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Tournaments  | Championship  | 7/18/2020

Canes National Take Home WWBA Crown

Brett Greenberg     
Photo: Canes National 16u (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. – The week-long event with over 280 teams participating came to a close Friday afternoon with the Canes National 16U taking home the championship trophy. The Canes finished the week with a 10-0-1 record while beating a pesky Dirtbags 16U Tap Out team in the final game of the tournament, 7-3.

The Canes were powered behind their stellar pitching staff and timely hitting all week. They completed pool play undefeated scoring 40 runs while giving up only three. The Canes were tested in their second bracket play game, coming from behind to beat the Tri-State Arsenal 2022 Scout Team. Down to their last out, David Mershon hit a long ball which should have been a stand-up triple, but his aggressive base running turned it into an inside the park home run to tie the game. Coach Hucks says his team rallied behind Mershon’s aggressive base running all week and attributes a lot of their success to him.



In their third bracket game, the Canes were tested with a talented East Cobb Astros Texas Orange squad, a team who has Dylan Lesko, Jared Jones and others. Pitchers Evan Siary, Tristan Smith and Andrew Dutkanych IV worked to keep the talented bats of the Astros quiet and came out with a 4-3 victory. The quarterfinal and semifinal stage of bracket play presented no challenges for the Canes, winning 5-1 and 8-0. Nathan Fink led the charge over Team Elite in the semifinal posting three RBIs. The win over Team Elite propelled them to the championship game against the Dirtbags 16U Tap Out.

After giving up a lead-off walk to start the game, starting pitcher for the Canes, Kassius Thomas was able to get the next three batters out. The bottom of the first saw the Canes hitters jump on the Dirtbags pitchers. Cole Young singled to start off the inning but was thrown out on a fielder’s choice after Paxton Kling hit a groundball to the shortstop. Kling then stole second and came around to score after a Xavier Isaac double. After a walk and a stolen base, Nathan Fink continued his week-long tear with a two-run double. Thanks to heads up base running, Roman Anthony came around to score making it 4-0 after the first.

The Dirtbags answered back with a run of their own in the top of the second inning, as Andrew Walton walked and then scored after Hayden Friese doubled making it 4-1 after 1 ½ innings.

The top of the third welcomed new Canes pitcher, Bradley Gagen, who sat the Dirtbag hitters down in order. The same can be said for Gagen’s fourth inning. The bottom of the fourth is where the Canes extended their lead and put the nail in the coffin on their opponent. Lamar King began the bottom half with a single, which was followed by a walk and another single by Cole Young, scoring King. The Canes showed great situational hitting in their next two at-bats with both David Mershon and Paxton Kling being able to hit groundballs to score the runner from third extending their lead 7-1.

In the fifth, Tap Out showed some fight scoring another run to cut their deficit down to five. Starting right fielder, Nathan Fink was able to throw out a runner at home trying to score from second base to get the third out of the inning and avoid potentially more damage. The Canes bats quieted down after their fourth inning and did not score any more runs. The Dirtbags scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth when Kaden Varela Payne was called from the Canes’ bullpen.

The bottom of the seventh presented the Dirtbags with a golden opportunity to tie the game up and force extra innings. The Dirtbags had bases loaded with two outs before a new pitcher, Ashton Smith, came in for the Canes to shut the door on their title hopes. Smith struck out the Dirtbags batter for the final out of the WWBA National Championship game.

The Canes coaches and players began their celebration with a dogpile in front of the pitcher’s mound. The trophies were then given out and the MVP and MVPitcher of the entire tournament were awarded to two Canes’ players.

Cole Young, a Duke commit, was awarded tournament MVP while posting a .462 batting average with four doubles, six RBIs, seven runs scored, three stolen bases, and one home run.

“The pitchers kept us in every game,” said Young. “It makes it so much easier to hit when I know that our pitchers are so dominant.”

Jackson Ferris, a NC State commit, was awarded MVpitcher with nine innings of work while striking out 12 posting a 0.00 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP.

“This is pretty special for me because I did not play in this tournament last year,” said Ferris. “There was a lot of trash talk coming our way, so it is a good feeling to shut those players up and be champions.”

Coach Brian Hucks had this to say about his team shortly after their championship victory:

“I am so proud of these players, man. It is just so special to be a part of such a great group of guys who want to win and do not give up. We did not have an easy road to get here facing Tri-State, the Astros and Team Elite, so we are so excited for the players. David Mershon’s base running against Tri-State down to our last out propelled us to this championship victory.”

The Canes will be headed to Sanford, Florida in two weeks to participate in the Perfect Game 16U World Series and look to carry their great week of baseball into that tournament.

The 17U WWBA National Championship has begun and will be continued throughout the week with over 200 teams participating in this year’s event. The top amateur baseball in the country is being played at East Cobb this week with bracket play of the 17U WWBA beginning Wednesday, July 22nd. Stay tuned for another excited week of Perfect Game baseball.
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