2016 Connie Mack World Series Preview

CONNIE MACK
WORLD SERIES
JULY 29 TO AUG. 5, 2016
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2016 Connie Mack World Series
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2 Friday,
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Baseball fans,
Welcome to the 52nd anniversary of the Connie
Mack World Series in Farmington. The tournament
came to the city in 1965 after a small delegation of
Farmington businessmen traveled to the annual
meeting of the American Amateur Baseball Congress
in Chicago to bid on the series. The bid was successful, and, every year since then, the tournament has
returned to Ricketts Park.
Many events coincide with the series, including
the Connie Mack World Series Parade at 10 a.m. July
29 in downtown Farmington, the opening ceremony
immediately after the 5:15 p.m. game July 29 at Ricketts Park and the Home Run Derby and Coaches Challenge at 2 p.m. July 31 at Ricketts Park.
This years series features a 12-team bracket, including a new regional representative from the
Northwest and Canada.
Throughout the series, keep up to date on all the
action at daily-times.com and by following The Daily
Times on Facebook and Twitter. There, youll find live
updates from every game, as well as stories, photos,
videos and reaction from fans.
Whether youre visiting Farmington or youre
lucky enough to have Ricketts Park in your backyard,
we hope youll have a great time at this years world
series.
Ricketts Park in Farmington will host the 52nd annual Connie Mack World Series, which kicks off on July 29.
See you in the stands,

THE DAILY TIMES SPORTS STAFF
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2016 3
Colton Nighthawks will

make their series debut
JAKE NEWBY
JNEWBY@DAILY-TIMES.COM
The Colton Nighthawks out of Colton,

Calif., will compete in the Connie Mack
World Series for the first time in their
rich history.
By winning USA
Premier Baseballs
Firecracker Classic
in early July and
then
cruising
through the doubleelimination Connie
Mack National Regional in Arizona
with a record of 9-1, the Nighthawks
have put together a fine summer.
Eleven-time U.S. Amateur Baseball
Federation Champions, they boast an impressive list of alumni, including current
MLB players Freddie Freeman, Justin
Turner and Ian Kennedy.
The Connie Mack World Series has
eluded the Nighthawks until this year,
though theyve made it into Connie Mack
qualifier tournaments on and off since
1994, ending up in second place three
times.
I guess for us the fourth time was the
charm, said Ruben Montano, who has
coached the Nighthawks for 20 years.
Proficiency on the mound has helped
the Nighthawks collect a record of 38-4.
We got this far because of pitching,
Montano said. The key to this whole season was the pitching and the leadership
of our center fielder Patrick Keller.
Before the start of the summer, the
Nighthawks entire starting infield and
two-thirds of its outfield from a year ago
were snatched away by those players
A Closer Look
Coach: Ruben Montano
Hometown: Colton, Calif.
Region: National
ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME,

POSITION)
4 James Jordon, INF
6 Zach Grande, C/3B
11 Emanuelle Viramontes, INF/RHP
13 Nick Estrella, INF/P
14 Spencer Packard, OF/1B/P
15 Matthew Dyer, C/3B
17 Patrick Keller, OF
25 Matt Zimprich, C/DH
26 Jonathan Longtin, OF/RHP
28 Blair Henley, RHP
29 Connor Mang, INF/P
31 Bradley Glenn, LHP
32 Chris Moya, OF
35 Andrew Davis, RHP
42 Robby Campillo, C/1B
54 David Barela, LHP
58 Jason Wallace, 1B
61 Tyler Hansen, LHP
67 Chris Rocco, RHP
68 Emilio Guggliemelli, LHP
respective colleges, leaving the team

with only six returning players. But
one of those players, Keller, has
helped the team reach new heights.
Its the old saying, as he goes, we
go, Montano said of Keller. Hes the
one who gets the game-winning hits,
and he actually threw a guy out at the
plate to advance us. Hes just been the
heart and soul of our team.
Connecticut Bombers
will return to Farmington
A Closer Look
JAKE NEWBY
Coach: Greg Simler
Its been eight years since the Connecticut Bombers out of Hamden,
Conn., have played in the Connie Mack
World Series, but
the North Atlantic
qualifiers are back
in the mix this year.
The
Bombers
first tried to enter
the series through
the American Connie Mack Regional.
They made it to the
final without a loss before the Dallas Tigers beat them in a pair of close games,
6-5 and 2-0.
We started to really swing the bats
well in that American qualifier, Bombers coach Greg Simler said. Even
though we came out of that without a
bid, we felt confident we still had a
chance to get in.
By breezing through another Connie
Mack Regional without a loss, the
Bombers again found themselves unbeaten on July 24 as they headed into a
final against the South Troy Dodgers,
who needed to win twice to secure the
North Atlantic spot.
South Troy won the first game, and,
in the second inning, the Dodgers were
ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh
inning when the Bombers rallied to win
5-4, clinching their first Connie Mack
World Series berth since 2008.
This years team doesnt boast quite
as much elite talent as the 2008 squad,
but Simler, who was an assistant coach
for that team, said this group of Bomb-
Hometown: Hamden, Conn.

Region: North Atlantic

POSITION)
2 Rudy Sarro, SS/OF
3 Tyler Pyne, RHP/INF
4 JR Lopez, LHP/OF
6 Josh Rakowsky, 1B/3B/RHP
7 Nick Catandella, LHP/OF
8 Steve Carrano, C
12 Zach Ardito, RHP/INF
13 Matt Soloman, SS/3B
16 James Judenis, RHP
18 Tim Zupkus, RHP/OF
19 Mike Caruso, C
19 Jack Depaolo, RHP/1B/3B
22 John Thrasher, C/RHP
23 Tim Doty, LHP
26 Dylon Reynolds, LHP/OF
32 Matt Chamberlain, OF
42 Gio Torres, SS/2B
ers plays the game the right way.

These kids are mature for their
age, he said. They play really hard,
really tough and really smart.
Durable catcher Michael Caruso has
handled almost all of the work behind
the plate this summer for the Bombers,
and hell be a key bat in the lineup,
while the versatile Dylon Reynolds will
be a top starting pitcher, as well as the
teams No. 3 hitter.
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2016
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The All-New
2016 Pilot
The Connie
Mack World
Series
returns to
Farmington
on July 29.
STEVE
Drive Home a Winner.
LEWIS/THE
DAILY TIMES
D-BAT Elite 17U hopes

to build on its success
KARL SCHNEIDER
KSCHNEIDER@DAILY-TIMES.COM
With one world series already in the

books, theres a little less pressure on
D-BAT Elite 17U as the Dallas-based
squad enters the
Connie Mack World
Series.
In late July, the
team won the 17U
Don
Mattingly
World Series in Surprise, Ariz., earning
a bid into the CMWS.
It was pretty grueling. We played
six games in five days, and with it being
110 to112 degrees, our kids were really
resilient, said coach Ryan Robertson
of the Don Mattingly tournament. We
played a 15-inning game that went four
and a half hours, and ended up winning
it in the 15th inning. Our kids were really resilient and mentally tough.
The D-BAT team earned the Don
Mattingly World Series title with a 7-6
victory over another D-BAT team. That
team, D-BAT Elite-Schkade, pushed
that 15-inning marathon game in the
tournaments quarterfinals, which also
ended with a score of 7-6.
After the draining world series run,
Robertson gave his team a few days off
to celebrate the title and recover. But
he said he had his players back on the
diamond for the final few days before
making the trip to Farmington.
Fortunately for D-BAT Elite 17U,
the team has stayed relatively healthy
this summer and enters the Connie
Mack tourney near full-strength.
Like everyone else, were dealing
with some end-of-the-season scrapes
and bruises, but overall were pretty
A Closer Look
Coach: Ryan Robertson
Hometown: Dallas
Region: Don Mattingly World Series

POSITION)
0 Jake Pfeiffer, P
1 Noah Sifrit, OF
2 Colton Snelling, INF
3 Jimmy Glowenke, INF
5 Jack Schuler, INF
6 Doger Gilliland, C
11 Braxton Fulford, C
13 Gray Rodgers, P/UTL
14 Luke Scaggs, P
16 Michael Leaumont, P
17 Josh Thurman, P/INF
18 Heston Kjerstad, INF/OF
19 Morgan McCloud, P
21 Chandler Kramer, P
23 Jackson Kennemore, OF
24 Garrett Wright, INF
31 Braden Merritt, OF
42 Cole Maxwell, P/INF
44 Tyler Navarro, P
healthy, Robertson said.

Leading the team will be a trio of
players who have already committed to
NCAA Division I programs. Noah Sifirt, a left-handed pitcher and centerfielder, pledged his services to Oklahoma State University, and Heston Kjerstad, a shortstop who also plays in the
outfield, committed to the University
of Arkansas.
Right-handed pitcher and infielder
Jimmy Glowenke will stay close to
home with a commitment to Dallas
Baptist University.
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D-BAT Elite 18U will try to recapture title

JAKE NEWBY
D-BAT Elite 18U will take aim at the

Connie Mack World Series title that the
teams program last captured two
years ago.
By blanking Texas Stix Red 8-0 on
July 24 in the Connie Mack South
Plains Regional Final, the team out of
Dallas,
Texas,
stamped its ticket to the CMWS.
Coached by Ryan Bonesio, D-BAT
Elite 18U wont return any players from
last years team, which was coached by
Ryan Nelson. But the team will still
come to Farmington with a well-balanced roster full of college commits.
Arkansas commit Jaxon Williams
and double-play partner Brian Klein
who is headed to Texas Tech will
comprise one of the more formidable
middle-infield tandems in the tournament. Andrew Davis, another Texas

Tech commit, and future Stanford hurler Jacob Palisch are two of the top arms
in what is expected to be a deep D-BAT
pitching staff.
Bonesio, who coached many of the
players heading to Farmington on DBATs 17U team last year, said his guys
arent going to be afraid of the spotlight.
This is a pretty tough team. There
are a lot of high school state champions
on this team who have seen a lot of big
moments, Bonesio said. I dont think
theyre going to be nervous.
To bring the program another Connie Mack World Series championship,
Bonesio said the team will have to perform well every day.
This thing boils down to throwing
strikes, limiting the defensive mistakes and getting timely hitting, he
said. We do those things, well be right
there in the thick of it.
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A Closer Look
Coach: Ryan Bonesio
Hometown: Dallas
Region: South Plains
ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME)

1 Anthony Bernardez
2 Sammy Blair
3 Skyler Cox
4 Shaston Johnson
5 Keone Givens
7 Easton Murrell
8 Brady Lindsly
9 Brock Figueroa
10 Nick Thornquist
11 Hunter Markwardt
12 Alex Pinedo
13 Johnny Panatex
17 Jacob Palisch
20 Brian Klein
23 Trent Allen
24 Blair Henley
27 Mack Mueller
30 Andrew Miller
33 Landon Gray
37 Chezzare Gonzalez
42 Jaxon Williams
56 Andrew Davis
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A young Dallas Tigers team plans to rely on its defense

KARL SCHNEIDER
The Dallas Tigers will enter the Connie Mack World Series as one of two 17and-under teams after winning the
American Qualifier by knocking off the
Connecticut Bombers who are also
heading to the series twice in the
tourneys finals on July 9.
There really werent any easy
games, Tigers coach Kyle Woods said
of the American Qualifier. After pool
play, we lost our first game and went
straight to the losers bracket, and we
won, I think, six games in a row to win.
The competition was great.
Woods said four of the Tigers wins
during the American Qualifier came by
one run.
All but two players for the Dallas Tigers will enter their senior year of high
school this fall.
After being one of the first teams to
qualify for the world series, the Tigers
havent taken much time off. Woods

said the team has continued to play in
tournaments and showcases during the
weekends to stay sharp.
Woods said the
Tigers defense will
be critical for any
success, and one of
the leaders for the
Tigers will be shortstop and Oklahoma
State
University
commit Ryan Vilade, who recently
played in the Under
Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago and won the
events home-run
derby with 18 homers.
Hes one of those guys that kind of
goes unnoticed because he doesnt
make errors, and everything hit to him
is an out. Hes kind of a shadow out
A Closer Look
Coach: Kyle Woods
Hometown: Dallas
Region: American
ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME, POSITION)

1 Canaan Smith, C
2 Ray Gaither, P/INF
3 William Adair, P/INF
9 Jaxx Groshans, C
12 Dylan Ditzenberger, P/INF
13 JJ Montenegro, P
14 Zachary DeLoach, P/OF
18 Daniel Martinez, P
there, Woods said of Vilade.

Leading the Tigers pitching rotation
will be Eli Davis, a lefty from Shawnee,
Okla.
Hes just a little guy. Hes 5-foot-6,
19 Ryan Vilade, INF

22 Jacob Martinez, OF
23 Mark Ready, INF
27 Spencer Hynes, P/INF
28 Collin Storms, P
33 Russell Smith, P
44 Eli Davis, P/OF
45 Jordan Groshan, INF
140 (pounds) soaking wet, but he throws

it 90 mph and has a good breaking ball,
Woods said.
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This year, 12
teams will
play in the
Connie
Mack World
Series.
STEVE
LEWIS/THE
DAILY TIMES
East Cobb Yankees

will strive for title
KARL SCHNEIDER
PLAY BALL!
The East Cobb Yankees are back in

the Connie Mack World Series, and
theyre looking for their third title in
four years.
The Yankees, out
of Marietta, Ga., won
last years world series crown with a 7-5
victory over Prairie
Gravel.
But East Cobb
coach James Beavers said this years
squad, which earned its way to the series
by winning the Southeast Regional, is
different than last years.
Its kind of a whole different group.
We lost a lot of guys from last year, Beavers said. I had some concerns because
we are really young this year. We have a
lot of 17 and 16 year olds. But in a lot of
ways, Im very pleased with how we
played this year to get back out (to Farmington). When the year started, I really
didnt know what it might bring, but
were excited to be there.
Beavers pointed out three players
from last years team whose leadership
will be welcomed assets this time
around. Returning to Farmington will be
outfielder Kyle Jacobsen, who Beavers
said is a top-10 prospect for the class of
2017. Also set to return to Ricketts Park
are Tucker Maxwell and Kyle McCann,
who provides the Yankees with power
hitting in the middle of the lineup.
On the mound, Beavers said one of the
teams strengths comes from having a
variety of styles, which keeps opposing
batters uncomfortable at the plate.
Weve thrown pretty well, and we
have a lot of different kinds of arms. Its
not a situation where guys are going to
throw low to mid 90s we dont have a
A Closer Look
Coach: James Beavers
Hometown: Marietta, Ga.
Region: Southeast

POSITION)
1 Billy Zinnershire, INF
2 Austin Whilhite, INF/P
3 Xzavion Curry, INF/P
5 Colin Hall, OF
7 Parker Orr, C
9 Jason Avers, C
10 Nick Wilhite, OF/P
11 Tucker Maxwell, OF
12 Nic Dye, P
14 Zack Graveno, P
15 Michael Guldberg, INF/OF
16 Kyle McCann, C
17 Griffin Jolliff, P/INF
18 Garrett Gooden, P/UTL
21 Andy Archer, P
22 Brian DeCarlo, P
24 Joseph Mannelly, P/INF
25 Cole McNamee, INF/P
31 Jordan Ward, P
32 Devin Warner, INF
34 Brady Scott, P
35 Brady Eeles, INF/P
41 Josh Lowe, INF/P
57 Kyle Jacobsen, OF
lot of like that but weve had a lot of

guys really step up and do a great job for
us, Beavers said.
At the top of the East Cobb rotation is
a duo of Georgia Tech signees, Garrett
Gooden and Xzavion Curry, and Zack
Graveno, who inked with Mercer University.
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10 Friday,
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Ricketts Park will again host the Connie Mack World Series, which will mark 52 years in Farmington. The tournaments runs July 29 to Aug. 5.
CONNIE MACK WORLD SERIES RECORDS

NO-HIT GAMES
Joe Hamende,
Springfield, Ill. Aug. 26, 1962 (7 innings)
Greg Lebeck,
Portland, Ore. Aug. 23, 1965 (7 innings)
Dave McCormick,
Tordena, Calif. Aug. 25, 1966(7 innings)
Most runs scored: 15 by Randy Akasaka,

Long Beach, Calif. 2002
Most strikeouts: 39 by Gary Ryerson,

Tordena, Calif., 1966
Most hits: 15 by Matt Berger, Cincinnati,

Ohio, 1993
Best ERA: 0.00 by Tony Leonardi, Joliet, Ill.,

1981 (19 13 innings)
Most RBIs: 20 by Jerry Schunk, Cincinnati,

Ohio, 1984
Jim George,
Long Beach, Calif. Aug. 21, 1967 (5 innings)
Most doubles: 5 by Mark Lewis, Cincinnati,

Ohio, 1987; 5 by Blake Davis, Long Beach,
Calif., 2002; 5 by Zackary Cox, Cincinnati,
Ohio, 2008
Wayne Garland,
Nashville, Tenn. Aug. 27, 1968 (7 innings)
Most triples: 3 by Jake Rogers D-BAT Leach,

2013
Jay Phillion,
Saginaw, Mich. Aug. 15, 1980 (5 innings)
Most home runs: 6 by Randy Akasaka, Long

Beach, Calif., 2005; 5 by Jerry Schunck,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 1984; 5 by Emmit Cohick, San
pedro, Calif., 1978; 5 by Troy Babbitt, Orange
County, Calif., 1989; 5 by Cameron Maybin,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 2004
Cole Green,
Dallas, Texas. Aug. 8, 2007 (5 innings)
Eddie Pidermann,
Miami, Fla. Aug. 11, 2009(5 innings)
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS FOR ONE

SERIES
Highest batting average: .765 by Wyatt
Toregas, Fairfax, Va. 2001
Most stolen bases: 8 by John Ferris,

Ypsilanti, Mich., 1985; 8 by Wil Parsons, San
Pedro, Calif., 1987
Most innings pitched: 28 by Steve Thornton,
Nashville, Tenn., 1972
SINGLE GAME INDIVIDUAL

RECORDS
Most home runs: 3 by Cameron Maybin,
Cincinnati, Ohio, 2004
Most stolen bases: 4 by Mike Vandenburg,
Yorba Linda, Calif., 1979
Most strikeouts: 24 by Gary Ryerson,
Tordena, Calif, 1966 (13 innings); 19 by Bruce
Raible, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1968 (9 innings)
Most hits: 5 by Bret Boone, San Pedro, Calif.,
1987; 5 by Aldo Pecorilli, Madison Heights,
Mich., 1988; 5 by Troy Babbitt, Orange County,
Calif., 1989; 5 by Matt Berger, Cincinnati, Ohio,
1993; 5 by Ben Grieve, Dallas, Texas, 1993; 5 by
Ben Evans, Memphis, Tenn., 1994; 5 by Steve
Scarborough, Dallas, Texas 1996; 5 by Steve
Sollmann, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2000; 5 by Shaun
Cooper, Phoenix, Ariz., 2008
TEAM RECORDS FOR ONE SERIES

Most wins by a host team: 3 by Farmington
Bandits, 1998
Most double plays: 11 by Dallas, Texas, 1996
Most errors: 32 by Chicago Heights, Ill., 1988
Best fielding average: 1.000 by Danville,
Calif., 2009
Lowest team ERA: 0.41 by Farmington, 1972
Most strikeouts: 70 by Tordena, Calif., 1966
Most hits allowed: 70 by Carolina, Puerto
Rico, 1992
Most runs allowed: 70 by Carolina, Puerto
Rico, 1992
Most home runs: 15 by Orange County,
Calif., 1997; 15 by Long Beach, Calif., 2002
Most stolen bases: 17 by Long Beach, Calif.,
1973
Most RBIS: 70 by Cincinnati, Ohio, 1992

2016

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TheJuly
Daily
EnFuego Elite is set for its

first world series appearance
KARL SCHNEIDER
Leland Neswood prepares the field for a Connie Mack City Tournament game on July 16 at
Ricketts Park.
PAST CONNIE MACK

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
2015: Marietta, Ga.
1995: Dallas, Texas
1975: Long Beach, Calif.
2014: Dallas, Texas
1994: Carolina, Puerto Rico
1974: Flint, Mich.
2013: Marietta, Ga.
1993: Cincinnati, Ohio
2012: Huntington Beach,

Calif.
1972: Compton, Calif.
1971: Dallas, Texas
1990: Dallas, Texas
1970: Dallas, Texas
1969: Bellflower-Compton,
Calif.

2008: Marietta, Ga.
2006: Phoenix, Ariz.
2005: Marietta, Ga.
2003: Marietta, Ga.
2001: Marietta, Ga.
2000: Encinitas, Calif.
1999: Marietta, Ga.
1988: Madison Heights, Mich.

1987: San Pedro, Calif.
1986: Norwalk, Calif.
1983: Dallas, Texas
1982: Joliet, Ill.
1981: Waltham, Mass.
1980: Saginaw, Mich.
1979: Chicago, Ill.
1978: Sachem, Long Island,

N.Y.
1977: South Lexington, Ky.
1996: Dallas, Texas
1976: Corpus Christi, Texas
EnFuego Elite will be part of the

Connie Mack World Series for the first
time in the programs history.
Weve been in
the West Region
for many, many
years and had to
compete against
the teams from
California and Arizona, and weve only had one team out
of this (Northwest) region make it to
Farmington (in 1999), said Dean Foster, the teams general manager. But
this year we have our own region with
the Northwest and all of Canada, so we
didnt have to go through the California
and Arizona guys to get there.
Six teams competed in the Northwest Regional in July. Foster said the
level of competition wasnt spectacular, but it still gave the EnFuego program challenges.
Elites roster consists of players
from around the Pacific Northwest,
stretching down the West Coast and
even to Hawaii.
Were bringing guys from the Seattle area and all over, Foster said. We
have guys from Hawaii, California, and
Boise, Idaho, and we have guys from
the South Sound area, which is south of
Seattle. We bring our guys in from a little bit of everywhere.
Two of the top arms in Elites pitching rotation will be Parker DePasquale,
from Bountiful, Utah, and Nick Flesher, a lefty from Boise. Canadian Corey
Jackson will also have a role with the
teams pitching staff and will get his
A Closer Look
Coach: Dean Foster
Hometown: Seattle
Region: Northwest/Canada
ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME)

1 Andreas Stark
2 Trevor Gregory
3 Cade Warren
4 Davis Zerr
6 Stephen Maples
7 Johnny Sage
8 Matthew Dietz
9 Patrick Goodwin
10 Corey Jackson
11 Sam Abbott
12 Parker DePasquale
13 Marco Caleron
18 Michael Kramer
21 Zach Inskeep
24 Dakota Hawkins
25 Sami Baig
27 Daniel Copeland
29 Rhyse Frey
30 Nick Flesher
33 Skyler Hunter
40 Kristian Hellberg
43 Connor Coerper
first chance to get acclimated to New

Mexico before joining New Mexico Junior
Colleges program.
Foster pointed out two players he expects to have an impact on Elites offense:
Zach Inskeep, a first baseman and catcher
out of Coos Bay, Ore., who is committed to
Washington State University, and outfielder Sami Baig, who has lethal speed on the
base paths and is heading to the University of New Mexicos baseball program.

1966: Tordena, Calif.
1965: Portland, Ore.
1964: Torrence-Gardena,
Calif.
1963: Kirkland, Wash.
1962: Fort Worth, Texas
1961: Culver City, Calif.
1960: Seattle, Wash.
1959: Oakland, Calif.
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TEAMS &
FAMILIES
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Midland Redskins return

for 26th straight year
MFP Arecibo is hungry to

bring title to Puerto Rico
KARL SCHNEIDER
It has been 22 years since Puerto Ricos representative team at the Connie
Mack World Series won the title. But,
this year, MFP Arecibo believes it has
what it takes to bring
a
championship
back to the Caribbean island.
We have a great
group of kids, and theyre hungry to
show the people what they can do, MFP
manager Jose Viera said. Puerto Rico is
going to be ready for this championship.
Were going to do our best to be in the last
game of the tournament and play for the
championship. Thats our goal, and thats
why we play every day. Were going to be
ready.
Viera recognized three members of
his pitching rotation Jose Cruz Molina,
Luis Quinones Morales and Bryan Santiago Garcia who he expects to present
a challenge for the competition during
the tournament.
Our strength is definitely going to be
our pitching and defense, but we also
have some good guys with speed and
power (offensively), Viera said.
The trip to Farmington is especially
important to Viera, who played in the
1987 Connie Mack World Series with the
Puerto Rican team. Viera said that experience helped him sign a contract with
the Chicago Cubs and play more than
five seasons with their minor league affiliates.
I cant forget Farmington. It gave me
the chance to play and show people what
A Closer Look
A Closer Look
JAKE NEWBY
Coach: Jose Viera
Coach: Dave Evans
The 13-time Connie Mack World Series

Champion Midland Redskins will make an
unprecedented 26th straight appearance
in the tournament.
And, as usual, they
will be a favorite to
claim the title.
Based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, the
Redskins blazed past
the competition in the Connie Mack East
Central Regional without a loss. At last
years CMWS, they were the last team to
suffer a defeat, going 5-0 until Prairie
Gravel beat them twice in the last two
days of the tourney.
Coach Dave Evans, a recent American
Amateur Baseball Congress Hall of Fame
inductee, said his team played well last
year, but the wear and tear of a long summer of baseball caught up with them in the
end.
We ran out of pitching with a couple
little injuries out there on the mound, Evans said. And you know how important
pitching is. But baseball is baseball. The
effort was there, but youre not going to
win every game, and we ran into a very hot
Prairie Gravel team.
Georgia Tech commit Luke Waddell is
the lone returning player from last years
team. The speedy leadoff hitter who
logged a .450 batting average during the
season will play shortstop and provide
leadership to a group of players who will
play for the first time at Ricketts Park.
Rock solid defensively and beginning
to catch fire with the bats, Evans said the
Redskins are rounding into form.
Hometown: Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Region: Puerto Rico

POSITION)
1 Francisco Cirilo, P
5 Emmanuell Garcia Ayala, UTL
8 Stephen Doel Soto Miranda, INF
9 Manuel Martinez Rivera, P
10 Bryan Santiago Garcia, P
11 Adrian Martinez Rivera, OF
12 Ryan Munoz Velez, P
13 Ricardo Cardona Barreto, OF
14 Cristian Molina Figueroa, P
15 Luis Quinones Morales, P
16 Jeanthony Medina Custodio, P
19 Jose Cruz Molina, P
20 Han De Jesus Rodriguez, C
21 David Ortiz Marrero, P
22 Pedro Oreto Cruz, OF
23 Abdiel Morales Quinones, C
24 Carlos Viera Morales, INF
25 Josuan No Torres Cruz, P
30 Carlos Rodriguez Lopez, C
31 Gabriel Arroyo Aromont, OF
42 Luis Viera Perez, INF
88 Gabriel Ramos Del Rio, P
I can do in baseball, and it gave me the

chance to play professional ball for
the Chicago Cubs. It was a dream
come true, Viera said. I told my kids
that it should be a dream come true
for them, too, because few guys have
the chance to be at the best world series in the world.
Hometown: Cincinnati
Region: East Central

POSITION)
2 Austin McNicholas, INF
3 JT Stone, INF
4 Angus Denton, RHP
5 Matt Burch, INF
7 Luke Waddell, INF/OF
9 Hunter Sexton, RHP
10 Chase Murray, OF
11 Cam Hill, OF
12 Casey Optiz, C
13 Cal Conley, INF
15 Xavier Moore, RHP
16 Jake Schrand, RHP
17 Rick Raisor, RHP
18 Zach Kohn, RHP
20 JJ Bleday, OF/LHP
22 Brock Mathis, C
23 Jalen Evans, RHP
25 Alex Segal, LHP
27 Isaiah Blaylock, RHP
34 Jake Ziegelmeyer, RHP
35 Keagan Gillies, RHP
40 Matthew Harrison, OF
We went to a tournament earlier in the

year out in Las Vegas (Nevada) and had
some problems. We didnt play very well,
Evans said. But since then weve only lost
one game and won about 25. These guys
have a lot of chemistry, they like each other, and theyre starting to play some pretty
good baseball.
Good Luck Connie Mack Players
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2016

Friday,
29,Times
2016 13
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TheJuly
Daily
R1
Southern California Renegades aim for another run

JAKE NEWBY
The Southern California Renegades

are back in the Connie Mack World Series after getting bounced in last years
semifinals by the eventual champions,
the East Cobb Yankees.
Coach Si Pettrow guided the Renegades to a world series victory in 2012
and to a second-place finish the year after that.
And a 5-0 run in the Connie Mack
West Regional tournament in late July in
Huntington Beach, Calif., means the
Renegades are clicking at the right time.
Four players who donned a Renegades uniform in last years series
Dillon Brown, Tyler Ankrom, Dylan Riddle and Jordan Martini are back this
year. But gone is CJ Broussard, the unquestioned ace starting pitcher of last
summers staff.
Pettrow said his defense will be better this year, and although the Rene-
A Closer Look
Coach: Si Pettrow
gades will be without Broussard, Pettrow thinks his pitching staff has more
depth.
We feel 3-through-12, 3-through-13,
were deeper than we were last year,
Pettrow said of his crop of pitchers.
Well just have to play defense this
year, and I think well make another
run.
Its all about making a few more plays
than the opposition, Pettrow said, and he
hopes his team can survive during
crunch time this year after being eliminated in an extra-inning thriller last
year.
Last years team was special, Pettrow said. Going 10 innings or 11innings
or whatever that was (against East
Cobb), and them popping us after we
Hometown: Huntington Beach, Calif.
Region: West
ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME, POSITION)

1 Chad Minato, 2B/SS
3 Justin Mazzone, C
4 Jordan Martini, 2B/RHP
5 Jake Lopez, 1B/RHP
6 Dylan Riddle, LHP/LF/RF
7 Brett Auerbach, C
11 Tommy Delgado, RHP
12 Jonny Cuevas, RHP
13 Bradley Spooner, RHP
15 Nathan Webb, 3B/RHP/C
18 Dillon Brown, 1B/3B/RHP
beat Prairie Gravel, it was a great run.

(East Cobb) did a good job of making the
last couple plays that they needed to
21 Riley Dent, CF
23 Tyler Ankrom, SS
24 Blake Sabol, 1B/C
25 Sheldon Borson, 2B/DH
28 Tanner Bibee, 1B/RHP
31 Jacob Jackson, RHP
32 Jacob Mesa, RHP
35 Zach Weller, SS/RHP
44 Jack Williford,1B/RHP
55 Collin Quinn, RHP
make. We hope we can put ourselves in

that kind of position again and make the
most of it.
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Friday, July 29, 2016
The Daily Times
The daily-times.com
Daily Times
Farmingtons Strike Zone will

host Connie Mack World Series
JAKE NEWBY
After losing on the second day of the

Connie Mack City Tournament, Strike
Zone put on its rally cap and won four
straight games in the double-elimination tourney to earn the hosting duties
for this years Connie Mack World Series.
Strike Zone rolled over the 4-Corners ClubSox 5-1 on July 16 to return to
the world series, which the team previously hosted in 2014.
Coach Adam Morrissey said he gave
his players two days to rest and soak in
the victory, but it was back to work after that.
We came right back the following
Tuesday, getting prepared for (the
West qualifier) on July 29, said Mor-
rissey, who will make his sixth appearance as the head coach of a New Mexico
host in the CMWS. So yeah, were onto
the next challenge.
Although the local host team has
never won the series in its lengthy
history, that hasnt
swayed Morrisseys
confidence.
With this team,
its like were stepping up to every
challenge thrown at
us this summer, he said. So even
though were the host team, were not
going to roll over. Were coming to win,
and were getting ready to do that.
Strike Zone has benefited from balance this summer. Recent Piedra Vista
High School graduate Logan Klunder
and Farmington High School graduate

Bryce Washburn have been versatile
and dependable hitters, while Sandia
High School grad Drew Gillespie and
Kirtland Central High School senior
Zach Van Duren have done their jobs as
front-of-the-rotation starting pitchers.
In the championship clincher, Gillespie
twirled a five-hit, complete-game victory.
Morrissey believes his team has
adopted a back-against-the wall mentality after staving off elimination for
most of the city tourney.
Theyve come together well
through adversity, Morrissey. Most
of these kids on my team, they were all
playing together when they were 8 to 10
years old. Theyve come full circle to
where they get to play in the world series together, which is pretty cool.
LIVE
WELL
Region: Host

POSITION)
1 David Saldivar, INF
2 Lawrence Mayberry, INF
4 Joe Standley, P
5 Kyle Duran, OF
6 Andrew Laymon, OF
7 Connor Mang, INF
8 Andrew Yazzie, INF
9 Gavin Martin, OF
10 Jake Taylor, INF
11 Zachary Van Duren, INF
13 Kelton McCoy, C
15 Logan Klunder, 1B
16 Mitchell Parker, P
17 Andrew Gillespie, P
19 Austin Ely, OF
20 William Farmer, 3B
24 Josh Matamoros, OF
34 Bryce Washburn, INF
TX-0001130605-01
7;
Hometown: Farmington
AT THE
Proud team sponsor in the Connie

Mack World Series.
We wish all teams a great
tournament!

Coach: Adam Morrissey
We knock customer
service outta
the ballpark
Quality Assisted Living
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A Closer Look
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Friday,
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2016 15
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TheJuly
Daily
Top Tier will make its

second trip to Ricketts
KARL SCHNEIDER
It took nine years, but Top Tier Baseball is back in the Connie Mack World
Series.
The Chicago-based program earned
its only other trip to Farmington in 2007,
during its first year as a club, and the
program is now
ready for another
chance at the title.
Our guys are
very excited to come
down, Top Tier
coach Steve Libman
said. We know how
big of an event this
is, and we know how
much the community is behind this and
contributes to the event being the biggest stage there is for 18 year olds. It creates a really special opportunity for
these kids, and its really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Top Tier earned its bid to this years
series by winning the North Central Regional Qualifier in late July. Libman said
many of his players were asked to go beyond their usual roles to capture that title.
I think we went through the tournament with 10 or 11 players, so our guys
were asked to do a lot of things that they
usually dont do, Libman said. We had
guys on the mound or playing positions
that they havent played before, and the
result was a great team effort. I think
they believe in themselves and believe
in their teammates.
Libman said part of the reason the
A Closer Look
Coach: Steve Libman
Hometown: Chicago
Region: North Central
ROSTER (NAME, POSITION)

Jack Coney, INF
Griffen Kelty, P
Jordan Libman, OF
Robby McGaha, INF/OF
Michael Sevvy, P/OF
Drew Mullarky, INF
Maclain Neal, INF
Kolton Rominski, P/INF
Bobby Seymour, INF/OF
Patrick Loeffler, INF
Michael Kruse, P/OF
Kelvin Sarver, C/P
Zach Redis, P
Jack Bellinger, P
roster was so thin for the regional event

was because some players made previous commitments to their college programs.
We have guys going to (Texas Christian University), Ole Miss and Illinois
State who have been down there for the
summer, and its made some conflicts,
Libman said.
Leading the attack for Top Tiers offense will be Wake Forrest signee Bobby
Seymour, along with Jordan Libman and
Robby McGaha.
At the top of the teams pitching rotation will be Michael Sevvy and Kolton
Rominski.

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CONNIE MACK

STEVE LEWIS/THE DAILY TIMES

PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THE

CONNIE MACK WORLD SERIES.

See you in the stands,

Colton Nighthawks will

The Colton Nighthawks out of Colton,

ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME,

respective colleges, leaving the team

Coach: Greg Simler

Hometown: Hamden, Conn.

ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME,

ers plays the game the right way.

5451 E. Pinon Hills Blvd.

A&EConnie Mack World Series

Drive Home a Winner.

D-BAT Elite 17U hopes

With one world series already in the

ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME,

healthy, Robertson said.

Proud Sponsor of the

D-BAT Elite 18U will try to recapture title

D-BAT Elite 18U will take aim at the

middle-infield tandems in the tournament. Andrew Davis, another Texas

Over 20 bachelor and graduate degree

DISCOVER HOW YOU CAN

Region: South Plains

ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME)

The Daily Times daily-times.com

A young Dallas Tigers team plans to rely on its defense

havent taken much time off. Woods

ROSTER (NUMBER, NAME, POSITION)

there, Woods said of Vilade.

19 Ryan Vilade, INF

140 (pounds) soaking wet, but he throws