MARIETTA,
Ga. – Even with players missing, the D-Bat Mustangs Oklahoma 15u
were able to attain an easy five-inning victory over US Athletic
Select 15u.
D-Bat
Mustangs Oklahoma 15u won 10-0 on Friday in their first game at the
11th annual WWBA 15u National Championship.
Right-handed
pitcher Daniel DeSimone pitched the first three innings only giving
up two hits and two walks. Right-hander Matt Gaskins finished the
last two innings with 4 strikeouts and only giving up one hit.
“We’re
missing a couple guys. We are missing one of our big time outfield
prospects. He’s at a top 100-football combine in Dallas, I believe,
so he wasn’t able to make it. He’s a Division-I prospect right
now at 15,” explained Head Coach Ryan Mottern.
However,
this did not affect them at the plate. The D-Bat Mustangs Oklahoma
15u had a collective batting average of .375 this game with 12 hits
and nine RBI. Phillip Scott, Chris Abrams and Tanner Griffin all
ended the game with two RBI each.
“You
put metal in some of these kids hands and it’s really unfair,”
says Mottern, “but playing (with wood bats) is a good deal because
we get to keep things level and really play the game like it’s
supposed to be played.”
It
must be easy on offense having six kids in the line-up standing
six-foot or taller.
“They
are some big kids…..I joke around a lot, ‘they’re 15 going on
18’ because some of them look like they’re 18,” Mottern laughs,
“But that’s just the way kids are these days, you know, they’re
more physically mature, (and) they start doing strength training at
an earlier age.”
This
is the first time this particiular D-Bat Mustangs team has been to a
Perfect Game event; however, some of the older D-Bat teams have been
here before.
“We
play more locally and play two to three strategic events like this.
Just to kind-of get (the kids) acclimated and for them to understand
what it’s like to do this so as they get older, (there’s) more
events and they get used to it.”
Mottern
was glad to be able to bring the kids south for this tournament.
“It’s
really good for us to bring our team from Oklahoma down here to see
teams in the south and how they play at the competitive level because
we don’t really see that that much in Oklahoma just because there’s
a lot of school ball that happens and a lot of kids get tied up in
that.”
Although
the kids are still young, Mottern says they have “bright futures
ahead of them.”