The Tigers went 5-0 to win the AABC Ken Griffey Jr. National Championship held in Owasso, Oklahoma. Battling through temperatures ranging from 109 to 116 degrees, the kids executed all week with fantastic pitching and defense and some timely clutch hitting to bring the Dallas Tigers Baseball Club it’s 18th National Championship and the Tigers 7th AABC Championship. All 16 kids contributed to this championship throughout the week with Tanner Gardner receiving the Outstanding Hitter Award and Brandon Maine was named Tournament MVP. Brandon started and finished games 1 and 5 to deserve this award. Tanner hit .500 for the tournament. Congratulations to all the boys for following up last years Super Series National Championship.

Back row left to right: Head Coach Tommy Hernandez, Manager Mike Barnes, Bryar Barnes, Bryce Carter, Jake Wilcox, Kent Myers, Ryan Cottingame, Turner Larkins, Seth Jordan, Michael Kopech, Asst. Coach Rick Robertson

Front row left to right: Brandon Maine, Ty Harp, Noah Lee, Cal Hernandez, Ryan Robertson, Tanner Gardner, Garrett McCain, Connor Reich. Not shown: Brad Barnett, Foster Sawyer

Top row (L to R): Mike Barnes, Bryce Carter, Mr. Bill Brown, Seth Jordan, Ryan Cottingame, Foster Sawyer, Kent Myers, Turner Larkins, Jake Wilcox, Garrett McCain, Rick Robertson, Tommy Hernandez

Bottom row: Bryar Barnes, Ty Harp, Ryan Robertson, Cal Hernandez, Brandon Maine, Brad Barnett

No shown in picture: Tanner Gardner and Michael Kopech

Tigers 12U Ingram Roll to AABC Regional Championship – Next Stop, Puerto Rico!

The Dallas Tigers 12U Ingram claimed the top spot in the AABC South Plains Regional tournament in Farmington, New Mexico.  The team qualified for the event by going 16-0 in BBI league play in Mesquite.  Coached by Linty Ingram, the 12U Tigers team brought their A-game to Farmington and rolled to a 6-0 record, with a cumulative victory margin of 130-9.

The Tigers made it to the finals along with the Santa Fe Orioles as the only two undefeated teams remaining.   On Saturday evening in the first game between the undefeated teams, the Orioles jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  It was all Tigers from there, as the team scored 20 unanswered runs on the way to a 20-2 win.  The Tigers’ bats were very active, and the defense cruised behind a pitching performance that accounted for 14K’s out of 15 total outs.

The teams met again Sunday morning, and this time the Tigers drew the visitor’s spot.  Despite facing a hard throwing pitcher from the Orioles, the Tigers jumped ahead early, including a well executed steal of home plate to take a 3-0 lead.  From there the Tigers never looked back – keeping the accelerator on with active bats and smart base running, complemented by strong pitching and solid defense across the board.  Final score – Tigers 22-1 over the Orioles to claim the AABC South Plains Regional championship.  Soon after the final out, Coach Ingram (being a great sport) was “surprised” by a cold shower from the water cooler, hoisted by a group of players who shall remain anonymous.  The six wins in the tournament bring the team’s record for the year to 67-15-3.

Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, for the AABC World Series.   The Tigers will face off against other AABC regional champions in the 8-team double elimination tournament.  The pressure will be on to represent Dallas well, as the D-Bat Mustangs took home the AABC 12U World Series title last year.  Play begins on Thursday, August 4, with the championship game played on the evening of August 7.  The team flies to San Juan on August 3^rd and will be staying together in the Dorado Beach area, near Toa Baja, the site of the AABC World Series.  Several tournament games will be televised in Puerto Rico, and the team expects to play in front of large crowds of locals who are very enthusiastic about baseball.  While it is sure to be a very memorable experience for the boys, as always Coach Ingram will ensure the team is ready and focused on the task at hand.

Good luck to all the players and coaches as they prepare to head out and represent the Tigers organization, and the Dallas area, in the AABC World Series.   Let’s bring home the trophy!