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