By Bradey King
The Arizona Spring Championships wrapped up pool play on Saturday, and in the 11uD2 mix was Northmen (UT) and CBA Sacramento Titans. These squads were evenly matched, and the final score is proof. But it was the Northmen who walked away with the 13-12 victory and earned their second win of the tournament. Northmen head coach Clayne Garrett said it was his northern Utah teams’ third time playing outside this year, but witnessing their strength with the sticks, you couldn’t tell. “The boys did a good job, we battled, and we made some mistakes that we’ll clean up as we play more games,” Garrett said. “For the first couple days out, I’m really proud of them.” The Northmen finished with 13 hits as a team, including seven doubles. The team was consistent, too, scoring multiple runs in every inning. “We’re fortunate to have a couple nice facilities (in Utah) so we get a lot of swings in, we just don’t get outside,” Garrett added. “So, hitting we usually can swing it a little bit; we struggle on the other side of the ball.” Those indoor BP sessions paid off Saturday, especially for coach’s son Grady Garrett. Grady went 2-for-3 at the dish with two RBI. “I felt confident and the confidence comes from just believing in myself and batting practice, getting lots of reps,” Grady said. “We’re a good team and we’re all good guys.” Grady’s stellar outing was matched by his teammates. Easton Pratt, Brodie Deal, and Crew Denning all had two hits. The defensive struggles coach Garrett mentioned referred to the four Northmen pitchers combining for 10 walks and giving up seven hits. The defense also had a few errors. Despite all of this, Luke Penland took the mound with poise in the fifth and final inning with a one out, bases loaded situation. “I was just thinking positive,” Penland said, “to just aim small, miss small.” Penland was able to turn this pressure situation into a positive outcome. He got a fly ball for out number two and clinched the save by striking out the Titans cleanup hitter, who launched a home run in his previous at-bat. “It was pretty exciting to end the game and win the game striking him out,” Penland smiled. “We’re gonna come out excited and try to win tomorrow.” On top of Penland’s pitching performance, he also went 2-for-3 with an RBI. by Tanner Puckett
The 12uD2 NorCal Prospects slugged their way to a 14-1 rout of the Cascade Crush in their final game of pool play Saturday at the Triple Crown Arizona Spring Championships. The Prospects came out strong in the top of the first, leading off with four straight hits. Three of the seven runners who reached base would come around to score, giving NorCal a lead that grew every inning. In four frames against the Crush, NorCal hitters were 14-for-25 with two doubles and a five home runs. “We work on hitting a lot. We have a lot of cage time,” NorCal head coach Matt Crudale said. “We take a lot of pride in being able to drive the ball and have good at-bats." They had no trouble driving the ball in Saturday’s game. Of their five home runs, three were to the opposite field. Lefty Jack Karst’s three-run blast cleared the fence in straightaway center. The bulk of those homers came in the final inning, when Karst, Jackson Chen and Matthew Baur all but decided the game by adding five runs the Prospects’ lead. “I was just aggressive. We’re trying to hit the ball and make contact,” Baur said. Baur was a big part of NorCal’s offensive success in the game, going 3-for-3 with a double to go along with his solo shot. The game was a much-needed win for the Prospects (Danville, CA), who finished a back-and-forth game against the Colorado Select with a tie just moments before first pitch. A doubleheader in the dry, hot desert can be tough for even adults. Crudale and the Prospects were conscious of conserving arms for the bracket run ahead. “We wanted to give guys a chance to be successful and effective,” Crudale said. “Really, we have a pretty good squad and have a chance of making a long run tomorrow, so we don’t want to burn pitching.” That resulted in three pitchers combining to throw four frames for NorCal, though they were all extremely effective in limiting offense. NorCal’s starter, Lucas Glazier, allowed just two baserunners over two innings, striking out three. Glazier saved what could’ve been a potential rally for Cascade in the second inning. Following a hit batter and two consecutive wild pitches, Glazier faced a 2-0 count with a runner on third and two outs. He battled back to strike out Diego Gutierrez swining and end the threat. “It’s a shift in momentum when you can shut them down and not allow any runs,” Crudale said of Glazier’s clutch performance. “It squashes their rally and gets us ready to start our own rally.” Rhett Thompson and Dylan Waters combined with an inning each to finish out the game and hold NorCal’s lead. The only run from the Crush (Bellingham, WA) came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Waters gave up a solo shot to Grady Adams, who had thrown all four of Cascade’s innings and was well over 100 pitches. All in all, NorCal pitching limited Cascade to just three hits. Though their Pool C opponent Blackhawks have locked up the top seed in the pool with an undefeated performance, the Prospects have put themselves in a position to pull a great seed headed into the bracket. Ultimately, the Prospects ended up with the No. 7 seed out of 16 for the championship bracket. “It feels great to get a little momentum going into tomorrow,” Crudale said. “We’ll get the kids rested up and hopefully come out tomorrow clicking on all cylinders.” There’s a similar sentiment from the players. On their though process headed into the tournament, Ben Becker had a pretty simple approach: “Let’s not lose, let’s not tie.” by Tanner Puckett
In an offense-heavy affair in 13u Division 1, the West Covina Dukes (CA) picked up a 10-6 win over the Midland Bandits on Friday night at the Triple Crown Arizona Spring Championships. The four-inning game saw 48 plate appearances and 20 hits between the two teams to go with the 16 total runs scored in their first pool play game of the event. Though there were some loud hits, it was a combination of small ball and slugging that proved effective for the Dukes. They had nearly as many bunts in play (three) as they did extra-base hits (four). “Guys came through with bunts and we put runners in scoring position,” said Dukes head coach Armando Palacio. “We surprised them when they brought in their third pitcher (Sean Willingham) with a bunt down the third base line.” That bunt single in the third, placed perfectly by Ryan McNamara, moved runner Garret Dykstra over to third base who would score on the next play. McNamara would also find home plate in the inning. The other two bunts were laid down in the first inning in consecutive plate appearances. The first, from Charlie Vasquez, drew an errant throw from pitcher Nick Ellis, moving runner Troy Estrada into scoring position. The second, from Dykstra, moved Estrada to third. A groundout from McNamara allowed the runner to score from third. That single run in the first put West Covina ahead of Midland (TX). The Dukes never fell behind in the contest. Instead, they put together two doubles, two triples and strings of hard singles to score nine more runs in the final three frames. One of the loudest hits of the night came off the bat of Mike Villagran, who was 2-for-2 with a single, triple and a sacrifice fly. He connected on the two-strike triple to lead off the second inning and start the Dukes’ scoring. Villagran showcased an ability to drive in the runner with his fourth-inning, opposite field sac fly, the final run of the game. “I knew we needed the run and I also knew I needed to go the other way so the runner could score,” Villagran said. “That ended up being a sac fly to right field.” Colin Olsen also delivered a great performance at the plate, picking up a pair of singles and driving in two runs. The Dukes’ starting pitcher, Olsen’s final line of six runs allowed over 2.1 innings doesn’t tell the full story. Before a monster third inning from the Bandits that would bring the game’s only tie since the start, Olsen had cruised through two innings, giving up just two hits and a walk while striking out three. “I was just trying to keep my cool,” Olsen said. “It’s just a normal game and we can get through it.” After Olsen was pulled in the third, Caleb Nguyen took the mound for West Covina. The first three Bandits reached, but the inning ended on a pickoff at third and a strikeout. Nguyen found his groove at the end of that third inning. Returning for the fourth, he struck out the first two he faced and induced a weak grounder back to himself for the final out. It was the only one-two-three inning of the game. “He was great,” Palacio said of Nguyen. “Once he came in for the last inning, he’d settled in and didn’t have to deal with the baserunners. He came in and threw a lot of strikes, and that’s what we needed.” The Dukes made quite a statement, given a weather-driven slow start to the year. Rain-soaked California has put what would normally be a team in its 12th or 13th game of the year at just six so far this season. Still, after winning a tournament last weekend, the Dukes are hungry to make a statement. Their offensive outburst was a good start. “It was huge coming into this weekend because we’ve never been to something this big,” Villagran said. “To show up with a pretty good win tonight is a good way to start it off.” By Tanner Puckett
The 13u Warhawks Baseball-Dodson squad brought some of the Colorado chill with them Friday to the desert as they cooled the bats of VCBA for a 2-0 win in their first game of pool play during the Triple Crown Arizona Spring Championships. The victory was powered by two strong showings from Warhawk pitchers Brock Lansville and Jack Perotti, who combined to limit VCBA (Thousand Oaks, CA) to two hits. “I thought our pitchers were outstanding,” head coach Brooks Dodson said. “Brock started us out very well. He established his fastball, had good location and total command. Jack came in and gave much of the same but from the left side, working his breaking ball and off-speed stuff.” Lansville and Perotti, throwing three and four innings respectively, were at their best with runners in scoring position. VCBA batters were 0-for-12 with nine strikeouts and three walks in those chances. “That’s a point of emphasis for us. You’re always one pitch away from getting yourself in a situation where you’re going to have to bear down,” Dodson said. The first situation came early, in the top of the first inning. VCBA’s Cade Falsken connected for a loud a leadoff triple, followed by a walk and stolen base by Michael Moran to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Lansville responded by striking out the next two batters and inducing a short popup to second base. A similar situation came in the final inning, when a hit batter, flyout to right field and single to center put Perotti in a tough spot on the mound. He worked back to strike out the final two batters of the game, the final pitch a full, sweeping breaking ball that induced an empty swing. Perotti said there’s no change in his approach when the pressure is on. “My dad always taught me, no matter what happens, just throw,” he said. Though Perotti had already thrown three innings before taking the mound again in the seventh, the coaching staff didn’t hesitate to give him the ball again. “He was in total control,” Dodson said. “His pitch count was low. When he got to his fourth inning, he was only at 41 pitches. He was in control and it was his game to win.” In addition to their poised performances on the mound, Lansville and Perotti drove in both of the Warhawks’ runs in the contest. Perotti delivered in the first with a deep triple to give the Warhawks the lead. Lansville added a late insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with a single. “I was just trying to do my job and at least move the runner into scoring position,” Perotti said. Both runs were scored by William Garduno, who finished the day with a triple, two walks and two stolen bases. His stolen bases were responsible for moving him into scoring position before the big hits from Perotti and Lansville. Speed on the basepaths is an asset Garduno tries to use to the fullest. “When I get on base, I try to set my team up to score,” he said. Though clutch hits and strong pitching took the spotlight in today’s game, a strong defensive effort from the Warhawks’ Macoy Terry saved what would have easily been a game-tying hit in the third. With runners on the corners, Terry quickly gloved a line shot to first, stepping on the bag for the unassisted double play and keeping the shutout intact. Perhaps most impressive is that the Warhawks delivered the strong all-around performance on little rest. Most of the team was delayed due to the inclement weather in Colorado. “Half of the team got in last night, the other half got in Wednesday,” Dodson said. “Due to that we were a little lethargic at the plate – we had some tired kids.” This was also just the second weekend of the year that the team was able to compete outside, which can always have an impact with preparation. “We’ve been stuck in cages. To get out here and compete like they did, you can tell they’re hungry,” Dodson said. Despite the fatigue and lack of outdoor playing time, the Warhawks didn’t seem fazed when all was said and done. Dodson is right – the hunger shows. “It feels awesome to start with a win,” Garduno said. “We’re going to roll with that and we’re going to go far.” For more than 15 years, Triple Crown Baseball has laid the groundwork and opened the doors for youth baseball programs to launch the season with a purpose, and with a sense of perspective.
The 2019 Arizona Spring Championships, held over two sessions (March 7-10 and 14-17) in greater Phoenix, flexes a lot of muscle on the tournament calendar by offering competitive brackets while giving teams and families a vacation-friendly setting when away from the fields. The tournament will feature 280 teams overall (up 30 from last year), from 12 states, the District of Columbia and Mexico; logically, the western half of the country is all in, but the event also welcomes teams from Wisconsin, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. “There’s a lot of history and momentum that makes this event a priority for teams as they figure out how to start their seasons,” said event director Matt Pilcher. “But Triple Crown is careful and respectful with the enthusiasm our teams bring, as we are constantly working with field complexes, umpire groups and hotels to make sure the fundamental pieces of each session are solid.” The event format includes the Cactus Bracket, which gives teams two extra games and adds enormous value to teams that are trying out players in new positions, or maybe exploring options for the pitching staff. The Arizona Spring Championships help take away some of mystery and unknowns within each roster. Session 2 will feature an appearance from noted YouTube personality Domingo Ayala; his show will start at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at Chaparral Park, 5401 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ. While Phoenix has no shortage of places to explore, the balance of the youth teams coming to town make a point to check out MLB Spring Training games – there are 15 MLB franchises that work out the winter kinks in the Cactus League, playing within a radius of 50 miles of each other. There’s always a good fit if you’re looking to catch a game. Follow the scores and brackets of the Arizona Spring Championships on Tourney Machine: Session 1 Session 2 One of the common refrains you hear from teams making their way to the Triple Crown Arizona Spring Championships is just how lucky everyone feels to be heading to the desert while winter’s chill is making summer seem like a million miles away.
During your trip in the greater Phoenix area, there will be opportunities to slip away from the tournament to enjoy the region’s unique flair and fun. Here are five activities to consider: MLB SPRING TRAINING – If you’re playing baseball, chances are you’re a fan of the big leagues as well. Coming to Arizona in March offers the opportunity to see the MLB in a fresh light – young prospects looking to make an impact, and veteran players working out the kinks in an up-close-and-personal setting, almost nothing like you’ll experience in the regular season. The Cactus League features 15 MLB teams in a tight radius in greater Phoenix. https://www.mlb.com/spring-training/cactus-league DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN – Thousands of plant species and a riotous variety of color and texture make the Garden a rewarding destination; it’s always amazing to consider the mix of plants, flowers, trees and cacti that are natural, native inhabitants of Arizona. https://www.dbg.org/ SCOTTSDALE – If the mood strikes for a little culture, head to this northern suburb. The restaurants, shopping and art galleries are defined by the finer touches in appearance and style, offering a full-on break from the ballpark experience. https://www.experiencescottsdale.com/activities/ GOLF – If you love to play, your time in and around Phoenix puts you on the doorstep of hundreds of courses, suitable for beginners through experts. Should you get enough time away from the ballpark, tee it up, especially because the weather is ideal – this diversion is a lot more of a challenge in summertime. https://www.visitphoenix.com/things-to-do/golf/ SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS – On the east side of the metro area sits the jagged, jaw-dropping beauty of the Superstition Mountains, home of numerous hiking trails that can be as challenging as you desire. Again, tackle these powerfully gorgeous vistas in springtime, when conditions make it a pleasurable journey. http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/superstition-mountains/ FORT COLLINS, Colo. – In one of the all-time upsets in sports history, beloved YouTube baseball mainstay Domingo Ayala has yet to be signed to a major league deal – their loss is your gain, as Triple Crown Sports has announced plans for eight stops on the 2019 TC Baseball Domingo Ayala Tour.
This will be the fourth year TC baseball and Domingo have joined forces. He has performed in a variety of settings, from indoor sports facilities, sports complexes, youth baseball fundraisers, corporate events and even in MLB locker rooms. Ayala’s unconventional journey to excellence provides a great deal of comedic material that sports fans have embraced over the years. His batting and pitching stats are awe-inspiring, as are the following numbers: YouTube: Over 175 videos, 33 million+ views and 160,000 subscribers Facebook: More than 265,000 followers Instagram: 218,000 followers Twitter: 82,500 followers Here’s the schedule for the 2019 Domingo Ayala TCS Tour: March 16 – Arizona Spring Championships, Phoenix May 26 – Bend, OR Elks Memorial Day Tournament June 13-14 – Omaha SlumpBuster, Session 1 June 20-21 – Omaha SlumpBuster, Session 3 July 5 – Big South Regional Championship, Nashville TN July 16 – U.S. Club Nationals, Atlanta July 22 – TCS World Series, Park City, UT July 30 – TCS World Series, Steamboat Springs, CO “Triple Crown Baseball has always pushed the margins when it comes to what a tournament experience can look like, and we are very pleased to partner with Domingo Ayala for yet another season,” said Sean Hardy, VP of Sports at TCS. “His skills as a player are only topped by his abilities as an entertainer, and his command of an audience creates that extra level of fun for all ages.” Look for details on upcoming appearances at www.domingobeisbol.com About Domingo Ayala At the age of 2, Domingo Ayala started playing baseball. It wasn't long after that when he became one of the best players in his hometown of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. In his pursuit to make it to the MLB, Ayala packed his bags and moved to the United States. Now, the self-proclaimed best baseball player in the world still claims to be 17 years old. Though many believe him to be slightly older, no one has seen a birth certificate to disprove his claim. As he travels the world teaching baseball, his ultimate goal is still to make it to the big leagues. About Triple Crown Sports Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing college and youth events for more than 35 years, with more than 90 events scheduled for 2019 in the arenas of youth baseball, fastpitch, basketball, lacrosse and volleyball. The TCS footprint includes both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. TCS youth fastpitch tournaments (including the 900-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. by Bradey King
After a close battle in pool play on Saturday, Big West Elite Baseball (San Clemente, CA) and Triple Play (Bakersfield, CA) faced off for a second time in the 10u Division 1 championship game at the Arizona Spring Championships. West won the pool play game, and more significantly, also nabbed the 6-5 victory in the 10u final. “We definitely had a lot more confidence knowing we had beat them the day before,” said head coach Pac Gutierrez. Triple Play put two runs on the board in the first inning, but West quickly matched that in the bottom half by drawing three walks and stringing together a few timely hits to take the lead 4-2 and force a pitching change. West kept the momentum rolling into the second inning as Noah Wineski smashed a line drive to the left-center fence for an RBI. In the top of the third inning, Triple Play took advantage of an infield error, a dropped third strike and a passed ball to plate one, making the score 5-3. West responded once again in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles and another RBI rip from Wineski. Just when the game seemed to be leaning in West’s favor, Triple Play put up a huge fifth inning to tie it up, 6-all. Not for long, though, as a one-out double followed up by an RBI single from Corwin Allard sealed the deal. If there was an MVP award to give out, it certainly would have gone to Allard. He threw five solid innings while striking out five batters. In addition, he had an outstanding offensive performance going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, one of those being the game-winner. “I feel very confident on the mound. Every single inning my teammates score, I’m like okay, there’s another run to back me up,” said Allard. West cruised through the last inning to hold off Triple Play and take home the hardware. Parker Bruggerman was all smiles as he ran in from left field to celebrate with his teammates after catching the fly ball for the third out. “It felt really good to get the last out of the game, and I feel pretty confident we’re gonna win a lot this season,” said Bruggerman. Coach Gutierrez agreed and applauded his team for their consistent energy the entire tournament. “Between every inning I tell them to play as a family, stay loud, have good energy and good things will happen,” added Gutierrez. Here are the other division winners for Session 2 of the Arizona Spring Championships: 9u -- SoCal Wolves (Mission Hills, CA) 11u D1 -- Twelve Black (Katy, TX) 11u D2 -- NorCal Prospects (Danville, CA) 12u -- Dugout Glory (Kilgore, TX) 13u D1 -- OC Tribe (Laguna Niguel, CA) 13u D2 -- Heat Baseball (San Jose, CA) 14u D1 -- South Bay Hustle (South Bay, CA) 14u D2 -- Desert Bandits (Phoenix, AZ) by Bradey King
The 14u Division 1 Nevada Road Dawgs out of Las Vegas, NV took down WW Sweets (Redmond, WA) in walk-off fashion on Saturday morning at the Arizona Spring Championships, winning their pool play game by a 5-4 margin. The Sweets got on the board first, scoring a run in the top of second. However, the Dawgs offense didn’t explode until the fourth inning. The middle of their lineup produced back-to-back singles, followed by a Sweets error that loaded the bases. An RBI single from Thomas Crafard scored one run, later followed by a wild pitch that allowed the Dawgs to tack on two more runs and make the score 3-1. The Sweets rallied in the top of the fifth to tie it up and put some pressure back on the Dawgs. The team responded by getting a base runner on, advancing him, stealing third and then scoring off of a clutch two-out RBI single from Jordan Bowman. Bowman took the mound the next inning to close out the game but struggled to find the strike zone. He walked three consecutive batters, allowing the Sweets to score and tie up the game once again. After a mound meeting with his coach, Bowman flipped a switch and struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning. “He told me to just relax and throw strikes,” said Bowman. In the Dawgs last chance to win the game, they strung together some timely hits. With two outs and the winning run on third base, the fate of the game was on Ryan Watkins’ shoulders. He got the job done, crushing a walk-off single into the 5-6 hole. “I told myself to hit the ball in the gap somewhere and hit it on the ground,” said Watkins. The Dawgs finished with eight hits and earned their first win of the tournament after facing a tough loss the game prior. Head coach Jewell Williams was pleased to see his team bounce back. “The first game the boys came off pretty flat. In this game we just made routine plays. Like I told them from Day 1, if you made routine plays and pitchers throw first-pitch strikes, we’re gonna win a lot of ball games,” said Williams. by Bradey King
For two teams at the Arizona Spring Championships, a determined effort didn’t necessarily mean one could determine a winner. In 11u D1 pool play action on Friday night, the Dallas Tigers based out of Forney, Texas and Easton Elite (La Habra, CA) squared off, two talented squads that were evenly matched and played to a final score reflecting that very fact. The back and forth battle resulted in a 3-3 tie. The Tigers jumped out on top immediately in the first inning with a one-out single from Mason Erwin, followed up with a stolen base and a pickoff error that sent him flying all the way home to score. After that, both teams remained scoreless until a leadoff bunt for a base hit finally got things rolling for Elite in the bottom of the third inning. A similar scenario played out as Elite stole second base, moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single to tie it up. The rest of the game was a pitching duel. The Tigers threw five different pitchers and catcher, Kade Bazzell, wasn’t fazed by the changes in speeds and accuracy from his pitchers each inning. He was a wall behind the plate and demonstrated a lot of consistency and leadership. “I just do my thing so my teammates can trust me, “ Kade said. Kade’s father and Tigers head coach Keith Bazzell’s game plan involved utilizing his team’s wheels. Despite being undersized, they found ways to create havoc by bunting and stealing bases in order to compete with Elite’s roster. “We always go after kids with speed and aggressiveness and guys that want to be out on the field. We’ll get the bats rolling, but we figured out how to manufacture runs tonight which was good,” added Bazzell. While the Tigers threw multiple pitchers, Easton Elite relied on Brandon Garcia to hold it down on the mound. He faced several Tigers scoring threats and responded with crucial strikeouts. Brandon was equally as dominating on offense. His clutch line-drive single to centerfield in the fifth inning became the run that came around to score and give Elite a 2-1 lead. Time and time again he overcame pressure situations. “Like my dad always says when he comes out to talk to me on the mound, I’ve just gotta keep the fire! Something might hold me down but I can break through,” said Garcia. Like any great baseball game, the final inning was a nail-biter. The Tigers capitalized on a couple of Elite errors of which were direct results of the smart coaching decision to double-steal third base. The catcher overthrew his third baseman and as the ball rolled down the left field line, the Tigers plated two runs to give them a 3-2 lead going into the bottom half of the inning. Elite applied some pressure of their own and it fittingly came down to a bases- loaded, two-out, 3-2-count situation. The pitch delivered by Tigers closer Landon Ammerman was just high and out of the strike zone to walk in the tying run. Although disappointed, he stayed focused and got a routine groundball out to end the game. “I was kinda nervous for the last inning, but I just took a deep breath before every pitch and that helps me,” said Ammerman, who contributed a single, double and scored a run to lift his team on offense. Both teams remained eager for Day 2 of the Arizona Spring Championships which begins Saturday morning at 8 a.m. |