MILFORD — After six days of competition, the Massachusetts American Legion Baseball State Tournament comes down to one final showdown Wednesday as host Milford Post 59 takes on unbeaten Franklin Post 75 in the championship round at Fino Field.
Game 1 is scheduled for 4 p.m. If Milford wins, forcing both teams to have one loss in the double-elimination tournament, a winner-take-all championship game will follow at 7 p.m. Weather permitting, both games will be played at Fino Field.
Franklin enters the championship undefeated after winning four straight games, including a 2-1 victory over Milford in the opening round. Since then, Post 75 has also defeated Sandwich twice and Hyde Park to earn its place in the title round without a loss.
Because Franklin remains unbeaten, it needs just one victory Wednesday to claim the Massachusetts state championship.
Milford, meanwhile, has taken the long road back after its opening-day defeat. The host squad has been one of the tournament’s hottest teams offensively, eliminating Northampton, Leominster and Hyde Park while scoring 52 runs over its last 17 innings to earn a rematch with Franklin.
The championship format means Milford must defeat Franklin twice to capture the state title, first forcing a deciding game with a 4 p.m. victory before trying to complete the comeback in the 7 p.m. finale.
The matchup pits two teams that have impressed in different ways throughout the tournament. Franklin has relied on consistent pitching, timely hitting and steady defense to remain unbeaten, while Milford has ridden a high-powered offense and momentum built through four consecutive elimination-game victories.
With a berth in the regional tournament on the line and a state championship at stake, the two longtime rivals will meet one final time to determine who leaves Fino Field as the 2026 Massachusetts American Legion Baseball champion.
