Season to remember — The Aviston Express Post 1239 senior legion squad poses before their opening game of the 2026 Great Lakes Region Tournament on Wednesday in Lexington, Kentucky. The Express went 1-2 in tournament play and ended their season with an Illinois State title and a 26-win season. They were the 5th Division champs. PHOTOS BY JEREMY CHAWGO The Aviston Express Post 1239 summer of 2026 will be one to remember, with their season coming to a close on Friday night in Lexington, Kentucky on the campus of the University of Kentucky.
The Express began the season winning seven of their first eight games before dropping just their second game on June 14.
They rattled off 11-straight wins to end the regular season at 18-2-1. They rolled through the 5th Division Tournament with three wins to advance to the Illinois State Tournament, which also extended their winning streak to 14 games.
The Express swept through the competition at the State Tournament with four wins and a combined score of 37-22 for the second-ever State title which ran their winning streak to 18 games.
A 10-day break proved detrimental to the Express as they dropped their opening game of the Great Lakes Region Tournament with a 12-2 loss to host Lexington.
Quality start — Aviston righty Ethan Wheelan tosses in an offspeed pitch in the Express’ 7-3 win over Pittsburg, Kansas. Wheelan went the distance for the Express’ second-ever victory in Great Lakes Regional play.They regrouped behind Ethan Wheelan as they advanced another day with a 7-3 win over Pittsburg, Kansas. Post 1239’s season came to a close on Friday when they fell to eventual runner-up Terre Haute 11-9.
They ended the season with a 26-4-1 overall record with a Gator Classic title, a 5th Division title and a State title.
Miles Browne led the squad in hitting with a .439 batting average while Rowdy Sussenbach led the team with 29 RBIs. Benny Lehman led the team with 33 runs scored. Clayton Gaetti led the squad with 26 stolen bases while Sussenbach added 26. Lehman’s .370 career batting average was fifth all time.
Sussenbach finished second all-time in career stolen bases with 52 and he was never thrown out in those 52 chances. His .371 career batting average is tied for third all-time with Jeremy Hutkowski from 2001-2002.
The Express had a season batting average of .358 and they stole 111 bases out of 121 chances. They outscored their opponents 257-100 on the season.
Bryce Wieter led the team with six wins while Sussenbach added five wins. Wieter led the squad with 48 strikeouts which also included him tossing a pair of no-hitters this summer. Sussenbach added 45 punch outs.
Drake Curry led the team with a 1.17 ERA followed by a 1.58 ERA from Rowdy Sussenbach. The team had a collective 3.41 ERA on the season.
“I can’t tell you how proud of this group I am,” said first-year manager Alex Elsing. “They are a great group of players and individuals that did everything the coaching staff asked all season. This is a summer we all will remember.”
Terre Haute, Indiana 11, Aviston 9: The Express got off to a slow start in their season-ending loss on Friday in Lexington, Kentucky.
Post 346 scored the first three runs in the contest, before the Express got going in the third inning with four runs. However, Terre Haute got seven runs in the bottom of the inning to set the tone.
Conlan Haar set the tone for the Aviston offense as he was 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot with two doubles, a single, three runs scored and four batted in. Clayton Gaetti added two singles, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
Drake Curry had two singles and two RBI while Rowdy Sussenbach had a single, a run scored, two batted in and two stolen bases. Benny Lehman walked twice and scored twice.
Safe at home — Aviston shortstop Rowdy Sussenbach slides in with a run in the Express’ win over Pittsburg on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky. Sussenbach was second on the team with a .420 batting average this season. Brady Ceto took the loss, allowing seven earned runs in two innings of work, while Sussenbach allowed three earned in three innings. Lehman pitched a shutout inning of relief. The Express walked four and struck out six.
“You have to tip your hat to their guys,” said Aviston manager Alex Elsing. “They hit the ball and made plays. But I give our guys great credit for fighting back and making a game of it. We showed a lot of toughness climbing back into the contest like we did.”
Trailing 3-0 in the top of the third inning, Max Albers got things going with a walk and he moved to second on a fly out before crossing the plate on a single from Haar. Gaetti followed with a single before Sussenbach reached on an error to get within 3-2. Miles Browne was hit by a pitch before Curry chased in two runs to take a brief 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
Post 346 got three walks and four singles to regain the lead as they plated seven runs to lead 10-4.
Aviston rallied in the fourth inning after the first two hitters were retired. Lehman walked and scored on a double from Haar who later singled on an RBI single from Gaetti to get within 10-6.
Trailing 11-6 in the top of the sixth inning, the Express got closer with a single from Albers and a walk to Lehman. Haar came up big once again with a two-run double. Sussenbach singled in Haar as they got within 11-9.
The Express went in order in the top of the seventh inning, ending the game and season.
Aviston 7, Pittsburg, Kansas 3: The Express battled a talented team along with Mother Nature on Thursday night in Lexington, Kentucky.
Aviston never trailed and set the tone in the top of the first inning when Conlan Haar walked, and Clayton Gaetti singled before Rowdy Sussenbach was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Miles Browne singled up the middle for a 1-0 lead before Drake Curry grounded out to make it 2-0. Sussenbach scored on a wild pitch before Bryce Wieter followed with an RBI ground out and a 4-0 lead.
Ethan Wheelan retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning before Pittsburg got going in the second inning.
The first two hitters were hit by Wheelan before an error in left field loaded the bases with no outs.
Two singles later, the game was 4-3 after Post 64 scored three times to end the second inning.
After a lengthy weather delay, the team took back to the field and Aviston went back to work on offense in the top of the fourth inning.
Up the middle — Aviston utility player Johnny Hilmes sends the ball in play in the Express’ 7-4 win over Pittsburg, Kansas on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky. Hilmes and the Express ended the season at 26-4-1 with an Illinois State Championship.Albers walked, Haar singled and Gaetti was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. After the second out, Browne walked for an RBI and Curry chased two runners home with a shot to right field for a 7-3 score.
Wheelan allowed one hit in the fourth inning before getting the next three outs. He allowed a walk in the fifth inning and a single in the sixth inning before getting the side retired in order in the seventh inning to pick up the complete-game victory.
The complete-game victory in Great Lakes Region play was the first in program history.
The Kaskaskia College recruit went seven innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits, one walk, two hit batters and three punch outs in 105 pitches.
Browne was 2-for-3 with two singles, two RBI, a walk and a run scored. Curry was 2-for-3 with two singles and three batted in. Haar and Gaetti each scored two runs with Gaetti pilfering a base. All six of the Express’ hits were singles.
Lexington, Kentucky 12, Aviston 2 (6 innings): The Express wasted a strong start on offense in their tournament-opening loss on Wednesday night.
On a day with several weather delays, the Express and Post 8 played a game that last until 11:35 on Wednesday with the Express heading to the loser’s side of the bracket.
The Express put up a one-out rally in the top of the first inning when Clayton Gaetti walked and stole second base and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Rowdy Sussenbach chased him home with an infield single for a 1-0 lead. Conlan Haar singled in Sussenbach for a 2-0 lead after a half an inning of action.
Lexington got a run in the bottom of the inning on a hit batter, two walks and a single.
Post 8 took the lead for good in the second inning with two more walks and a triple to take a 3-2 lead.
Lexington got five more runs in the fourth inning with a walk, a hit batter and three singles to lead 8-2.
Aviston loaded the bases in the fifth inning with three walks, but never got the big hit.
Post 1239 got two more walks in the sixth inning, but stranded those two runners as well.
A walk and two singles walked it off for Post 8 for the victory.
Bryce Wieter took the loss for Aviston with 3-1/3 innings of work where he allowed five earned runs on five hits, four walks, a hit batter and five punch outs.
Aviston managed just three singles in the contest with Sussenbach, Browne and Haar each having one. They stole six bases with Gaetti having three and Sussenbach having two. Wieter walked two times.
