through a wall. That’s something you can’t coach.”
