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.” Win a $2,500 prize package from DICK’s Sporting Goods
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CONTEST PAGE FORT COLLINS, CO – Unexplained hurdles continue to keep YouTube and social media standout Domingo Ayala from securing his spot in the big leagues, but Triple Crown Baseball understands a great opportunity and eagerly welcomes the multi-tool, all-category All-Star to two sessions of the Omaha SlumpBuster in June 2023.
Look for Domingo to handle the countdown for the Burning of the Bats fireworks moment at both SlumpBuster festivals, June 15 and June 23, at the Council Bluffs Recreation Complex. Ayala, who burst on the baseball scene at age 2, commands respect for his game today as (approximately) a 17-year-old phenom of the highest degree, with shocking pitching and batting stats to go with these other impressive numbers: Facebook: 330,000 followers Twitter: 75,000 followers YouTube: 215,000 subscribers, 40 million total views Instagram: 250,000 followers Ayala has performed in a variety of baseball settings over the years, from MLB clubhouses to youth fundraisers to corporate events. This will be the seventh year Domingo has displayed his wit and wondrous skillset at Triple Crown tournaments. “Greatness is hard to define in the world of baseball, although Domingo Ayala is certainly happy to tell you how he checks all the boxes. His inspiring and amusing take on the sport is one of our highlights at Festival Night,” said Jason McCoy, SlumpBuster event director. “There’s no one better to handle the Burning of the Bats countdown, and he’ll be happy to stick around and visit with his adoring fans.” About Triple Crown Sports Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing college and youth events for 40 years, with more than 90 events scheduled for 2023 in the arenas of youth baseball, fastpitch, basketball, lacrosse and volleyball. The TCS footprint includes both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and the men’s and women’s Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. TCS youth fastpitch tournaments (including the 1,100-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 650-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when nearly 600 teams compete in Kansas City, MO. by Adam Burns
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Sure, pitching is the name of the game in claiming a Triple Crown Sports Omaha Slumpbuster championship trophy. Quite simply, you just gotta have enough available – and productive – arms. But it also helps when a team has a competent offense and defense to support a dangerous pitching staff. No, a relentless offense and a flawless defense. Now that better describes the Bolt. To say the Utah-based club displayed all of the above and more during the course of the 13U D1 Platinum field would be an understatement. A massive understatement. The top-seeded Bolt refused to even smell defeat on its way to a perfect 7-0 tournament, capped by a 15-2 championship game victory over No. 19-ranked Vipers Black Sunday afternoon at the Council Bluffs Sports Complex. “This is a special group,” Bolt coach Dale Rex said while his players and parents enjoyed photo sessions with the Slumpbuster trophy and championship rings. “I thought we’d compete for the championship here because we do have a lot of arms and we usually swing it pretty well, but I didn’t know that we’d win it all necessarily.” How good were the first-time Slumpbuster participants? The Bolt outscored its opponents 93-6. Yes, that’s right. They crossed home plate nearly 100 times and surrendered just six in seven games, averaging a little more than 13 runs per contest. After not allowing a run in pool play and earning a fat target on its backs, Bolt starting pitcher Sammy Dart said his team’s confidence was high. “It’s got to be at the top,” he said. “We were the No. 1 seed and had all the pitching in the world. Our bats were always hot and I just felt great about us and our ability to get the job done.” The uniqueness of this particular Bolt squad starts on the mound, as all 12 rostered players have the ability to throw strikes and record outs, according to the man in charge. “I don’t believe any one of our pitchers threw more than 75 pitches the entire weekend,” Rex said. “Our No. 1 and No. 2 pitcher actually only threw one inning this weekend.” Not too shabby. Through the first five innings of the title game, the Bolt held on to a 4-1 lead. However, they found a new gear with a 10-run sixth inning to put things well out of reach. Rocky Downs executed a bases clearing triple, Pratt Morley roped a two-run single and Dart, Jaxon Cloward, Ryder Huntsman and Ledger Holmes all had run-scoring base hits. “These kids take pride in having good at bats and they don’t try to do too much. Especially when one or two get going; we do a good job of moving runners over and stringing things together,” Rex said. “They’re not selfish players and their goal is to win games and tournaments and they were able to do that here.” Dart, who according to Rex swung a consistently strong bat all weekend, tossed four innings of one-run ball while striking out six and allowing six hits. At the dish, Dart was 2-for-2 with an RBI double. “I felt great with it being my first start of the tournament,” Dart said of his championship effort on the mound. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to start, but I was told to put on my flats before the game and I ended up feeling great today.” Rex was more than satisfied with Dart’s efforts. Enough to deem Dart the team’s MVP of the tournament. “He hit really well all weekend and we know he’s pretty special on the mound,” Rex said. “He doesn’t blow you away but he throws it firmly and he hits his spots and picks people apart. He takes pride in being a really good pitcher.” “It’s all about energy and momentum,” Dart said. “One guy can get a big hit and then you just let the next guy do the same thing. You just need that first big hit.” And that’s what the Bolt received. All weekend long. “This is probably one of my favorite tournaments I’ve come to,” Rex said. “I love how easy it is to get everywhere and then to be able to go to some of the College World Series games has been amazing and hopefully inspire these kids to be there one day, as well. We look forward to coming back next year; this was awesome.” |