Quincy pitcher Tim Liuzzo works on his form in practice. Photo by Lisa Bul.

Team Previews: Texas squad looks primed for victory

Youngstown, Ohio makes third appearance in Quincy

By GUS SHLIMBAUM
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY – There must be something in Quincy’s water that attracts the residents of Youngstown, Ohio.
The Ohio Valley regional champions appeared both times the Babe Ruth World Series 14-year-old tournament was held in the City of Presidents, emerging as champions in 2003, and advancing to the single-elimination rounds in 2005.

Three years later, they are back for more, and will certainly be considered one of the teams to beat this year, as they are extremely battle-tested, having had to survive nine elimination games to advance to this point.

“This team has gotten better as the tournament has gone on,” Youngstown coach Bob Halicki said, “they are so resilient, and have had their backs to the wall the whole way.”
Resilient, yes, but also experienced. Five of the players on this year’s team played on Youngstown’s 13-year-old team that made it to the World Series last year in Loudoun Valley, Va.

Also playing at this year’s tournament:

Norwalk, Conn. (New England regional champion): Norwalk is a solid offensive team, averaging more than seven runs per game, but are even better on defense. They did not lose a game in the state or regional tournaments, only making three total errors in that stretch.

Skagit Valley, Wash. (Pacific Northwest regional champion): A deep eight-man pitching rotation, all of whom throw with a different pitching style, has been the key to Skagit Valley’s success thus far. They also have a knack for coming from behind victories, as they trailed their opponents in their regional final and semifinal entering the sixth inning, but found a way to win both times.

Syracuse, N.Y. (Middle Atlantic regional champion): Syracuse is a consistent offensive team, scoring eight runs in each of its games at the regional tournament, where they went undefeated.

Tallahassee, Fla. (Southeast regional champion): Late-inning heroics have become Tallahassee’s specialty, winning their previous two games in the seventh inning. They won their regional final in Theodore, Ala., with a walk-off single and scored nine runs in the last inning of the semifinals, in which they trailed by four runs at the time.  Tallahassee is no stranger to success, winning the 2007 13-year-old Babe Ruth World Series in Loudoun Valley, Va.

West Fargo, N.D. (Midwest Plains regional champion): West Fargo is no stranger to big games. This group of 14-year-olds has won four consecutive state championships, beginning when they were 10-year-olds. Like Youngstown, this team also made it to the 13-year-old Babe Ruth World Series last year in Virginia.

Nederland, Texas (Southwest regional champion): Watch out for this team. Nederland has destroyed its competition throughout the state and regional tournaments, never losing a game. During that stretch, they outhit their opponents, 96-29, and outscored them, 101-18.

Palo Alto, Calif. (Pacific Southwest regional champion): It is quite rare for a host team to win a regional tournament, but that is how Palo Alto found its way to Quincy. It is a solid all-around team, which prides itself on its speed and great defense.

Quincy, Mass. (host team, automatic bid): As host team, it is always difficult to face teams that have won several tournaments to reach the World Series, but Quincy is a team that pitches well and plays solid defense. The players feel confident playing against tough competition as they recently beat the Quincy 15-year-old team in the Jimmy Fund-Patrick White tournament, 6-5, against one of the better pitchers in the area.

Cambridge, Mass. (Massachusetts state champions, automatic bid): The Massachusetts state champs did not compete in the New England regional, as they received an automatic bid to the World Series for winning the state tournament. They are unbeaten team, with strong pitching, and tend to get hits in bunches. Cambridge has a history of being a strong Babe Ruth program, as they sent a 15-year-old team to the 2001 World Series in Hamilton, N.J.

Gus Shlimbaum may be reached at gshlimbaum@ledger.com.