Starting pitcher Kaden Heitkamp for the Cardinals pitched 3 innings. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)
A delightful Friday at the Minster Classic brought a big dose of fun, and a small glimpse into the future of MAC Baseball.
Minster, Oh – Predicting the future of high school sports based on Little League results is about as reliable as a fortune cookie. But it takes no seer with a crystal ball to see how much fun Little League baseball is in the MAC.
Alan Brads is a contributing columnist and writes sports at large for Press Pros Magazine.
New Bremen and Parkway might’ve played the game of the tournament on Friday night, in a 6-5 New Bremen W that was far more thrilling than I imagined 10U baseball could be. It was by far a better viewing experience than the MLB All-Star Week in its current state.
Parkway trotted out 8-year-old Crossley Triplett to the mound in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and no outs. Triplett overcame the odds and the age difference and struck out the next three batters to keep the Panthers afloat trailing 6-4.
They didn’t score any in the top of the fifth and found themselves in a huge jam. Triplett returned to the mound with four minutes and 12 seconds until the clock hit zeroes, and they would not start another inning after it expired. He had to find three outs in four minutes. He forwent his warmup to save time.
Cardinal Bryce Monfort came on in relief for pitcher Kaden Heitkamp.
He pitched three more consecutive Ks with 11 pitches in just under three minutes.
“I was feeling pretty nervous,” Triplett said. “But I just aimed my throw and took a deep breath.”
Although the Panthers only brought one run across in the final inning, he won’t soon forget the day when he struck out all six batters he faced, and came two balls short of an immaculate inning with no warmup as an 8-year-old.
“It felt good to hear my teammates cheer me on,” Triplett said.
He’ll be reliving that one with his friends for a long time … which wouldn’t be possible if they were just some select team composed of kids who didn’t know or care for each other.
Triplett’s performance stood out, but New Bremen’s youngsters impressed as well by keeping composure after a wild momentum shift to pull out the victory. Leading just 6-5 with a runner on second, the right-center field snatched a crack that would’ve driven in the tying run and sealed the victory.
“When we got the last out, I was filled with joy honestly,” said a bashful but bright Kaden Heitkamp, who pitched three innings for the Cardinals.
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New Bremen has put on a show at all age divisions in both softball and baseball so far in the tournament. I have little doubt they’ll play for a championship or two on Sunday.
And while we may be thinking about what those results could mean for the future at New Bremen High School, the kids have more wholesome things on their minds.
Owen Niekamp of Ft Recovery connects with the ball.
“My favorite part of the tournament is spending time with my friends,” Heitkamp said. “They’re my best friends.”
Not to keep chipping at a cave that’s already hollowed out, but you don’t find that kind of camaraderie on your average travel baseball team.
Speaking of camaraderie, Fort Recovery’s 8U gang of best friends is defending its title from last year. The Indians beat Minster 12-2 on Friday, and did so in style.
They’ve got a few golden gloves in the infield. Minster found solid contact consistently, but Fort Recovery put on the third-grade equivalent of a clinic. Throws to first were seldom errant, and often in time. They even snagged a few liners that would’ve had a chance to find grass even in a 10U game.
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Recovery’s Hayes Dilworth made plays at second base, and had plenty to say afterward.
“We hit the ball good today,” Dilworth said. “We almost hit one over the fence.”
He did some hitting of his own, scoring two runs for the Indians in addition to his solid defensive play.
“My favorite part of baseball is probably hitting dingers,” Dilworth said.
When asked about his favorite part of the tournament, he made another great choice:
“You get wings when you win the championship game,” Dilworth said.
Hard to argue with that.
So why should you take the time to check out the Minster Classic? You’ll see best friends, “dingers,” and some genuinely fun baseball. That’s not a Summer day wasted.
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