Warriors
claw their way to 14u title
EMERSON,
Ga. – The time had come to decide a champion at the 2015 14u PG
World Series, and it took a marathon of games to get here. After
Sunday's round of quarterfinal games early in the day, all four teams
had ample time to rest themselves and regroup for Monday's set of
games. It is a good thing that they did, because it required every
bit of effort to earn a spot in the championship game.
In
the end, the only two left standing were Phenom Signature from
Riverside, Calif., and the Warriors Baseball Club of Michigan from
Farmington Hills, Mich., with the Warriors coming out on top, 14-9.
In
the semifinal game between the Warriors Baseball Club and the Houston
Banditos Elite both teams brought out all of the stops and put two
great arms on the hill. The Warriors’ Mac Menard and the Banditos’
Reed Smith were outstanding, as both held the other team to a
miniscule amount of offense. Even though the Banditos got out to the
early 1-0 lead in the second inning, the Warriors came out with a
vengeance in the third. They used a couple of walks to their
advantage and were able to bring them in to score this inning, making
the score 2-1.
That
turned out to be the final score of the game, as Menard would go the
distance with his complete game, six-hit performance. The Warriors
Baseball Club now set their eyes on a championship title, and watched
on as the Phenom Signature and MVP Banditos duked it out in an
extra-innings thriller.
This
semifinal matchup included very little offensive output and was a 1-1
stalemate over the course of eight innings. The Banditos struck early
in the first inning and Phenom Signature retaliated with a run of
their own in the fourth. The defense and pitching was phenomenal, as
this game went an astounding 10 full innings. Although both teams got
near complete game efforts from both their starting pitchers, it
would be a battle of bullpens as they headed into the extras with the
game still tied.
Finally,
in the 10th inning this game would come to a close as Phenom
Signature got a man on by way of walk, had him steal around, and then
knocked in with a walkoff single courtesy of Jose Gutierrez to win
2-1. The stage was now set for the Phenom Signature to play the
Warriors Baseball Club of Michigan for the 2015 14u Perfect Game
World Series Championship.
The
Warriors had the first at-bat in this game and they started things
off with some immediate offense that was missing in both semifinal
games. A leadoff base hit and then two walks loaded the bases, which
allowed for a sac fly and another base hit to knock in two runs in
the very first inning. This game was very back-and-forth, and that
showed right from the start. Phenom Signature outdid the Warriors in
their first trip to the plate with a leadoff triple and two straight
hits to pull out in front, 4-2.
Phenom
Signature would not hold that lead for very long, however, as the
Warriors would answer back in the top of the third to the game, 4-4.
In
the next inning, the Warriors would make a statement that showed
their grit as a team with a ridiculous outburst of offense. All with
two outs, they put together a string of hits to make for a huge
inning. By the end of the frame the score was 10-5 in favor of the
Warriors in what started to look like a potential blowout.
However,
in the bottom of the sixth inning Phenom Signature would make this
game a little bit more interesting and threaten the lead of the
Warriors. Hit after hit, the lead dwindled until there were only
three runs separating the two teams. The momentum was fully in favor
of Phenom Signature, and a quick inning of defense before their final
at-bat was all that they needed to get the ball rolling on a
potential walkoff championship victory.
The
Warriors knew what was at stake, and were not about to let this lead
slip away from them; they would seal the deal in the top of the
seventh with a three-run home run. Robert Cavin topped off his
three-hit championship performance with a bomb over the left field
fence. Phenom Signature would put up one more in the bottom of the
seventh, but that ended the scoring, and the Warriors Baseball Club
of Michigan would go on to claim the 2015 14u PG World Series
championship.
After
their 10 inning bout with the MVP Banditos in the semis, one would
think that Phenom Signature had to have been pretty gassed, but by
watching them play you couldn’t tell. They fought with all their
heart came up just short. Each one of their players gave it their
all, but one player who shined brighter than the rest was tournament
Most Valuable Player, Spencer Jones. Jones, who is known for his
great pitching, may now be known for his ability at the plate after
the offensive display he put on this week. Jones posted an
unbelievable batting average of .600 and had seven RBI with eight
runs scored.
“This
experience was definitely one of a kind. It was a lot of fun for this
team, and we all really enjoyed it,” Jones said. “We’re
disappointed that we didn’t win it all, but we’re glad with where
we are at. All week I was trying to pay attention to other at-bats,
be loud, and help in the dugout when I was not in the field and I
think that paid off in my game. I was sitting first-pitch fastball,
and if I didn’t get that, I would wait for my pitch and drive it.
This tournament finish is a good stepping stone for the future.”
Menard’s
complete game effort in the semifinal was impressive enough to earn
him Most Valuable Pitcher honors. This award was well deserved, and
he finished the tournament with 10 innings pitched and a 0.70 ERA. He
was the workhorse that his team needed this week, and was thrilled
with the team effort the guys behind him gave every inning.
“We’ve
worked so hard and no one really expected us to come out here and win
this thing, so it feels great,” Menard said after the championship
game. “Nobody expected us to win, but we showed them and proved
them wrong. In my start, I tried to focus as much as possible and
throw strikes. I knew my defense was great, so that certainly helped.
Our teamwork was great this tournament. We all like each other and
care about each other, so it made it that much better to win.”
The
Warriors play their own brand of baseball and are proud to be
bringing the trophy back to their home state of Michigan. Head Coach
Brian Kalczynski hopes that this is the beginning of something
special and feels that they can really build off this win as a
program. From the parents to great sponsors, this team is well
supported back home and look to have a promising future as a program.
With key financial contributions from Van Conway, Derek Stevens, and
a man they like to call Mr. Fisher, this Warriors program can
continue to make the trip to prestigious tournaments like this one,
and give kids in the greater Michigan area to play against the best
competition in the country.
Coach
Kalczynski is inexplicably proud of his boys and he can’t wait to
add a new trophy to the trophy case.
“This
is the greatest feeling. We won down in Fort Myers at the BCS, and I
didn’t think it could get better, but you come down to this complex
and it gets even better,” Coach Kalczynski said. “With there
being so many top teams, our focus is to get out of pool play, and
anything better than that is a bonus. This is a huge win, and every
tourney we go to, we want to be competitive. We finished 28 and 3 on
the season, and with this win to end the summer, it shows that if you
play with sound baseball fundamental, great things can happen.”
2015
14u Perfect Game World Series runner-up: Phenom Signature
2015
14u Perfect Game World Series MVP: Spencer Jones
2015
14u Perfect Game World Series MV-Pitcher: Mac Menard
MVP
Banditos win it all at 13u PGWS
Not to be overshadowed by the 14u PG World Series, the 13u
age bracket had a World Series of their own, and the talent was
arguably just as good. In both age groups, these players have shown
that they are at a level of baseball that is far beyond their years.
This morning, four of the best 13u teams in the country battled for a
chance to play in the 2015 13u Perfect Game World Series championship
game. The GoWags National Lumberkings and the MVP Banditos would
eventually emerge as winners from their semifinal games, with the
Banditos eventually coming out on top, 11-3.
There
was slightly more offense packed into these matchups than the 14u
semifinal contests, especially in the MVP Banditos game against the
San Diego Show. The Banditos got up early on the San Diego Show with
a three-run lead, but they would not get rid of the Show that easily.
The Show came back in the fourth with two runs to close the deficit
to just one run, but that would not last for long. The MVP Banditos
put their bats to work and truly earned their spot in the
championship game over the course of the last few innings, scoring
five more runs to pull away with an 8-3 victory.
The
GoWags National took the field against Vision Baseball in their
semifinal. GoWags’ Robert Richardson showed up big time for this
game with a three hit performance and had a massive contribution
towards the six runs that they scored. This game was close for most
of the contest, and before the sixth inning, the score was 3-2, but
in the bottom of the sixth the Lumberkings put up three runs to push
Vision Baseball back even farther. In the top of the seventh, during
Vision’s last time up at the plate, there was a chance for a
comeback, but it was quickly squelched by a smooth double play and
the Lumberkings would go on to win the ball game, 6-2.
Now
it was time for a dramatic finish to this exciting round of playoffs
in the 2015 13u Perfect Game World Series.
The
Banditos came out swinging in the title game against the GoWags
National Lumberkings. An error put their leadoff man on first and
they were able to drive him in very quickly with some timely hitting.
An
RBI single by
Maurice
Hampton
in
the first inning and an RBI double by Joseph
Cruz,
followed by
a two-run double by
Zane
Keener
during
the second inning, fueled MVP Banditos' offense early.
That
was the theme of the Banditos’ offense; to put a runner in scoring
position anyway they could and then let the next man up do his job.
GoWags threatened to do some damage in the bottom of the first, as
they loaded the bases with no outs, but Keener, who also started the
game for the Banditos, showed he was a true bulldog and got out of
the jam unscathed. The pitching for the Banditos overall was great at
the beginning, and the defense was just as good. The routine plays
were made with ease, and there was even a breathtaking diving catch
by Hampton in the third inning. The Banditos were putting in max
effort this game, and it was definitely paying off.
The
Banditos steadily put runs on the board, and by the fourth inning the
score was 7-1. Little by little the Lumberkings chipped away at the
lead of the Banditos, scoring one run in three straight innings.
However, in the final inning, there was a late surge of offense by
the Banditos that widened the deficit even more and the Banditos
would walk away with the championship title.
Despite
the fact they lost to a very good Banditos team, this GoWags National
team has much to be proud of. In a tournament with 20 of the top
teams in the country, they finished in second place, and many of
their players really made a name for themselves on this large stage;
one of them being the tournament’s Most Valuable Pitcher, Luke
Wagner. Wagner threw five important innings for his squad this week,
2 1/3 of them being in the semifinal win against Vision Baseball. He
posted a 0.00 ERA, allowing only five hits while striking out five.
“We
played together this week. This was our first time as a team, and we
have always played against each other, but we tried to come together
this week,” Wagner said. “We played to our ability. Off-speed and
fastball command were big for me. If I have command of my fastball,
I’m pretty good. I think this tournament is a good confidence
booster because we made it to the championship with 20 really good
teams. We’ll learn from it, but now we know what it takes to make
it to this spot.”
All
weekend long, the MVP Banditos tore through the competition and
displayed immense power from the plate. Through their four games in
pool play, they averaged just over 10 runs per game. Leading the
offensive production for them was the tournament Most Valuable
Player, Maurice Hampton. Hampton was key in the field and at the
plate for the Banditos’ championship run. He finished the week with
a batting average of .529 with two homers, seven RBI, and five runs
scored.
“I
was staying with what I had been doing all summer and I didn’t let
the heat get to me,” Hampton said of his success. “Also, I
wouldn’t be able to do anything without my teammates. I see a lot
of off-speed, so I try to think right-center and try not to pull off
the ball. We have a lot of good hitters, and anyone was capable of
winning this MVP award, but I just happened to get hot at the right
time.”
This
is the MVP Banditos first big tournament win as a program, seeing as
they just recently merged with the well known Houston Banditos, run
by Coach Ray Deleon. This team hails from Miami, Fla., but carries
kids from both Florida and Texas. Coach Deleon and Mike Sagaro felt
that merging the MVP and Banditos program together would best serve
the youth by giving players in different areas more opportunities to
play in top-notch tournaments like this one.
They
are thrilled to get this first tournament win as 'MVP Banditos' under
their belt and look forward to many more. After the game, Head Coach
Deleon was quite a busy man, but was able to share some very kind
words about this program and the special players on this 13u team.
“We
never stop playing. Our quote of the week was to never stop playing,
and that’s what we did. We never stopped playing,” Coach Deleon
said of the win. “We got into a lot of hitters counts, and we
didn’t miss the fastball. We let the off-speed stuff go, and at
this age people aren’t throwing breakers for strikes, so we just
spit on the curve and sit fastball. These kids did very well, but I
want them to stay humble. I’ve seen kids do well at this age and
then they’re not even playing when they’re juniors in high school
because they are burned out, or hurt themselves.
“We
have a lot of great talent for such a young age, but they need to
stay grounded and keep working. This team gelled, and they are a
tight-knit group. The future is bright for them.”
2015
13u Perfect Game World Series champions: MVP Banditos
2015
13u Perfect Game World Series runner-up: GoWags National
2015
13u Perfect Game World Series MVP: Maurice Hampton
2015
13u Perfect Game World Series MV-Pitcher: Luke Wagner
