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By Matt Monaghan for the Mail Tribune August 03. 2015 2:00AM Mustang Tradition Medford's Micah Brown makes a play against the Eugene Challengers during the Class AAA state tournament championship game in Salem on Sunday. PHOTOS BY ANNA REED SALEM — The Medford Mustangs are the class of American Legion baseball in Oregon once again. For the second year in a row the Mustangs won the Class AAA state tournament, defeating the Eugene Challengers 8-3 at Willamette University on Sunday. It's the third time in program history the Mustangs have won consecutive state titles and with the victory Medford advances to the Northwest Regional Tournament in Cheyenne, Wyo. "It's a big deal, especially coming back against Eugene,” Mustangs right fielder Jared Evans said. “We've been battling those guys the last two years. It was an emotional game and to shut them down, it means a lot to this program." The Mustangs will open the eight-team double-elimination regional tournament Wednesday against a team from Washington. The rest of the field will consist of state champions from Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, as well as the host team from Cheyenne and a second team from Washington. Eugene handed the Mustangs their only defeat of the state tournament on Saturday, a 12-2 drubbing, but that contest had little meaning for Medford, which had already clinched a spot in Sunday's championship game. Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday the Challengers had to defeat the DeMarini Post 20 Dirtbags, 6-5 in 11 innings, to set up a rematch with Medford for a ticket to Wyoming. Unlike their prior meeting, the Mustangs jumped ahead to an early advantage on Eugene by scoring twice in the top of the first inning. Micah Brown got one of three Medford hits in the frame, hitting a triple to the right-center field wall to score Evans. Brown then came home one batter later when Bryce Rogan singled to right. The combination of Evans, Brown and Rogan — the two, three and four hitters in the Mustangs' lineup — combined to go 8 for 15 on the afternoon with six runs scored and five driven in. "That was the difference between yesterday and today," said Mustangs head coach Nate Mayben of the trio. "They came through for us at the right times. That's just what a mature team does. We did a much better job attacking our pitch." Eugene didn't make it easy though, scoring single runs in the first and second innings off Mustangs starter Colton Westfall, who eventually settled down to allow three runs on nine hits over six innings and pick up the win. In the seventh, with the Mustangs up four runs, Mayben called on Cody Coggins — normally a starter — to shut down the Challengers the rest of the way. In three innings of relief, Coggins gave up just one hit to earn his first save of the season. "There's nobody else we'd want on the hill right there", Mayben said of his decision to go to Coggins. "He's is a strike thrower, he throws firm, and we had no problems going to him in that situation." Medford put the game away starting in the third inning when they broke a 2-2 tie with two runs that drove Eugene starter Austin Crowson out of the game. Again, it was Evans getting the rally started for the Mustangs as he singled to lead off, stole second and scored on Rogan's second RBI single of the game. Later in the inning, Westfall helped his own cause with a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Then in the fourth, the Mustangs added three more runs to stretch their lead to 7-2. Cole Carder singled to open the inning and scored on Evans's third hit of the game, a single to left. Later, Evans crossed the plate with his third run, scoring on a passed ball, and Rogan picked up his third RBI. When Eugene's Tanner Zenke flew out to left field to end the game, Coggins tossed his cap and glove into the air and was mobbed by his Mustangs teammates near the mound. "It's amazing,” Rogan said of winning state. “We've had our sights set on this the whole year. We've been looking forward to this game for a long time so it's nice to put it away and be back in the regionals." "It's only been done two other times in Mustangs history," added Mayben, referring to the program's third back-to-back titles. "All these guys have something to hang their hat on." Medford;202;310;000;—;8;1;0 Eugene;110;001;000;—;3;10;3 Westfall, Coggins (7) and Zavala; Crowson, Smith (4), Cantwell (5), Guldager (9) and Olsson. W — Westfall (4-2); L — Crowson. 2B — M: Brown; E: Stapley, Ahlstrom. 3B — M: Brown. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150803/SPORTS/150809929 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->