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Tournaments  | Story | 10/1/2018

Sparks double-up at Kernels

Jeff Dahn
Photo: Cangelosi Sparks (Perfect Game)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – There was some rain to deal with and there were adjustments to be made playing in a four-day, single-elimination tournament without pool-play, but at the end of the Perfect Game WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship’s four-day run, history had once again managed to repeat itself.

Ryan Maher came through with a two-run single in the third inning and a run-scoring fielder’s choice ground-out in the fifth in support of 2020 right-hander Austin Greco, and the Cangelosi Sparks topped the Top Tier Americans, 4-0, in the PG WWBA Kernels Foundation championship game, played under overcast skies at PG Field-Veterans Memorial Stadium Monday afternoon.

The championship was the second straight for the Cangelosi Sparks Baseball organization at the Kernels Foundation event, which awards the champion a paid bid to the PG WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., which will be jeld at the end of the month.

“They played hard all weekend,” Sparks head coach Tyler Thompson said of his team in postgame comments. “We’ve been preaching since the beginning of the fall (season) to just play team baseball (and) know your role.

“We hit nine guys in every game – we have 12 players – and some of the guys that had limited at-bats over the weekend came up big (today). … The kids have bought into what we’ve been preaching and it’s starting to show.”

The Lockport, Ill.-based Sparks (6-0) had left the bases loaded in each of the first two innings of the title tilt before finally pushing three runs across in the top of the third. Jack Payton led things off by getting hit by a pitch and one out later Ryan Cermak came through with a run-scoring single. Alex Helmin followed with a single of his own and both Cermak and Helmin scored when Maher lined a two-strike, two-out single into left field.

The game’s only other run was scored in the fifth when Helmin reached second base on an infield throwing error, moved to third on a fielder’s choice and then scored on Maher’s fielder’s choice groundout. Helmin finished 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored; Ryan Ritter tripled and singled.

Greco, a top-500 2020 right-hander and a Miami (Ohio) commit, pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits while striking out six and walking one.

The McCook, Ill.-based Americans (5-1) could come up with only four singles against Greco but did threaten to score in the bottom of the fourth. With two out, Ben Hernandez reached on an error and both Will Melby and Brendan Carrane singled to load the bases, but Greco struck out the next batter swinging, leaving the bases loaded.

Cangelosi’s Dylan Post was 0-for-2 with two walks in the championship game and performed especially well in the Sparks’ five wins coming in. A 6-foot-2, 205-pound 2019 top-500 catcher/utility from New Lenox, Ill., who has committed to the University of Houston, Post finished 7-for-16 (.438) with a double, four RBI and five stolen bases and was named the Most Valuable Player.

“I give all the credit to the players,” Thompson said of the championship repeat. “The coaches preach that they need to know their role and be ready to play, and don’t complain about sitting and be ready to be a good teammate. Credit to the coaches at the younger levels who have been preaching that to the kids, and the kids reacted.”

Top Tier 2019 right-hander Collin Wilma enjoyed a tournament for the ages. Listed at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, Wilma – a Southeast Missouri State commit from Oak Forest, Ill. – went 3-0 in three appearances, pitching 10 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only five hits while striking out 16 and walking two; he was, perhaps needless to say, named the Most Valuable Pitcher.

The championship was not only the second-straight for the Cangelosi Sparks at the Kernels event but it was the third PG tournament title the program has won in Eastern Iowa in the last three weeks. Cangelosi Sparks age-group teams also took home gold at the PG WWBA Midwest Freshman Championship and the PG WWBA Midwest Underclass Championship Qualifier played in these parts in September.

The Sparks and the Americans both advanced into the championship game by winning their semifinal games Monday morning.

2020 right-hander Jack Crowder threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout, striking out four, and Post singled twice and drove in a pair of runs to lead Cangelosi past the MN Blizzard Blue 2019, 4-0, in one of the semis played at Mount Mercy University.

The Top Tier 2019 righty Wilma delivered six innings of three-hit, shutout ball, striking out eight, Melby tripled and drove in a pair of runs and Kevin Dowling had an RBI triple to lead the Americans past the Illinois Indians, 5-0, in the other semi played at PG Field-VMS.

Next up for this group of Sparks is a trip down to Jupiter, Fla., where they will once again compete at the PG WWBA World Championship, slated for Oct. 18-22 at the Roger Dean Sports Complex. It promises to be a lot of fun for everyone involved.

“We’ve been talking about this (event) since we met on day-one,” Thompson said. “This is just one of the steps on the way (to Jupiter), just to build confidence. We saw some great arms this weekend … that we just battled against, and we’re fortunate to be here; we’re looking forward to Florida, no doubt about it.”


2018 WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship runner-up: Top Tier Americans



2018 WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship MVP: Dylan Post



2018 WWBA Kernels Foundation Championship MV-Pitcher: Collin Wilma
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