ORINDA MUSTANG 10U ALL-STARS REACH PONY REGIONAL SEMI-FINALS
Submitted by David Reed
Earning the respect of your fellow Orinda Baseball Association players and coaches enough to earn a place on an OBA postseason all-star team is usually the highlight of any OBA player’s early baseball career. Earning the respect of the best Pony all-star teams in all of Northern California is one of the rewards that each and every player, coach, and parent on the 2010 OBA Mustang Outlaws All-star team will carry with them as they move up through the ranks of competitive youth baseball.
When the team started practicing in early June to prepare for postseason play, the coaches and players agreed that their first goal would be to win the Sectional round and ‘bring home the Flag’ for all to see.
After sweeping through the East Bay Sectional Round of the annual postseason Pony Baseball Championship by posting 2 victories over a tough Vacaville team and an easy win over an inexperienced Brentwood team, the Outlaws earned their Flag and were on to the Regional round where they would face teams from the Sacramento area to Salinas. They were also excited for their friendly rivals from Moraga who captured the other East Bay Sectional title and would join them in the next round.
Several OBA teams in different age groups have reached the Regional round in the past, but no OBA team has ever won a Regional title and the coveted berth in the West Zone Championship held in Chino Hills. A West Zone Championship sends you to the Mustang World Series in Austin, TX where teams compete against those who have won Zone Championships that include all 50 states, the Caribbean and beyond.
Not only does a Regional round berth give any player and coach a new level of competitive play, but you also get to play at a top quality stadium. Traveling up and down the 680, the Outlaws were treated to 3 games under the lights at the San Jose PAL Stadium complex, site of many high-level Youth and High School Championship events.
Winning any games in a Regional round is tough enough, but the Outlaws quickly showed the other teams that they were in the mix for the title by defeating the host San Jose PAL team 6-4 on Tuesday July 20th. Pony all-star rules allow a team to only bat 9 players so it is always a challenge for coaches to include all the players in an all-star game. Routinely substituting the players starting on the bench was a testimony to the depth the Outlaws possessed and the respect for the effort that each player put forth.
The first round win earned the Outlaws a Thursday night July 22nd match up against a Marina (Monterey county) team that gave them everything they could handle. Facing a talented Marina starting pitcher hurling gas and a steady diet of curve balls, the Outlaws eventually wore down Marina and earned another 6-4 win.
With 2 wins under their belts, the Outlaws now knew they were in bonus time. Not expecting to reach this far, they left the stadium knowing they had accomplished what only a few OBA teams had ever done at any age level – reach the semi-final round of a Pony Regional. With several players coming and going during the week due to prior commitments, the coaching staff and families were also managing a reasonable level of stress knowing that the potential of 2 more victories would send the Outlaws to the next round.
Coming back once again on Saturday July 24th under the lights, the Outlaws would hold their own against what proved to be the toughest team in the tournament, the Sierra Valley Storm (El Dorado Hills). The combination of another late night and the prospect of playing 2 additional games on Sunday with only 9 players left the Outlaws with simply not enough punch. The final score of 13-3 does not reflect the closeness of the game. The Storm led 3-1 after two innings, but Orinda battled back in the top of the third plating a run and threatening to take the lead with two runners on base and just one out. The Storm manager reacted by bringing in his top relief pitcher, who proceeded to halt the rally. The Storm tallied one in the bottom of the third. Neither team scored in the fourth. However, the Outlaws tightened up the game once again in the top of the fifth scoring once and getting the potential tying run in scoring position. Nevertheless, the Storm once again thwarted an Orinda rally without surrendering the lead and closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth.
At this point, there were only 3 teams left in the Regional round: Sierra Valley, Orinda, and Toro (Salinas area). The Outlaws gave it everything they had against Toro in the loser’s bracket final on Sunday July 25th with the winner facing the improbable task of defeating Sierra Valley twice to earn the title. Toro proved a formidable opponent and despite facing yet another ace, the Outlaws dug deep and put it all on the line. In each of their Regional round games, the Outlaws faced their opponents’ top 2 pitchers and it was clear that these teams knew that this would be the only way they would have a chance to prevail. Toro put their ace on the mound and was pressed into using him for the entire game as the Outlaws’ last ditch effort tightened the game to 5-4 after five innings. Only some bad luck and the fact that they had simply run out of gas saw the Outlaws eventually fall 7-4.
Battling through the post-game tears, the Outlaws and their families quickly turned disappointment into celebration realizing that few teams in OBA’s 26-year history had reached this level of success. All the practices, all the camps, all the lessons, all the driving, all the organization, and all of the parental support required to take a team to this level will always be remembered. In the end, it was a remarkable run that is testimony to the dedication and determination displayed by each player and family involved in the 2010 OBA Mustang Outlaws.
orinda Bronco 12u team wins 2010 sectional playoffs
The Orinda Spartans 12 and under Pony baseball team peaked at the right time this season, en route to a relatively easy sanction tournament championship in the East Bay Regional tournament held in Vacaville this past week. In total, it took four wins for the Spartans to win this year's sanction tournament, which started last Monday evening in the tournament opener against the Brentwood 2 team. Orinda won that one by a 10-3 score. From there, the Spartans won a sloppy game played last Thursday night against the historically strong Tara Hills team, 17-9, which set up a semi-final matchup against the Brentwood 1 team, a team Orinda played several times during the regular season, winning twice while losing once.
This time, the Spartans offense proved too strong for Brentwood's top team, as Orinda overcame an early deficit before cruising to a 15-9 victory. With that win, Orinda earned the right to play in the Championship Game against the winner of the Brentwood 1 v. Vacaville matchup. Brentwood won that one in dramatic fashion with a walk off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, setting the stage for a re-match between Brentwood 1 and Orinda. However, given that Orinda made it to the Championship via the winner's bracket (never having lost a game), Brentwood would need to beat the Spartans twice in order to wrestle this season's sanction banner away from the top Orinda players. As it turns out, it only took Orinda one game to earn the trophy and qualify for the right to move on to the second round of sanction play, which opens in San Jose on July 27.
The Championship game was played on Sunday morning in Vacaville under blue skies and rapidly climbing temperatures. Despite the heat, the Orinda players warmed up for the game with energy and started the contest with confidence. That confidence soared when starting pitcher Eric Nyman set the Brentwood team down quickly in the top of the first inning and the Spartans' lead off batter, Clayton Stehr, hit his second lead off homerun of the tournament to give Orinda an early lead. After Ben Hoxie and Ryan Anderson singled, the Spartans managed to score two more runs in their half of the first to take a 3-0 lead into the second inning. When Nyman was unable to return to the mound as a result of arm soreness, Ryan Anderson took over and he pitched as well as he has pitched all season long. In total, Anderson contributed two extremely strong innings, limiting Brentwood to just one run on two hits and a walk.
Orinda scored four more runs in their next two at-bats via an RBI double by Kevin Shepard in the second inning to drive in shortstop Clayton Haskell (who singled) and a home run by Andrew Deaver followed by an RBI double by Haskell and an RBI single by Zachary Wong in the third to extend the Spartans' lead to 7-1. At that point, it looked like Orinda might glide to victory. But Brentwood battled back and tallied five runs in the top of the fourth to pull to within one run of the lead, 7-6. Actually, Brentwood easily could have tied it or taken the lead but for an amazing play by center fielder Ryan Anderson and catcher Kevin Shepard. With a runner on second and only one out, the Brentwood batter drove a single up the middle for what appeared to be an RBI single. But Anderson charged the ball aggressively and fired a bullet to Shepard behind the plate, who made an incredible play to field the ball on one hop and apply the tag on the on-rushing runner for the out. The even more amazing thing is that Anderson and Shepard made virtually the same play the very next inning, this time Anderson delivering the ball on a fly to Shepard, who again applied the tag to prevent yet another Brentwood run.
When Andrew Deaver blasted his second homerun of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning to drive in Anderson (who had just singled off the wall), that gave Spartan pitchers Danny Ritelli and Dylan Kronenberg all the run support they needed to preserve the victory for their teammates. Kronenberg pitched the final three innings, limiting Brentwood to just one run on two hits and only one walk. The final score in the Championship game was Orinda 10, Brentwood 7.
In the tournament opener, against the Brentwood 2 squad, Kronenberg pitched an even more impressive four innings (allowing just one run on four hits and a walk) followed by three innings of relief work by Zachary Wong (two runs on four hits and a walk). Wong struck out six Brentwood 2 batters while Kronenberg struck out five. The hitting star in this one was Ben Hoxie (3 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBI's). Andrew Deaver, Ryan Anderson, and Clayton Haskell all had two hits a piece, while Deaver and Haskell had three RBI's each.
Against Tara Hills, Orinda pounded out 11 total hits, while scoring 17 times, largely a result of 13 walks by the Tara Hills' pitching staff. This game took almost three hours to complete. Clayton Stehr, who led off the game with a fence clearing homerun, had two hits, while reaching base all five times he was up. Ryan Anderson, Andrew Deaver, Will McConnell, Eric Nyman and Zach Wong also had two hits and two RBI's a piece.
In the third game (also against Brentwood 1), Ben Hoxie, Zach Wong and Andrew Deaver all pitched. Wong was especially impressive, holding Brentwood scoreless on just one hit and no walks. He did hit a batter. Offensively, Clayton Haskell and Eric Nyman were both 3 for 3 while Andrew Deaver and Wong also each had three hits. Wong drove in three runs. Tommy Hensley had a huge second inning double that contributed significantly to an Orinda rally.
In summary, all 12 Orinda players contributed significantly to this Championship victory. All 12 players had at least two hits over the course of the tournament, with Clayton Haskell leading the team with seven hits. All 12 players scored runs and virtually all of them drove in runs. Seven different players pitched and all 12 players contributed defensively. It was truly a team effort and a championship all 12 boys should be proud of. If this turns out to be the end of the 2010 season for the Orinda Spartans, it will most certainly be a season everyone will remember.
orinda Bronco 11u finishes runner-up in sectional playoffs
Updated results here
PINTO ALL STARS SWEEP THROUGH 4TH OF JULY TOURNAMENT
The 2010 Pinto All-Star team won the Dale Wilson Memorial 4th of July 8u tournament in San Bruno today, defeating a hard-nosed Moraga squad 7-4. Having gone a convincing 3-0 in pool play, scoring 50 runs and only giving up 4, the top seeded Orinda squad swept teams from San Mateo and Millbrae in the medal round to earn the spot in the finals against the team they had scrimmaged 3 times getting prepared for the tournament.
Tremendous defense from both squads saw numerous outfield flies being caught for outs and 3 double plays. Great sportsmanship from both sides allowed for a spirited, but competitive finish that saw the visiting Moraga team begin a comeback in the 6th, scoring 2 runs before Orinda made a diving catch in center field to end the game.
Front row LtoR: Carson Essabhoy, Charlie Mollahan, Hayden Catron, Tanner Zwahlen, Nicholas Wong, Zach Donner, Declan Curran.
Back row: Matt Meredith, AJ Fraser, Adrese Azzani, Declan McManus, Ryan O'Neil, Jack LaCour.
Coaches LtoR: Mickey O'Neil, Scott Mollahan, Mike Curran, Tarek Azzani, Jeff LaCour, Dennis Wong, Michael Donner.
fall ball registration is open
Click here to register for Fall Ball 2010. Deadline is August 21.
Keep those Baseball skills polished in the off season!
Baseball is a sport which requires constant up keep. Join us Saturday, July 31st for a camp which will focus on drills that can be used through out Fall and Winter, so you will be ready for next Spring. The camp session will run from 10:00am to 2:00pm, see Camp Agenda. The camp will be led by Miramonte Varsity Baseball coaches Vince Dell'Aquila and his son Brian Dell'Aquila. During the course of this camp, players will learn hitting and fielding drills which can be used in the off-season. The coaches will also go through hitting and fielding mechanics which will be useful in their upcoming seasons . The cost for the camp is $80.00.
Click here to sign up. All ages welcome.
All Star Teams Announced
Teams representing Orinda are listed here.
Pinto:
The OBA Pinto all-star team will participate in the Dale Wilson Memorial 4th of July tournament hosted by the San Bruno Pee Wee Baseball association.
The team’s schedule is:
Friday 7/2 4:45pm vs El Cerrito 2 on Diamond 3
Saturday 7/3 12:45pm vs Los Altos/Mountainview Red on Diamond 3
Saturday 7/3 4:30pm vs San Mateo Federals on Parkside North
Championship rounds are Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
To get directions and more information, please go to www.sanbrunopeeweebaseball.org
an OBA rarity: pony sweeps through 680 Diablo league playoffs
The Pony teams swept the 680 Diablo League playoff championships at Twin Creeks in Sunnyvale. OBA teams have won very few Pony championships and especially not 2 in the same year. The Orinda Bandits who entered the playoffs as the #1 seed and finished with a record of 21-4.
680 League Champion Orinda Bandits 13/14A Division.
Back row L-R: Coach Flip, Henry Cassriel, Alex Gutierrez, Thomas Helsel, Andrew Rosenzweig, Tyler Kirchberg, Bennett Stehr, Coach Rob, Jonathan Chan
Front row L-R: Chris Greenfield, Peter Fukushima, Drew Anderson, Connor Nyman, Tommy Larsen, Josh Lee
Orinda Kodiaks, who entered the playoffs as the #5 seed and finished with a record of 18-9.
680 League Champion Orinda Kodiaks 13/14B Division
Back row L-R: Milan Winter, Cameron Nikban, Coach Jake, Alec Bizieff, Holt Goodwin, Matt Metheny, Coach Mike, Nate Lloyd
Front row L-R: Spencer Hardwick, Josh Lee, Steven Shepard, Nicholas Valcke, Jarret Perches, Emmet Carn
Memorial Day Teams fare well
Click here to see the results of the various tournament teams participating in Fremont, Monterey and Citrus Heights
Our tourney teams had quite a bit of success this weekend. In Citrus Heights, it was really cool to see 3 OBA teams (2 Mustang and 1 Bronco) in the Marriott lobby this morning having breakfast in their uniforms before all heading off to 9:00 semi-final games... it was a sea of red OBA hats! Here is a brief summary of the action.
Pinto (Fremont): Both teams advanced to the playoff round on Monday. The Americans, managed by Mike Henderson, were eliminated in the semi-finals by Newark 11-8. The Nationals, managed by Dennis Wong, won the tournament championship defeating Newark 10-4.
Mustang (Citrus Heights): Both teams went 3-0 in pool play to advance to the playoff round on Monday. The Rebels, managed by Ken Peterson (coached by Jeff Schwarz), were eliminated in the semi-finals. The Outlaws, managed by Steve Cassriel (coached by David Reed and Joe Knox), won the tournament championship. Very few teams in OBA history have won this tournament, which traditionally has been very competitive. I thought only 2 teams had done it ('03 and '08), but Peter Jackson told me this weekend about an OBA team winning it in back in the 90's. Records of these things are not really kept, but it is safe to say few OBA teams... maybe 3 or 4... have ever won this tourney.
Bronco (Citrus Heights): An 11u division was not formed as we had hoped, forcing our 11 year old team to play in the 12u division. They beat a blended 11/12 year old team from Piedmont 10-7 and lost a respectable game vs. Tara Hills 9-2, before getting beat by eventual tournament champion Citrus Heights Showcase. The 12 year old team went 3-0 in pool play to advance to the playoff round. They beat Pleasant Hill 5-3 in the semi-final to earn a birth in the championship game vs. Citrus Heights Showcase. Our 12s achieved a moral victory by being the only opponent in the tourney that the CHS team did not beat by the slaughter rule... losing in the full 7 innings by a score of 10-2.
Bronco (Fremont): The 3rd Bronco team (blended 11/12 year olds) went 1-3 in pool play, losing 2 one-run games. That was good enough to earn a birth into the playoff round on Monday, where we lost to #1 seed Newark American.
Pony (Fremont): The 2nd Pony team went 1-2 in pool play losing one game to a team with 5 kids who play high school freshman ball (our team is all 7th/8th graders). The team competed well in a tough field of teams.
Pony (Monterey): OBA teams have traditionally struggled in this tourney which draws a lot of club/travel teams. We got off to a good start beating Pacific Grove 14-1. We then lost to the Atlantic Braves (based in Salinas) 11-7 and Seaside 9-5 to be eliminated.
Baseball U Summer clinics
Dates: June 15th and 17th Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
June 22nd and 24th
June 29th and July 1st
July 6th and 8th
Location: Orinda Sports Field (Pony Diamond)
Ages: All pony players and incoming bronco players
Fees: $100 per week
$350 for all four weeks
Instructors: Robert “Flip” Filipas (OBA Pony Head Coach)
Rob Ellis (OBA Pitching Coach)
Clinic details: This is a great opportunity for pony players to continue to develop their skills and refine their skills. Also, for incoming bronco players to develop their skills and experience what baseball will be like at the pony level. Players can sign up for individual weeks or for all 4 weeks. Sign up quick because there is limited space!
Clinic Features: Hitting instruction and drills
Pitching and Catching instruction
Infield/Outfield instruction
Team Defense
Base Running
Equipment: Players should bring their own equipment and wear baseball pants, cleats and hat.
REGISTER @ BASEBALLU3@gmail.com
or
Call Flip @ (925)639-7221
A great site to keep you in the baseball mood
If you're looking for great online videos about baseball, look no further than BaseballRox.com. On this free site, you'll find a slew of amazing baseball resources including drills, stretching, coaches resources and even a few OBA celebrities. |
