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Tournaments  | Championship | 7/30/2026

Blue Wave Battle & Prevail at 14u Classic

Kinley Kitchens
For Excel Blue Wave, the summer was never about being perfect.

It was about getting better.



After a season filled with challenges, growth, and plenty of learning along the way, Excel Blue Wave put everything together when it mattered most, defeating SBG Sox Prime, Al 9-3 to capture the 2026 14U Perfect Game Hoover Classic championship.

For Excel Blue Wave Coach Forrest Heacock, watching the group celebrate with a championship trophy was especially meaningful because of everything it took to get there. 

“It hasn’t been the easiest summer, and have battled a lot,” Coach Heacock said. “The kids have improved so much over the summer, and that is really what it’s all about at this age. It’s really just about improving at this age, and to see them be able to put it together, and just really compete together and play as a team, I couldn’t be happier about it!”

That Improvement was on full display in the championship game, where Excel found contributions throughout their lineup.

Jb Sanders helped lead the offense with a 2-for-3 performance that included a double, an RBI, and two runs scored, while Brayden Helms added two hits, an RBI, and two runs of his own. Mitch Hanson delivered one of the game’s biggest offensive performances, driving in three runs and adding a triple, while Turner Janssen brought home two more. Bennett Bertella also contributed an RBI as five different Excel Blue Wave players drove in at least one run. 

For a group that spent the summer learning how to compete together, the balanced production was fitting. 

Some members of the roster entered the season with years of familiarity, while others were stepping onto the field together for the first time. Rather than allowing that to divide the group, the returning players helped make their newest teammates feel at home. 

“Some of these kids have played together before, and some of them haven’t,” Coach Heacock said. “I think the ones that have played together before did a great job of welcoming the new guys.”

As the summer continued, baseball did what it often does best, and turned teammates into friends. 

“There’s nothing like baseball to bring guys together,” he added. “It’s just a group of nine guys competing on the field, and you can’t get any closer than that.”

That trust was important throughout the championship game, particularly on the mound. 

Bertella gave Excel five strong innings, limiting SBG Sox Prime to two hits whole allowing just one run. Hanson also took the mound before Logan Carter finished the game with a scoreless final inning, allowing now hits and striking out one to close out the championship victory. 

But before any of those performances took place, Excel Blue Wave entered the championship with one final message from their coach.

It wasn’t about the trophy. It was about each other. 

“Just give it all you got,” he told them. “Compete for your friends. This is the last time this group will be together every day. So, all you can do is compete and play as hard as you can  with those guys for seven innings.”

For seven innings, that’s exactly what they did. 

The result was a 9-3 championship victory, but the bigger accomplishment was how far the team had come. A team that battled through challenges throughout the summer finished it playing together, competing for one another, and celebrating as champions. 

At 14 years old, there will be plenty more baseball ahead for this group. There will be new teams, new teammates, bigger tournaments, and tougher competition. 

But the lesson from this summer is the one their coach hopes will follow them wherever the game takes them: Give it all you’ve got and compete for the guys beside you. 
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Tournaments | Story | 8/26/2026

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Joey Cohen
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