The West End Babe Ruth League continues its legacy of baseball excellence with the outstanding play of this year’s 16 to 18-Year-Old All-Star Team.

This group of players has one of the best resumes in Babe Ruth history in the state of Pennsylvania.

Since 2013, the core group of players has won the following:

Two third-place World Series finishes 2015 and 2018

Two Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships

Six Pennsylvania State Championships in a row

Five District Championships

The team finished third this year at the Babe Ruth World Series in Jamestown, NY. The journey began at the Pennsylvania State Championships in Kennett Square, PA. West End finished the tournament with very little resistance from the field. They went 4-0 in the double-elimination tournament beating Kennett Square with ease in the State Championship game.

West End then moved on to the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Pine Forge, PA. They started out 3-0, beating the Maryland State Champ, then the New York State Champions and finally beating Kennett Square in the Winner’s Bracket final. West End then played Pine Forge for the Championship. Pine Forge needed to beat West End twice to advance. West End lost game one but won Game Two, 6-4 to advance to the World Series.

At the World Series, West End fought hard through pool play to secure the second seed entering the single elimination portion of the World Series. The results of pool play are as follows:

West End defeated Indiana 3-1 in Game 1 and then defeated NY 6-1 in Game 2.

Washington defeated West End 5-1 in Game Three. Alabama defeated West End 4-3 in Game 4.

West end finished pool play 2-2 and advanced to play Virginia in Game 1 of the single elimination portion of the World Series. West End came out on fire and won 11-1, and moved on to the semi-finals vs. Missouri. West End lost to Missouri 2-1 in a nail bitter thus ending one of the greatest runs in Pennsylvania Babe Ruth history.

“This year’s team once again showed the passion and love for not only the game of baseball but for each other,” Tory Shimp, Manager of the 16-18 Team Old West End All-Stars, told Webb Weekly. “The chemistry between the core members of the team and the new players this year was a huge key to the success this summer. These kids all know how to play the game at a high level. As the Manager of the team, the key to success is just keeping them focused and putting them in positions they can be successful in to help the team. In addition to the players, the support from parents and the West End family has always been and was a huge part of this team. In Kennett Square and Pine Forge West End had more fan support than the home teams. Absolutely incredible!!”

We had 16 players on the roster this year. Here is a brief description of each player:

Isaac Snyder – He has been my security blanket for the past six years. He is an absolute bulldog on the mound. He went undefeated once again for us this year. Isaac has always been a big game pitcher for us and proved it once again in the summer of 2018. He didn’t get much work at Williamsport High School this year for some reason. This was a huge benefit to the West End Team because he was fresh. He went 5-0 in three tournaments and was a leader on and off the field.

Ethen Stryker – Ethen has been a rock for this team, and teams of the past at 1st base. He isn’t only a big bat in this lineup. He has quietly become a top-notch defender along with being an RBI machine. Ethen has come up with big hits time and time again.

Tanner Esposito – Tanner has a great summer on the mound, at shortstop, and at the plate. He leads the team on the infield with his competitiveness and smooth fielding. Tanner plays with an edge that is infectious throughout the team.

Caleb Joy – Caleb has been a huge part of the great defense this team plays. He plays both middle infield positions. Caleb is smooth turning two and has made some great plays over the years! Caleb works very hard and demands perfection from himself. He acts as our second leadoff hitting 10th in the lineup.

Ryan Jolin – Ryan did most of the catching this year along with DH-ing when he wasn’t behind the plate. He continues to be a rock for us behind the plate. Ryan calls all the pitches and keeps the pitchers focused. He also swings a big bat in the middle of our line up. He hit two huge homers in the State Tournament leading us at the plate this year.

Brandon Loner – Brandon was a rock for this team at third base this summer. He made every routine play that came his way and made some of the most spectacular plays of the summer.

Brandon also was a big part of our offense this summer. He hit fourth, fifth and sixth all summer and drove in a ton of runs!

Cam Pardoe – Cam has been a great defender in LF for us and has come up with some huge hits as well. He had a big-time double in the World Series to break open the game against New York and went 2 for 2 against one of the best teams I’ve seen over the years. He does everything well and always strives to be the best.

Tyler McCann – This was Tyler’s second year with us. I have seen Tyler improve so much over the last few years. He has worked hard to get bigger, stronger and faster. He plays a smooth second base and was big for us again this year just like in 2017. Tyler came up with big defensive plays all summer, including turning a huge double play vs. New York in the World Series to end a bases-loaded threat in the seventh inning. Tyler has always been a great teammate and an unselfish player. I have been very lucky to have him on this team for the past two seasons.

Kyle Caringi – Kyle has done a little bit of everything for me on the mound for the last two years. He has developed into a clutch performer. It’s been an amazing two years with Kyle. I am so happy we got him to the World Series. Kyle’s passion really came out, and the team loved having him!

Logan Edmunds – Logan threw one the best games I have ever seen against Alabama this summer. Eddy took the mound and only gave up one earned run against them. We lost 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh but that wasn’t the story, Eddy had the boys from ‘Bama baffled. It was great to have Logan back on the team; he was on the team in 2015 when we went to Tennessee for the World Series. Eddy is a great pitcher and teammate.

Eric Holz – Eric was the utility player for this team. He played catcher, second base, third base, outfielder, first base and pitched for us. He was the ultimate teammate. He didn’t care about where he played or where he hit. He just wanted to help the team any way he could, and he did.

Chase McNulty – Chase had two of the biggest hits we had all summer. In the winners’ bracket final at regionals, Chase hit a solo homer that led us to a 3-2 win over Kennett Square. The second biggest hit wasn’t a blast like the home run, It was a bunt in Game One of the World Series vs. Indiana that put runners on second and third with one out. We got a hit driving two runs to take the lead 3-1. Chase was also on the 2015 team. It was great having him back for the last run!

Tripp Breen – This was Tripp’s first time playing with this team. He stepped right in and earned his stripes in the State Championship game. Tripp threw a complete game 4-0 shutout in his first game. He was fantastic. He also pitched two games in the World Series going 1-1. The game he took the loss in was against Missouri 2-1. He continued his great summer only giving up one earned run. Tripp was named to the All-Tournament team in New York.

Riley Hilner – Riley was another guy that did a little bit of everything for this team. He pitched, played some second base and outfielder. He also was the first guy off the bench to pinch run in big spots. Riley has great instincts on the bases and usually steals a base or scores on a ground ball. I’ll never forget when I called Riley after he injured his shoulder two days before we left for the World Series. I asked him if he will be ok and if he thought he would be able to play or just pinch run. He said coach I’ll do anything you want me to do; I just want to be a part of this special team. That sums up Riley, great kid, great teammate and an unselfish player!

Quentin Brown – Q continued his hot hitting from the High School season right into the summer. He has become one of the best pure hitters I can remember seeing in this area. Quentin hit leadoff for us and had one of the best days I have ever seen in the Regional finals vs. Pine Forge. He went 6 for 6 with two homers and two doubles in two games that day. They didn’t pitch to him again the rest of the game. Quentin continued his stellar play at the World Series earning an All-Tournament selection.

Cody Shimp – Cody continued his great play in right field this summer taking hits away from the other teams and throwing out runners from taking extra bases. He also had a few big hits along the way. In the first game of the World Series, he drove in the game-winning runs with a two-out single and closed it out on the mound. I admire the competitiveness of Cody.

Once again, I want to thank all the coaches, Dave Cipriani, Jamie Joy, Sam Esposito and George Lepley for everything you did this summer. None of this would be possible without your commitment to West End. Also, a big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. West End, Bonnie and Jim Winder, none of this would be possible without the dedication from them.