The state American Legion baseball tournament has served as a coronation of southern Maine’s best team for the last five years.

Not since 1997, when Brewer won the second of its two straight titles, has the state champion come from north of Portland.

Nova Seafood of Portland, a team dominated by players from reigning Class A state champion Deering High School, is the two-time defending champion and has won three of the last four years. When Nova Seafood didn’t win in 1998 and 2000, Andrews Post of Portland won the crown.

Both teams are back in the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament that begins Saturday in Augusta. Nova Seafood, the Zone 4 champ, is 23-1, while Zone 4 runner-up Andrews Post is 22-3.

“Nova Seafood is going to be a favorite in some people’s eyes, especially those in the southern part of the state, because of the success they’ve had and the fact they’ve been here before and a lot of players have that experience,” said Brewer coach David Morris.

But it’s Zone 1 champion Brewer that owns the state’s best record at 25-1, and the Falcons open the 2003 tournament in a 10 a.m. game at Morton Field against Zone 3 runner-up Mid-Coast of the Bath-Brunswick area.

“One thing I learned from [former Bangor High and current Husson College football coach] Gabby Price, who’s been a mentor of mine, is that when you get in big games you want to play well,” Morris said. “Our motto this week is that we want to play well, and if we do that anything can happen.”

The Falcons are led by Zone 1 Player of the Year Jason Harvey. The former Bucksport High and current Husson College shortstop batted .475 with five home runs, 30 RBIs, 12 doubles and 29 runs scored during the regular season. He went 8-for-12 with six walks and 14 RBIs during Brewer’s unbeaten run through the zone tournament.

Other key players for the Falcons are second baseman Zac Bouzan-Kaloustian, first baseman Kyle Dalton, outfielders Kevin McAvoy, Jake Knight and Kyle Mercer, infielders Nye Gifford and Adam Sheehan, and catcher Marcus Boober.

Brewer also boasted the deepest pitching staff in Zone 1, led by Pat Moran (5-0), Chad Gomm (5-0) and Andy Wentworth (4-1).

“This team has been real consistent all season long,” said Morris. “They’ve just played great baseball, and they love to play the game.

“We also have great leadership, and as coaches it’s just been one of those seasons when you’re happy to be around a group like this.”

Mid-Coast (18-5) features players from Brunswick, Morse, Lisbon and Mt. Ararat high schools, and won the Zone 3 regular-season title to clinch its state tourney berth.

Mid-Coast will be without its top player during the tournament. Mt. Ararat right-hander Mark Rogers, considered the state’s top high school pitcher, will be participating in an amateur baseball showcase in North Carolina, according to Mid-Coast coach Walt Foster.

“Mark has chosen not to play with his team this weekend,” said Foster. “He’s a big part of our team that’s going to be missing.”

Calais, the Zone 1 runner-up, is the tournament’s Cinderalla story. The Suns (14-13) went .500 during the regular season and then dropped its zone tournament opener before posting three straight elimination-game victories to clinch its first state tourney berth.

Coach Ken Macdonald’s club was led offensively during zone tournament play by outfielder Steve Colbeth, pitcher-shortstop Ben Maloney, first baseman Joe Footer and third baseman Josh Francis.

Right-handers Maloney and Scott Macdonald likely will pitch for Calais in its first two tournament games.

“We hit the ball well during the zone tournament,” said coach Macdonald, “but I’m a big believer in pitching and defense.”

The Suns have a 4 p.m. matchup Saturday at McGuire Field against Zone 3 champ Bessey Motors (18-5-1), a South Paris-based team made up mostly of players from Oxford Hills High School, which reached the Eastern Maine Class A final this spring.

Coach Shane Slicer’s club used strong pitching to sweep three Zone 3 tournament games. Andrew Stacey of Fryeburg Academy and Oxford Hills products Joe Baker and Garrett Olson each pitched a complete game, with the trio combining to allow just two runs.

Saturday’s other games have Andrews Post (23-3) against Zone 2 champion Augusta (20-4) at noon at McGuire Field, and Nova Seafood (23-1) against Zone 2 runner-up Monmouth (20-6) at 2 p.m. at Morton Field.