Pool play is completed and the brackets are set at the 9u and 11u Super 25 National Championship in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 9u tournament started with 10 teams, and now it is left with four. The playoff bracket is set up in a double elimination format. The remaining teams will play at least two and maybe three games Saturday to reach the championship game.
Pool A was highly-competitive, and it saw two teams advance into Saturday’s playoffs who played each other on the first day of the tournament. The SC Bulldogs and the Midland Aces finished first and second respectively.
Both teams finished with a 3-1 record, but the Bulldogs won the pool because of their 11-5 victory over Midland. The Bulldogs have had an explosive offense all tournament racking up 37. Zachary Hyde has led the offense going 9-14 (.643 AVG) with four RBI and six runs scored. On the mound, Connor Martin put in a good performance in their first game throwing four innings and allowing only an earned run and a hit, while striking out two.
The Midland Aces also finished with a 3-1 record in Pool A. They surrendered only 17 runs in four games, which was less than the Bulldogs, but their loss to them gave them the second seed. They benefitted from a strong outing from Robert Shores in their third game. He went four innings allowing only one earned run and five hits, while striking out two.
The Banditos Black finished atop Pool B with a 3-1 record. Their only blemish was a 12-10 loss to the Raider Baseball Club. The Banditos were led by Caleb Castle who went 6-9 (.667 AVG) in the four games. They also had a strong pitching performance by Tyler Garritano in their third game. He pitched a four-inning no-hitter with three strikeouts and no walks in a 12-0 victory.
The Midland Blackhawks received the second seed out of Pool B. Their only defeat came at the hands of the Banditos Black. They scored an impressive 50 runs in four games. Nolan Krekeler led the team going 7-10 (.700 AVG). Also, Eli Jones put in a good performance in pool play batting 6-8 (.750 AVG).
The SC Bulldogs will face the Midland Blackhawks and the Banditos Black will face the Midland Aces in the first round of the playoffs.
The 11u tournament started with 14 teams and they are now down to six teams. They also will play a double elimination bracket to decide who takes home the title.
The East Cobb Astros 11u picked up the top seed in Pool A, while the Indiana Baseball Club picked up the top seed in Pool B. Both teams will have a bye into round two of the playoffs.
The Arkansas Express picked up the second seed in Pool A. They had a respectable 3-1 record and allowed only 11 runs. Their only loss was to Molina Baseball.
Molina Baseball received the number three seed in Pool A. They finished with a 2-2 record.
The Atlanta Angels picked up the number two seed in Pool B. They ended pool play with a 2-1-1 record. Their only loss was to the Indiana Baseball Club.
The Dulin Dodgers received the number three seed in Pool B. They ended pool play with a 2-2 record.
The East Cobb Astros 11u scored an impressive 57 runs and allowed only four total runs in four games. They hit 13 home runs in those games as well. James Tibbs led the offense going 8-12 (.667 AVG) with five home runs. Cullen Lee added three home runs for himself. Bradley Frye and Brady McDevitt combined for a no-hitter in the team’s second game.
The Indiana Baseball Club scored 33 runs in their four games, while only allowing 13. Their offense also showed some pop. Ethan Wood hit a grand slam and a home run in pool play and finished 6-9 (.667 AVG) at the plate. Garrett Harker was a perfect 7-7 through the first three games and finished pool play an impressive 9-11 (.818 AVG). In their second game, Grant Comstock and Ethan Wood combined for a four-inning shutout where they allowed only two hits. Comstock struck out six.
Molina Baseball will face the Atlanta Angels, while the Dulin Dodgers will face the Arkansas Express in round one of the playoffs. The East Cobb Astros 11u will face the winner of Molina vs. Atlanta, and the Indiana Baseball Club will face the winner of Dulin vs. Arkansas in round two.