The road to Kalida has been paved with dominance, determination, and a reminder that Bellefontaine baseball is back on one of Ohio’s biggest summer stages.
After a perfect 4-0 run through the ACME District Tournament, the Bellefontaine Chiefs are headed to St. Michael’s Holy Name Ballpark in Kalida for their first ACME State Tournament appearance since 2019. The Chiefs punched their ticket in impressive fashion, outscoring their district opponents 40-8 while proving they belong among the state’s elite summer baseball programs.
Now, Bellefontaine will turn its attention toward a single-elimination state tournament field loaded with some of the best ACME teams in Ohio. The Chiefs will open tournament play on Saturday, July 18, at 2:30 p.m. against defending state champion St. Henry, the District 4 champion.
The matchup will follow the opening game of the tournament, which features District 1 champion Archbold (12-4) taking on District 3 winner Perrysburg (11-12) at noon. Later Saturday evening, District 7 champion Fairview (6-4) will battle Ottawa-Glandorf (12-1, District 5) at 5:30 p.m., while first-time state qualifier Holgate (8-6, District 2) faces host Kalida (1-7) at 8 p.m.
The championship game is scheduled for Monday, July 20, at 7 p.m.
For Bellefontaine, this opportunity represents more than just another baseball tournament. It is a return to a tradition that has deep roots in the community.
At one point, Bellefontaine was a town built on baseball. The Chiefs built a reputation as one of the premier ACME programs in the state, capturing three ACME State Championships in four years with titles in 2003, 2005, and 2006.
Those championship teams helped create a culture where summer baseball mattered. ACME games became a gathering place for the community, and the program helped establish Bellefontaine as a destination for competitive baseball in Ohio.
The ACME Baseball Congress itself was built on that same idea — creating meaningful summer opportunities for high school players to compete at a high level while representing their schools and communities. Founded in 1960, with the first organized championships held in 1961, ACME has grown into one of the longest-running summer baseball organizations in Ohio. Over the decades, the tradition has produced countless memorable teams, coaches, and players, including more than 70 athletes who went on to be drafted or sign professional baseball contracts.
For Bellefontaine, returning to the state tournament means reconnecting with that history while creating a new chapter.
Chiefs head coach Daulton Mosbarger has seen firsthand what the renewed excitement surrounding ACME baseball means for the program and the community.
The Chiefs enter the state tournament with an 11-1 record and the confidence that comes from a dominant district championship run. But they also understand the challenge ahead. The ACME State Tournament brings together teams that have battled through their own districts and earned the opportunity to compete for one of Ohio’s most respected summer baseball championships.
Bellefontaine will look to combine the experience of its players, the support of a baseball-loving community, and the tradition of past championship teams as it begins its pursuit of a fourth ACME State Championship.
