MADISON — The American Legion Department of Wisconsin announced May 9 that the 2020 summer youth baseball season is canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Wisconsin is now the 25th state to cancel American Legion Baseball.

“Everyone involved in our program hoped to have American Legion Baseball in 2020, but this was a necessary decision,” said Roger Mathison, the Wisconsin American Legion Baseball Association Commissioner in a press release. “There were a number of factors that the board took under consideration, primarily the health of players, coaches, umpires, parents, fans and volunteers involved in the program.”

The WALBA Board of Directors made the recommendation May 6 in a video conference, and the Department Executive Committee made the final decision three days later. Concerns included facility availability and travel.

It is the first time since 1927 that there will not be a Legion state champion in Wisconsin. Also canceled is the WALBA All-Star Game scheduled for Aug. 9 at Miller Park. Tournaments were scheduled to be played in Sheboygan, Fort Atkinson, Viroqua and Lomira-Theresa.

“We fully expect to have our program return in 2021 and be played at a high level,” Mathison said.

The blow is yet another for teenage baseball players, who already had the spring high school sports season canceled. Home Talent League baseball, an amateur wood bat in southern Wisconsin, pushed its starting date back to July 4, with teams having the option to open a day earlier.

There were 217 teams that participated in American Legion baseball in Wisconsin in 2019, the fourth most in the country.