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3rd Place Finish at PG WWBA 17U Nationals

Prospects 3rd Place Big Big.jpg

The Baseball U Prospects finished an amazing run at the WWBA 17U National Championships with a 3rd place finish. During the event the team outscored their opponents 64 to 28 including ending 4 games early due to the mercy rule.

The team composed of the best players from 9 northeast states helped the organization with their highest finish ever in the event. This makes back to back years that the team had the highest finish for a northeast team in the event.

Bracket Play

The team won the bracket pool but it took the final game in pool play to determine the winner. Baseball U can no longer sneak up on an opponent and it seems as if every team was prepared in pool play for Baseball U as the team faced pitchers 87-92mph in every game. It did not stop the team in game one as they mercy ruled the Indiana Prospects with Luke Stephenson on the mound. Stephenson has hit 94mph in the past and was recruited by the nation’s top colleges. Baseball U won the game shortened game by a score of 10-2. Baseball U 10  Indiana Prospects 2 Box Score

In game two the U faced the Best 9 White Sox. The team was composed of players from three southern states and it took a Vinny Siena home run in the 6th inning to put away Best 9 by a score of 5-4. Baseball U 5 Best 9 Sox 4 Box Score

Game 3 was held at the main East Cobb Complex and had plenty of scouts on hand to see the match up against the Orlando Scorpions Underclass. The team jumped out early by living up the middle and a strong relief appearance by Austin Solecitto and a home run by the countries best power hitting first baseman Chris Shaw was enough to put away the Scorpions 6-3. Baseball U 6 Orlando Scorpians 3 Box Score

Game 4 saw a strong pitching performance by Rob Costello (George Washington Commit) in a 4-3 win over the Louisiana All Stars. Again Chris Shaw supplied the power by hitting a mammoth home run estimated at over 450 feet. Baseball U 4 Louisiana All Stars 3 Box Score

Game 5 was set with the winner moving on to the playoffs and the loser heading home. Baseball U received a strong pitching performance from Matthew Dariano and Chris Shaw, Chris Harvey and Joe McCarthy supplied all the power needed with 3 home runs as the team mercy ruled their opponent the Maryland Monarch’s 9-1. With the win the team became the 12 seed in the tournament and received a bye until Thursday morning. Baseball U 9 Maryland Monarch's 1 Box Score

Playoff Round

With the 12 seed the team saw the Ohio Elite early on Thursday morning in round 2. Ohio jumped out on top with a first inning two run home run. It did not take long for the team to take the lead with a 3 run home run by Grant VanOrden in the first. The team would never look back and added 3 insurance runs later in the game by yet another Chris Shaw home run. Tommy Alexander pitched the complete game for Baseball U. Baseball U 8 Ohio Elite 5 Box Score

With the field of teams down to 16 Baseball U was to face the Chattanooga Cyclones who had just defeated Top Tier 1-0 in their playoff game. Baseball U rolled 2013 graduate John McCarren on the hill and he dominated his opponent as the team mercy ruled yet another opponent by the score of 9-1. Baseball U 9 Chattanooga Cyclone 1 Box Score

This set up the 3rd game of the day in the hot 90plus heat. The Texas Sun Devils who just defeated the All American Prospects 8-0 were ready early as they jumped out 2-0 in the first inning. Baseball U did not die as they knocked out a potential 1st round draft pick who hit 91mph in the game out with a 6 run outburst that was led by Vinny Siena two run home run.

Left handed pitcher Mike Niego had his good stuff working with his fastball ringing up to 88mph and a curve at 76mph. Connor White had a big three run home run for Baseball U and sent the Sun Devils home with another mercy rule 13-5 win. Baseball U 13 Texas Sun Devils 5 Box Score

Semi-Finals

The team now faced the East Cobb Braves 17U. Baseball U threw out LHP Jesse Adams from Ohio. Adams pitched a great game and only gave up 3 hits. One of those hits was a 2 run home run in the 5yh inning. Baseball U had the bases loaded in the 5th inning and was the victim of a very controversial call. With one out and bases loaded Vinny Siena hit a slow one hopper to second where the second baseman tried to turn the double play with a slow feed to the shortstop. Contact was made by Baseball U runner Connor Myers but it was made hard and legal. The umpire called both runners out and instead of having the score 4-1 with runners on first and third and power hitters Joe McCarthy and Chris Shaw coming up the inning was over.

The team lost the game 4-0 to the eventual tournament champions. East Cobb Braves 17U 4 Baseball U 0 Box Score

Every game the team played during the event had a great following by the college coaches and pro scouts.