Congratulations to my friends at West End. Our 16u All-Stars are heading to Branson, Missouri, for the Babe Ruth World Series on August 8th. They will compete against the galaxy’s best. The boys were impressive in the Middle Atlantic Regional. They went 4-0 and thumped Atlantic Shore from New Jersey 10-0 in the final. This collection of kids from Lycoming County are playing extremely well.
“This has been a special team since the start,” West End Skipper Marc Hess explained. I have known many of these kids since T-ball, and it means a lot. This same group has experienced success at every stage, from Little League to high school. And to see them all come together for one last run is pretty awesome to watch. I am super proud of these guys.”
West End’s bats are on fire. They are putting the ball in play. You combine that with outstanding pitching and stellar defense. You will win a lot of games. Briar Persing got the win in the Championship. He is the man. The Montgomery hard-throwing right-hander pitched six scoreless innings and only allowed two hits. West End did some damage early. They put up 14 hits with their ten runs. Cole Deitrick went 2 for 2 with a double, Parker Bennett went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple, Zane Rogers was 1 for 2 with a double, Camden March was 2 for 4, Lucas Naughton was 1 for 2 with a triple, and Giovanni White was 1 for 3 with a triple. There were plenty more.
“Our bats have been fantastic,” Hess continued. “We put a lot of pressure on our opponents. It doesn’t matter where we are in our lineup. We are hitting the ball hard. Even when our subs come in. They can be relied on as well. We have 14 kids that love to hit, and they put the ball in play. When you do that- good things will happen. It also calms our pitching staff. They know if they make a mistake. Our guys will have their backs when they come to the plate.”
Way to go, guys. Props to LJ Hill, Jaxson March, Wyatt Bair, Camden March, Trey Damschroder, Lucas Naughton, Briar Persing, Zane Rogers, Mason Hess, Giovanni White, Camron Spangler, Cole Deitrick, Parker Bennett and James Carpenter. Good luck.
The community has rallied behind our boys. Traveling to Branson, Missouri, and staying for ten days is a hefty charge. West End is doing all kinds of fundraisers to help with the costs: donations, raffles, Dunk Tanks, booze and guns, and even toothpaste. Say what? All of the proceeds go directly to the program. Please let me know if you are willing. I can put you in touch.
HELLO? Wyatt? Are you up? SORTA. Spencer here. Jensen’s dad. I need a quick quote. OKAY. Are you excited about your trip to Missouri? YES. Talk to me about your team. Obviously, you have been playing together for a long time. But man. You guys are playing well. YEAH. Help me out, man. Can you give me a few lines? I have a deadline in five minutes. DUDE. IT IS 6:30 IN THE MORNING. I WILL CALL YOU BACK. Hello. Wyatt?
Well done, boys, and we wish you the best. I am cool with every single member of this team, and I believe they have a chance. Safe travels, enjoy the trip, and keep doing your thing. We are so proud. Cheers.
Front row kneeling- LJ Hill, Jaxson March. 2nd row left to right- Coach Fred March, Wyatt Bair, Camden March, Trey Damschroder, Lucas Naughton, Briar Persing, Zane Rogers, Mason Hess, Manager Marc Hess. Back row-left to right- Coach Jeremy Deitrick, Giovanni White, Camron Spangler, Cole Deitrick, Parker Bennett, Jaymes Carpenter, Coach Bob Spangler.
