2,076 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Tournaments  | Story  | 7/15/2021

Co-Champs Named at 15u BCS

Sam Warren     
Photo: Brennon Seigler (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The 2021 15u BCS National Championship crowned eXposure 15u Prime - Church and US Elite 15u as co-champions on Wednesday afternoon at JetBlue Park after thunderstorms caused a cancellation of the game.
 
While the championship game was canceled shortly after the conclusion of the bout’s first inning, the two semifinal matchups provided plenty of fireworks as the prestigious tournament came to a close.
 
eXposure 15u Prime - Church came into the championship game undefeated throughout the tournament, compiling a 9-0 record through pool, ranked pool and bracket play. For the most part, the squad dominated their way through the tournament, posting a +57 run differential through their nine games. However, eXposure saved their dramatics for their semifinal game against 5 Star National 15u Dobbs, beating the two-time reigning champions, 7-6, in eight innings.
 
In the pivotal matchup, eXposure struck first in the bottom of the first, as Chase Fralick lined a two-RBI double to right to score the first two runs of the game. 5 Star quickly fired back, though, as Caden Kessler and BJ Gibson aggressively took home on a passed ball in the second, tying up the game.
 
The two powerhouses looked evenly matched through the next three and a half innings, as both squads threatened to take the lead multiple times, only to be thwarted by eXposure pitcher Brendon Bennett and 5 Star pitchers Brooks Wright, Sean Benjamin and Kessler. The game was truly a clash of the titans, as the 5 Star Baseball affiliate had finished the past two years as the top-ranked 15u team in the nation, and eXposure featured six Division-I commits among 11 players ranked within the top-500 prospects in their respective graduation classes.
 
As weather delays caused bracket play to shift to a five-inning format, the semifinal pushed into extras, where sparks started to fly. In the top of the sixth, 5 Star finally broke the stalemate, as a Gibson two-RBI single up the middle re-gave the Warner Robbins, Ga.-based squad their lead. Wright then added some insurance, as the Tennessee commit poked an RBI double to left to score Gibson.
 
With their backs against the wall, eXposure retaliated, refusing to go down quietly. With runners on second and first, Lukas Buckner knocked a single up the middle and aggressive baserunning from the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based team brought home both runners to shorten their deficit to one. Hudson Lutterman then returned the favor, putting a single past third base to bring around Buckner and even the score.
 
As both teams failed to score in the seventh, the game advanced into a tiebreaker eighth inning, where teams were given the bases loaded and one out. In the top of the inning, a controversial balk call scored Garrett Harper, but 5 Star could not do any more damage. Despite being down a run, eXposure smelled blood in the water as Jason Bello tied the game with an RBI single past third base, putting Landis Davila at the plate with a chance to send his team to the title game. The Virginia Tech commit delivered, smoking a ball to deep right field, scoring Ben Timblin and ultimately giving eXposure a share of the BCS title.
 
US Elite 15u also powered their way through the BCS field, but limited their theatrics throughout bracket play. The squad from Dacula, Ga., accumulated an 8-2 record throughout the tournament, posting a +16 run differential through pool, ranked pool and bracket play. In their semifinal bout, US Elite took down US Elite 15u New Jersey, a fellow affiliate of their organization, 6-2, in four innings to get them to their title match.
 
In the crucial game, US Elite started hot and never looked back. After Ty Corbin led off the game with a walk, Cooper Johnson quickly got his squad on the board in the top of the first with an RBI double to center. The aggressive Johnson later came around to score on a passed ball, extending their lead to two.
 
US Elite quickly added another two-spot in the second, as a sacrifice fly from Harry Bouldin and a groundout from Corbin brought their lead to four. The US Elite bats kept up the theme again in the third, as a Cody Craft RBI single and Brett Kelley sacrifice fly added another two runs and ended their scoring at six.
 
On the opposite side, US Elite 15u New Jersey finally got through to pitcher Kelley in the bottom of the third, as Klayton Bolkema drove a two-RBI double to right to give his team their first and only two runs of the game. Despite the rally, Kelley shined, striking out three over his four innings of work and inducing a double play to end the game as time ran out.
 
Along with their various co-champion awards, both eXposure and US Elite added some additional hardware to their trophy cases. Brennon Seigler took home the MVP award for eXposure, capping off his impressive BCS run. The Tennessee commit and top 2024 player out of the Volunteer State went 12-for-23 at the plate for the week, including two triples and six RBI. On the other side, Nate Taylor grabbed the MV-Pitcher award for US Elite for his stellar performance, tossing 12 shutout innings, including a complete-game shutout, over two games while striking out 14.
PG Special Events
Travel, Lodging, Entertainment
PG Partners
Recommended
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2024 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.