Owen poses with his state championship ring.
As I begin today’s column, it is once again time for the ol’ papaw to brag a bit, so I hope you will indulge me for a few moments.
My grandson Owen and his teammates on the Florence-based At The Yard 10U baseball team, won the USSSA Kentucky State Championship last weekend at the Elizabethtown Sports Park. The team, coached by Owen’s dad and my son Chris, capped off an unbeaten 6-0 tournament run with a thrilling 9-8 walk-off victory in the title game over South Lexington Blue 10U on Sunday evening.
Earning their way to the championship game demonstrated the remarkable resilient nature embodied by the Northern Kentucky squad. The team eked out a pair
of 6-5 comeback wins over teams from Louisville and Knox County to reach the title tilt, and the one-run wins came on the heels of a come-from-behind 12-10 victory over another Louisville team on Friday. In that game, ATY overcame a late 10-1 deficit to pull out the win on a game-winning hit from Owen.
The 6-5 semifinal win on Sunday over Hard Knox was another heartstopper, and Owen had what proved to be the game-winner on a double to score a pair of runs to give ATY a 6-3 lead. The Knox County team scored a pair in the final inning to slice the deficit to one, before the Florence team held on to move to the championship game.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning to a Lexington team of All-Stars, ATY rallied in the third to take a 3-2 lead, only to fall behind in the fourth 4-3. A three-run rally
gave ATY a 6-4 lead after four innings, but South Lexington wasn’t done yet. They reclaimed a one-run edge with three runs in the fifth before ATY went back in front 8-7 in the bottom of the frame with a pair of runs.
In the top of the sixth — the last scheduled inning of the game – South Lexington tied the game, setting up the dramatic finish, and with it, a state championship. Owen came on to pitch with two outs and the go-ahead run at second base, and he induced a
pop-up to shortstop to end the threat.
At The Yard, one of the smallest teams in the 10U field, showed in game after game that although they’re not physically imposing, they had by far the biggest heart. The ATY players earned their huge championship rings by playing solid baseball throughout the weekend and coming up
with clutch hits in pressure situations to rally for close wins against strong competition.
At The Yard has been forced to overcome adversity throughout the season, but their never-say-die attitude, teamwork and determination carried them to a state title, and a weekend the youngsters, the coaches, and parents will never forget.
*****
REDS GAIN GROUND – The Cincinnati Reds are beginning to show some real signs of life in recent days, following the three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks last weekend. To be fair however, the D-Backs have been battling pitching woes and injuries to key players, and are facing a seemingly impossible uphill climb to be a factor in the ultra-competitive NL West.
Still, we should give credit when credit is due, and the Reds are deserving of a few positive words. They reached the .500 mark with the sweep, and showed they are more than capable of playing winning baseball.
They ran the winning streak to four with a 7-4 win in Cleveland, earning the club the coveted Ohio Cup for the first time since 2014. With the victory, the Reds climbed to within 6 and a half games of the division-leading Cubs, a team that has recently shown signs of fading a bit.
The same old question lingers though when it comes to the Redlegs. Can they sustain it over more than a few days, and actually put some heat on the teams above them in the NL Central? Winning half their games is better than losing 100 or more, but to contend for a division title, Cincinnati will have to show it can defeat good teams over
a prolonged stretch, and a .500 record won’t be enough.
If the Reds had more players like center fielder TJ Friedl, a sustained positive run would be a real possibility. The 29-year-old Pennsylvania native is having an excellent season in the leadoff spot, and has been the team’s most consistent player in nearly every offensive category. Couple that with his consistently fine defensive effort game after game, and Friedl appears to be the only Reds player who will be heading to the All-Star Game in Atlanta on July 15.
Generously listed at 5-foot-10, Reds skipper Terry Francona can always count on getting the absolute most out of Friedl’s talent. As of this writing, he is leading the Reds in hits, is second only to Elly De la Cruz in runs scored and doubles, and he is a tough
cookie to strike out, unlike most of his teammates.
A much-needed power boost was added to the lineup in the Arizona series, when Christian Encarnacion-Strand returned from the injured list, and another critical piece to the puzzle, Austin Hays, is expected back any day now. The offense is showing some encouraging signs in recent days, and it is imperative that they continue to produce consistently.
If the bullpen continues to pitch well, Cincy has a decent chance of actually moving up in the division standings. The starting pitching has been a team strength, but how long the Reds will be without Hunter Greene is a major concern. The club may even give Chase Burns a shot in the rotation in the near future. Burns, the team’s top prospect and last year’s #2 overall pick in
the MLB Draft, has been dominating minor league hitters, and recently was called up to Louisville.
*****
SEC BASEBALL LAYS HUGE EGG – The Southeastern Conference has the reputation of being the most talented and deepest baseball league in the country, but the SEC teams have been anything but dominating in this year’s NCAA tournament. There were 13 SEC teams selected to the event, but only two – Arkansas and LSU —will be heading to Omaha for the Men’s College World Series. As luck would have it, the Razorbacks and Tigers will face off against each other in the opening round on Saturday evening.
The double-elimination format will be employed as it always is, with the two bracket winners meeting in best 2-of-3
series to determine the eventual champion. The MCWS Finals begin Saturday, June 21 at 7 p.m. EDT.
Play begins Friday afternoon when Coastal Carolina meets Arizona, and the second Bracket 1 game features Louisville vs. Oregon State at 7 p.m. Bracket 2 play commences on Saturday afternoon with Murray State taking on UCLA, followed by the aforementioned SEC matchup.
The so-called Cinderella team, and the team many Kentuckians will be adopting, is Murray State. The Racers (44-15) are making their first-ever appearance in Omaha after winning a regional at Ole Miss, before moving on to win a super regional at Duke by holding on to a 5-4 clincher in the deciding game.
There are certain to be more surprises still to come, and in the world of college
baseball, it has been proven repeatedly that anything can and will happen.
*****
NBA FINALS MOVES TO INDY – With the series knotted at a game apiece, the favored Oklahoma City Thunder head to Indianapolis this evening to meet the upset-minded Pacers.
It is a critical game for the home team, which is looking to gain an edge and move in front of OKC 2-1 in the best-of-seven set. It will take a much better defensive effort from the Pacers than the one they showed on Sunday night, when the Thunder rolled to a 123-107 rout. The argument could be made that it was a must-win situation for Oklahoma City after falling 111-110 in the opener when Tyrese Haliburton drained a jumper at the buzzer to give the Pacers the victory.
If Indiana can turn the tables on OKC this evening, it would give the Pacers a needed confidence boost heading into Game 4 on Friday, and put the pressure on the Thunder to come away with at least one road win, before the teams return to Oklahoma City on Monday night.
It’s been reported that the ratings are down significantly for this NBA Finals matchup, which comes as no surprise. These are not considered to be the glamorous names in the Association, and the casual fan is not tuning in. Even so, the series still has the potential to be an exciting and competitive affair, with plenty of youthful star power doing its thing on the biggest stage.
*****
“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the
world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth
*****
“To succeed in baseball, as in life, you must make adjustments.” – Ken Griffey Jr.
*****
“Human nature is the same everywhere; it defies success, it has nothing but scorn for defeat.” — Mark Twain
