Local baseball teams win district championships

HERITAGE HARBOUR — Twelve-year-old pitcher Ian McLean burst off the pitcher’s mound and ran straight into the arms of the first baseman.

It’s not the typical reaction one usually sees from the closing pitcher after the final out has been made, but Ian couldn’t help but let his excitement get the best of him after helping his team rally back from a nine-run deficit to capture the District 15 Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament June 30.

“I was really excited that we came back and were able to win the game,” Ian said. “I was so excited that instead of running to the catcher, as pitchers are supposed to do after you close the game, I ran to the first baseman.”

The Manatee Cal Ripken 11U All-Star team was one of five Manatee and Sarasota Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth All-Star teams to capture the District 15 tournament championship, but it did so in the most dramatic fashion.

Trailing 10-1, the Manatee 11U All-Stars rallied back to tie the game at 11-11 in the fifth inning off Hunter Bogumils’ two-run double. Hunter came around to score the go-ahead run on Colin Goda’s sacrifice fly, as the Manatee 11U All-Stars defeated previously unbeaten Naples 12-11.

“I think we were so successful because even though we were trailing 10-1, we were still believing in each other and working as a team,” Ian said.

Jared Dole led the way offensively with 10 hits and two home runs. Rob Arakel followed with nine hits, and Tyler Reed added eight hits. Ian and Hunter both had impressive outings on the mound.

“The team was successful because they played the best as a team — meaning they played together,” Manatee 11U coach Scott Kolbe said. “Everyone was doing his part and counting on each other. They had to believe their teammate would support them and do their job. It was a total team effort.”

“Even the kids who did not play had a huge role in our success,” Kolbe said. “They kept our morale high and our spirits up when we would get behind.”

With the win, the team advanced to the Cal Ripken state tournament in Ocala July 5 to July 8, in which they finished as the state runner-up behind Oviedo.

MANATEE CAL RIPKEN 8U All-Stars
Eight-year-old first baseman Huston Wynne threw up his hat and started slapping high-fives, as he and the rest of his Manatee Cal Ripken 8U teammates celebrated their berth in the Cal Ripken Baseball Southeast Regional Tournament, which begins Thursday, July 12, in Andalusia, Ala.

The team earned a spot in the Southeast Regional Tournament after capturing the District 15 Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament Championship last month. The Manatee 8U All-Stars were one of 20 teams competing in the double elimination Cal Ripken State Championship in Palm Beach Gardens with the top-four teams advancing to the Southeast Regional Tournament.

Manatee lost its second game before battling back, winning its next four games and capturing the 2012 Rookie State Tournament “A” White Bracket.

“I felt very blessed to be with this group,” Manatee 8U coach John Goda said.

Manatee now will move on to face some of the top teams from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama and the Bahamas.

SARASOTA CAL RIPKEN 8U ALL-STARS
The Sarasota Cal Ripken 8U All-Star team made history when it became the first Sarasota Cal Ripken baseball team to win a state championship for its age group.

The team first competed in the Rookie Qualifier, in Ocala, where it went undefeated, outscoring its opponents 45-1. As the district tournament champions, the Sarasota 8U All-Stars earned a spot in the state tournament in Palm Beach Gardens. The team defeated Palm Beach Gardens and Oviedo to win the 2012 Rookie State Tournament “A” Red Bracket and advance to the championship game, in which it defeated Okeeheelee 8-0.

Through eight games, the Sarasota 8U All-Stars have posted four shutouts. The team will now travel to Andalusia, Ala., to compete in the Southeast Regional Tournament, which begins July 12.

MANATEE CAL RIPKEN 9U ALL-STARS
Nine-year-old catcher Trent Hedgepeth and the rest of his Mantee Cal Ripken 9U All-Star teammates know that at any given moment they may be asked to shuffle positions on the field.

That versatility and willingness to do whatever it takes helped the Manatee 9U All-Stars capture the District 15 Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament Championship.

“I was really, really excited that our team had come so far to win this tournament,” Trent said. “We came a long way and worked hard to reach our goal to be the best team we could be.”

The team defeated Sarasota 6-1 and 12-7 in the best of three series to advance to the state tournament.

“The kids have worked really hard on their preparation for this tournament,” Manatee 9U coach Brian Hedgepeth said. “Our pitchers, in particular, went beyond their comfort zone. Both of our starters threw a complete game — their first complete game. I’m not sure they knew they could go that far, but the team had faith in them and they got the job done.

As the District 15 champions, the Manatee 9U All-Stars competed in the state tournament July 5 to July 8 in Palm Beach Gardens. The team fell to Fishhawk and defeated South Daytona before eventually falling to Longwood in the double-elimination tournament.

MANATEE BABE RUTH 15U All-STARS
After a week of inclement weather delays, the Manatee Babe Ruth 15U All-Stars remained undefeated, capturing the District 15 championship two weeks ago.

The team defeated Englewood 15-4 to open the tournament. Luke Darnell earned the win for Manatee, allowing one run on two hits through four innings of work. Davis Roddenberry went 4-for-4 with three doubles; Darnell went 3-for-3 with four RBIs; and Zack Duncan went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

The team followed up its win with a 5-4 victory over Sarasota in 10 innings. Jeremy Luna notched a double, and David Hinkel hit a two-out single in the bottom of the 10th inning to propel the Manatee 15U All-Stars to victory in a game that had been suspended for a week as a result of Tropical Storm Debby.
Manatee closed out the tournament with a 13-2 victory over Englewood to capture its second consecutive district championship.

Tyler Henning earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs on three hits. Duncan hit a two-run home run in the second inning, and Kyle Buser followed up with a home run of his own. Brandon Lam went 3-for-3 as the team notched 13 hits in the game.

With the win, the team will travel to Ocala for the Babe Ruth 15U state championship July 12 to July 15.
“We have a very close-knit group of kids and great parents,” Manatee 15U coach Robb Darnell said. “We have exceptional player leadership, and this team is a lot of fun to manage.”