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Tournaments  | Story | 9/24/2018

GBG 2020 Navy rules at Fall Under

Jeff Dahn
Photo: GBG Marucci 2020 Navy

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Nothing more was required than a detailed look at the deep and talented roster GBG Marucci 2020 Navy brought to the 10th annual Perfect Game Underclass Fall National Championship to convince the uninformed that a championship at the event was all but inevitable.

But even after the GBG 2020 Navy had indeed won the title early Monday afternoon on the Kansas City Royals’ side of the Surprise Stadium MLB spring training complex, players and coaches alike were quick to remind that success is never assured and can never be assumed.

“Nothing is inevitable; we definitely had our scares along the way,” GBG standout 2020 catcher Kevin Parada said. “We’d get down a couple of runs and we had to pull back (on top), because if you don’t, you’re just going to lose (the game).”

Roc Riggio had an RBI single and Parada followed with an RBI double – both with no one out – and Diego Baqueiro added a one-out, two-run single as part of a four-run third inning, and that was enough for No. 1-seeded GBG Marucci 2020 Navy (6-0-0) to escape the No. 14 San Diego Show (5-2-0) by a slim final count of 4-3 in an all-California championship game.

The Show had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Nathaniel Chronis led-off with a walk and moved around the bases on a single from Lucas Murrijo. Jake Connelly drove him home with an RBI ground-out fielder’s choice and Braden Montgomery chased Murrijo in with an RBI single.

GBG wasted no time getting back in control of the game in the bottom half of the frame. Carson Falsken received a lead-off walk, Devan Ornelas singled and Riggio then delivered his RBI single; Parada and Baqueiro then did their thing before the Show finally got out of the inning.

The San Diego crew completed the scoring when Jackson Skellett and Chronis smacked back-to-back doubles in the top of the seventh the effort was one run short. GBG 2020 right-handers Owen Hackman and Chris Aldrich combined on a five-hitter, allowing two earned runs while striking out eight and walking three.

Connelly, who was not listed on the Show’s official roster, showed all kinds of gut by pitching all six innings in the finale, simply because head coach Brian Cain needed him to – arms were scarce for the show. He gave up the four runs on nine hits, with four strikeouts and a walk.

Riggio, a UCLA commit ranked No. 5 in the class of 2021, doubled, singled twice, drove in a run and scored one as part of GBG’s nine-hit attack. Ornelas, a 2020 ranked No. 227 in his class and a TCU commit, singled three times and scored a run.

Parada, a 6-foot, 195-pound 2020 catcher from Pasadena, Calif., and a Georgia Tech commit ranked No. 133 nationally, finished the tournament batting 8-for-17 (.471) with two home runs, two doubles and five RBI and was named the Most Valuable Player. He enjoyed the ride to the championship, with one caveat.

“Honestly, it was hot our here for the last four days and we played a decent amount of games,” Parada said through a smile. “Not everybody was on at one time but everybody found a way and guys picked each other up when other guys were down; that’s how you’ve got to win ballgames.”

He was not alone in putting up MVP-type numbers for GBG. Ornelas finished 9-for-18 (.500) with nine singles and five RBI; Baqueiro singled seven times in 14 at-bats (.500) and drove in four; Brett McCauley was 7-for-15 (. 467) with four doubles and three RBI.

The Show’s Dante Schmid, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound 2020 uncommitted, high-follow right-hander from Chula Vista, Calif., made one start and pitched a complete-game five-hitter, allowing two earned runs while striking out 13 and walking three; he was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.

This championship will be enjoyed all during the offseason for this underclass GBG team and Garciaparra knows full well nothing about this PG national title was inevitable; it was earned.

“Even during pool-play … these guys know they’re going to get everybody’s best,” he said. “These things are never easy and now you have a target on your back … the road’s never easy. You never know who you’re going to run into or if you’re guys are going to be on or off.”

There was no shortage of drama during Monday morning’s semifinal games, also played on the Royals’ side of the Surprise Stadium complex.

GBG Marucci 2020 Navy’s Parada sent a first-pitch, one-out fastball well over the left-centerfield fence for a walk-off home run – his second solo shot of the game – and the 2020 Navy rallied for a 5-4, eight-inning win over No. 4 AZ T-Rex Easton (5-1-0) in one of the semis.

AZ T-Rex was leading 4-2 with one out in the bottom of the seventh before the GBG Navy’s Ornelas stepped to the plate and smacked a two-run single up the middle, tying the game at 4 and sending it into the extra frame.

The Show strung together four singles in the top of the eighth inning, including what proved to be the game-winner off the bat of Trent Nielsen with two outs, and they slipped past No. 2 GBG NW Marucci (5-1-0), 8-7, in the other semi.

The Show led the game, 7-3, after five innings but GBG NW rallied for four in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-all and sending it into extras.

The teams combined for 32 hits, 17 from the Show and 15 from GBG NW. Fifteen of the Show’s hits were singles – Reagan Guthrie had three of them and also drove in a pair of runs and scored twice –while Montgomery tripled and Kevin Johnstone doubled. Fourteen of GBG NW’s safeties were singles – Ethan Silcox had three of them – and Michael Tsoukalas doubled and drove in a run.

At the end of the day, GBG Marucci 2020 Navy was the last man standing, and the GBG program had claimed its third PG Underclass Fall National Championship since 2012. And with two GBG affiliated teams among the final four, Garciaparra couldn’t help but feel good about the state of his program.

“I’m pleased and happy but I’m never satisfied,” he said. “I’m definitely proud of our players and our families; we’re really blessed with a lot of really good players and the families have been great. And with the growth of our program and the people that we’re bringing into our GBG family from around the country has been pretty fun.

“But as far as these guys go, these guys have been together, played together and these guys love each other, and I’m happy for them and proud of them.”


2018 PG Fall Underclass National Championship protected by G-Form runner-up: San Diego Show



2018 PG Fall Underclass National Championship protected by G-Form MVP: Kevin Parada
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