BY DREW GRANTHUM / Sports Writer

While the rain as of late has eliminated any sort of drought the state as a whole was under, it has caused a drought of a different kind.

Columbiana American Legion Post 131’s baseball team has been unable to play many of its scheduled games because of field conditions caused by the steady rainfall through the month of July.

“We haven’t hardly done anything because of the rain,” said head coach Jay Gibson.

Post 131, which plays its home games at Thompson High, opened up with a loss to perennial power Tuscaloosa Post 34, and split a doubleheader with Clanton Post 6. The team bounced back in the David Prince Tournament in Dothan, winning three out of four games.

The games since then have been few and far between because of the rain.

Gibson said the team has been practicing, but the games that were able to be played down the stretch were played in the rain.

The team now heads into Alabama American Legion Substate tournament play July 26-28 at Birmingham-Southern College. While it is too early to tell, Gibson said the field shouldn’t be affected by rain, as BSC has a tarp that covers the playing surface.

The team opens tournament action by facing potent Florence Post 11, who Gibson said is a force to be reckoned with.

“Florence has one the better teams,” he said. “They’re a pretty solid team. They hit the ball really well.”

That said, Gibson feels confident in his team, despite the lack of on-field play.

“If we show up, we can beat them,” he said. “It just depends on how the ball bounces. It’s been that kind of year.”

The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.