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Tournaments  | Story  | 9/23/2019

GBG Navy 3-for-3 at Fall Champs

Jeff Dahn     
Photo: GBG Marucci Navy 2021 (Perfect Game)

GLENDALE, Ariz. – By early afternoon on Monday, it had become official: GBG Marucci Navy could proudly and unapologetically wear the crown of “King of the Perfect Game WWBA Fall Championships” for 2019.

GBG Marucci Navy 2021 broke open a one-run ballgame with a five-run third inning and raced past the AZ Athletics 2021 Founders Club, 9-1 in five innings, in the championship game at the PG WWBA Underclass Fall National Championship Protected by G-Form; it was played on the Dodgers’ side of the Camelback Ranch MLB spring training complex.

The PG national championship came one week to the day after GBG Marucci Navy 2020 and GBG Marucci Navy 2023 won the Upperclass and Freshman Fall National Championships, respectively, over at the Goodyear BallPark Sports Complex. The title trifecta was not lost on the Navy 2021 players, or anyone else associated with GBG for that matter.

“It was a big thing for us because as a program we really wanted to sweep it; we want to win every single week,” Navy 2021’s Griffin Stark said after the championship game victory. “That’s the main goal for us is just to keep winning and winning and pushing through. The coaches kept telling us to ‘push through, push through’ and we’re going to win this; it just means a lot to us.”

The Navy 2021 (7-0-0) was not to be denied at the Underclass event, rolling though pool-play to earn the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, and then rolling to semifinal and championship game victories on Monday.

In the title tilt, they scored single runs in each of first and second innings before cutting loose for five in the bottom of the third and clinching the run-rule win with two more in the bottom of the fourth, using an 11 hit attack to inflict the damage.

“That’s the kind of group that these guys are,” GBG founder/head coach Michael Garciaparra said postgame. “They’re gritty and they’re real gamers, and they had some of the best energy that we’ve ever had out of GBG team, and it translated to the field.”

Austin Dudas doubled twice, drove in three runs and scored another and Justin Powell singled twice, driving in three and scoring one to lead the barrage, but they were not alone. Josiah Chavez singled twice and scored twice from his spot hitting second in the batting order and Jack Johnson contributed a pair of singles and an RBI.

2021 right-hander Jack Snyder worked five innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits, striking  out seven without issuing a walk.

“All of the teamwork that goes around all throughout the dugout, we just all back up each other and we’re just a great team to come out here and win the championship,” Chavez said. “From the first game we had really good energy in the dugout (and) we had really good energy on and off the field.”

The No. 8-seeded AZ Athletics 2021 Founders Club (6-1-0) scored their only run in the top of the second on an RBI single off the bat of Spencer Horwath; the A’s 2021 FC managed just five singles off of Snyder.

Chavez, an uncommitted, No. 441-ranked 2021 catcher out of Santa Paula, Calif., seemed to never not be on base. He went 11-for-20 (.550) with 11 singles and four walks (.625 OBP), drove in four runs and scored nine others and was named the Most Valuable Player.

“I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can,” he said. “I’m just trying to get on base and let the hitters behind me do the rest; let them finish the work.”

Another GBG player who turned in an MVP-caliber performance was 2021 corner-infielder Oskar Stark, who was playing in his first PG event. He went 7-for-16 (.438) with three doubles, nine RBI and six runs scored. It’s kind of crazy that Griffin Stark and Oskar Stark are both juniors at Chaminade College Prep in West Hills, Calif., but are unrelated.

Griffin Stark, a 2021 right-hander, did his part, too, making a pair of appearances on the mound and throwing nine shutout innings, while allowing four hits, striking out 10 and walking four. He pitched a complete-game, four-hit, five-strikeout shutout in the GBG Navy 2021’s 6-0 win over the Southern California Bombers 2021 in a semifinal game Monday morning and was named the MV Pitcher.

“It’s just really important for us to keep going because winning meant the most for us,” he said. “Every single guy on this team is a big important part … and it was just really good team wins every day.”

With three different teams getting fitted for PG national championship rings in the span of eight days is something to be proud of, and Garciaparra seemed especially proud of this group.

“We were a little short-handed … but the thing about our program and its strength is that we have to have other guys step up and fill in,” he said. “I think we had heroics by nine different guys in different parts of every single type of game, and it was unbelievable.”


2019 PG Underclass Fall Championship Protected by G-Form runner-up: AZ Athletics 2021 Founders Club



2019 PG Underclass Fall Championship Protected by G-Form MVP: Josiah Chavez



2019 PG Underclass Fall Championship Protected by G-Form MV-Pitcher: Griffin Stark
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