Not one, but 2 Tri-Cities baseball teams to play for Cal Ripken World Series titles

Having a team from the Tri-Cities in a Cal Ripken Baseball World Series has become a regular thing.

But this year is different. The Tri-Cities has two World Series teams — the Kennewick National 12-year-olds are playing in the Cal Ripken Majors/70-foot basepaths series in Branson, Mo., and the Kennewick American 10-year-olds are in their championship tournament in Crown Point, Ind.

Both squads have already started pool play at their respective tournaments, with the hopes of advancing to championship bracket play later in the coming week.

“There is exceptional baseball being played in the Tri-Cities,” said Kennewick National 12s manager Alex Johnson.

Kennewick National 12s

Johnson said this group of kids have come a long way since it was together as 9-year-olds.

“We were barely able to put a team together when they were 9’s,” said Johnson. “At the state tournament back then, we were 10-runned three times and went 0-4.”

But Johnson said there was a core group of seven kids who stayed together over the next few years. And one, Colt Miller, played as an 11-year-old last year with the 12’s as a shortstop and pitcher.

This year’s squad, says Johnson, has real solid pitching.

“We played six games at regionals and had just 12 walks,” said Johnson. “And we played very good defense. These kids find ways to win.”

Entering the World Series, KN had a 31-2 record.

KN started the Pool B-play portion on Friday with a 4-3 walkoff win over Hanford, Calif. Gabriel Mendoza’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Isaac Schroeder in the bottom of the sixth with the winning run.

KN followed that win with a 10-0 loss to Florence, Ala., on Saturday.

The 12’s meet host Branson, Mo., at 7 a.m., on Sunday, Aug. 11, before taking a bye on Monday.

KN finishes pool play with a 2:30 p.m. game on Tuesday, Aug. 13, against Crown Point, Ind.

The top two teams in Pool B will advance to the championship bracket play starting Wednesday, Aug. 14.

The remaining Pool B teams will take part in consolation-bracket play at the same time.

Team members for Kennewick National are Lucas Goates, Liam Hall, Luke Johnson, Gabriel Mendoza, Colt Miller, Mikey Munson, Mitchell Murphy, Isaac Schroeder, Kanon Short, Cole Stanley, Silas Thomas, Easton Tompkins, and Jairo Torres.

Johnson’s assistant coaches are Casey Miller, Mark Schroeder, Mike Munson and Joe Goates.

Kennewick American 10s

Kennewick American 10-year-olds are in Crown Point, Ind., this week playing in the Cal Ripken World Series for 10s.

Donnie Hansen, the manager for KA 10s, said this group earned a World Series bid last year as 9-year-olds when it won the Pacific Northwest regional championship.

“We were able to take an automatic bid this year, and that gave us time to raise the money for the trip,” said Hansen.

Hansen was able to skip the Cal Ripken tournaments and had his squad take on older kids in the walk up to this tournament. The results that followed a 25-3 record last year as 9-year-olds has been a 21-3 follow-up.

“I’ve been coaching these kids for three years, and everybody feels like family, not only in baseball but outside baseball,” said Hansen. “I feel like these kids are so mature for their age. They’re so coachable and so easy to work with.”

Hansen added that this squad has been unbeaten against any Cal Ripken team competition over the last three years.

The KA 10’s got a little extra bonus this past week, as they were able to get a tour of Wrigley Field.

Team members are Jett Bricker, William Carlson, Wesley Duarte, Cameron Hahl, Mason Hansen, Esteban Ligas, Brody Martin, Presley Martinez, Zane Secic, Adam Sloot, Peter Taggares, Malakai Villalobos, and Urijah Warren.

Hansen’s assistant coaches are Pete Taggares, Jake Martin, and Steve Martinez.

The 10s did lose their Pool B opener on Saturday by falling 4-3 to Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Taggares, Warren and Sloot each had RBI singles for Kennewick, but the Alabama team scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a walk-off victory.

Kennewick American’s remaining pool-play games are at 12:30 p.m. against Central York, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 11; a 5 p.m. start on Monday, Aug. 12, against Crown Point (Ind.) Red; and a 2:45 p.m. game on Tuesday, Aug. 13, against Aussie Drop Bears from Australia.

All start times are Pacific.

Wednesday, Aug. 14, begins bracket play, with championship and consolation play set, depending on pool play.

Signings

• Emma Glazebrook, who played for the Walla Walla Community College women’s soccer team, has transferred to play for the Oregon Institute of Technology this fall.
• Leah North, a standout for Chiawana’s softball team, will be playing for the College of Idaho’s softball team next spring after signing with the Yotes.
• College Place grad Alexis Fadness has agreed to run cross country this fall for Walla Walla University.
• Olivia Knutson, who spent last season playing for the Walla Walla Community College women’s volleyball team, has transferred to the College of Idaho to play for the Yotes.

Soccer

Six area athletes were named to the first team of the 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference boys soccer all-league squad recently.

CWAC coaches voted Othello senior forward Anthony Abundiz, Othello senior defender Don Eldred, Othello senior midfielder Felipe Haro, Othello junior forward Larry Maldonado, Grandview junior defender Samuel Montes, and Grandview senior forward Angel Solis to the first team.

East Valley of Yakima dominated the major awards. Junior Brandon Garcia was named CWAC Offensive MVP, while senior Jacob Russell was named Defensive MVP.

And EV’s Todd Morrow was named Coach of the Year.