Winter Park (FL) Diamond Dawgs on fire, on offensive, as 14u SlumpBuster action churns ahead6/16/2023 by Kyle Koso
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA -- For the first time at the 2023 SlumpBuster, the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs gave up a couple of runs in their journey at the 14u division. Safe to say, the team from Winter Park, FL., isn’t stressed about that. After 10-0 and 12-0 victories earlier in pool play, the Dawgs dialed up a 20-2 run-rule win over the Westside Rattlers (MI) on Friday in Council Bluffs, a resume that unsurprisingly earned the team the very top seed in the 14u bracket going forward. It’s a tough time to be taking on the Dawgs – with many team just now getting serious after the school year, Florida’s own is in rhythm having played a lot of games by now, before the weather gets super unpleasant. “This is the end of our season; we’ve played a bunch and the guys have worked hard,” said Dawgs coach Vic Intinelli. “Coming here, we emphasize that Omaha is a wonderful trip, their parents have sacrificed for them – we’re thankful to the Lord for the opportunity. Most of these guys want to play beyond here, something further than 14u ball, so the emphasis is on continuing to get better, regardless of the score.” Chris Collins held up well in his job as starting pitcher, notching seven strikeouts in four innings and allowing four hits. The Dawgs offensive highlights were relentless, including thee runs and three hits from Sam Kimball at the bottom of the order, with three runs and four RBI coming from Nick Sande in the No. 3 hole. The Dawgs scored 12 runs in the second inning, but there’s a consistent theme in keeping focus even when big leads are possibly distracting in that way. “I just try to keep working hard, and if anything gets in my way I won’t let it stop me,” Kimball said. “I always want to make sure my teammates are on the fence; we have the attitude that we will keep our heads high, put the bat on the ball and play well in the field.” “I try to discipline myself; my coaches help me stay focused,” added Sande. “I may hang my head if I do bad, but my teammates and coaches are great about lifting me up. (Collins’ pitching) really helps our defense out, and a guy like him can be a strikeout guy or pitch to contact. He did great today.” The Diamond Dawgs will open bracket play at 10:15 a.m. Saturday against the Sierra Nevada Wolves at the Council Bluffs Complex. Sebastian Gramek reached base twice for the Rattlers and scored a run from the leadoff position. The Indy 500 is in the record books for this year, but the call of “Start Your Engines!” still holds true for thousands of families getting ready to attend the largest youth baseball event on the calendar, the Triple Crown Omaha SlumpBuster.
By bus, RV, car or airplane, folks will be arriving in droves for the event, held over three sessions in June in and around Omaha, Neb. Session 1 (June 14-18) and Session 3 (June 21-25) are anchored by their Festival Nights, held at the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex and featuring music, vendors, skills challenges, inflatables, pin trading, an appearance from baseball comedian Domingo Ayala and the notorious Burning of the Bats, a fireworks/explosives show that draws thousands of fans and reliably takes your breath away with its scale and volume. Now in its 21st year, the SlumpBuster (9u through 14u) runs parallel with another trusted Triple Crown offering, the Pathway Omaha event serving ages 16u (June 16-19) and 17u/18u (June 22-26). In partnership with Iowa Western Community College, teams will stay on campus and be immersed in a college environment with strong competition while college coaches direct and educate along the way. In total, we’ll welcome 670 teams from 37 states and book more than 20,000 hotel room nights during the month. As many as 150 umpires come to town while action takes place on 71 fields at 25 complexes – for the 1,900 games on the docket, about 8,700 baseballs have been ordered as teams work their way through the brackets. Teams who play in the SlumpBuster come to town knowing their pool play slate will be scheduled to allow time to attend a College World Series game at beautiful Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha. Did you miss out? Here’s a quick way to get on the radar for 2024: https://bit.ly/45EE03W “Our professional staff gets to work early on the details for the next SlumpBuster to come – the event has earned its position as a must-attend moment in youth sports, and we don’t take chances when it comes to preparation and planning,” said Jason McCoy, SlumpBuster event director. “When you see the energy at Festival Night, the enjoyment teams get at soaking in the environment around the CWS, and the determination of these athletes as they play the game they love, well, it’s a huge payoff for all that we put in during the offseason.” |