2015 CRWS - Southeast

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Southeast: Team USA’s stellar defense not enough to rival Mexico’s powerful first inning as they fall short, 5-3, in the World Championship

By Spencer Latran

Mexico came out firing on all cylinders, scoring 5 runs in the first inning, and although Team Southeast did not let up another run for the rest of the game, their hitting game did not have the power to beat them, as they fell, respectably, 5-3 in the World Championship in Cal Sr.’s Yard.

“They were just a good-hitting team, and we got a little rattled, “ said Southeast/USA Head Coach, Rick Pate. “It’s a big stage for these kids, for sure.”

Mexico started off the game with 6 singles in the first inning, one of which was an RBI Single. This was accompanied by a 3-run home run, making the score 5-0 going into the Bottom of the first inning. Southeast’s Payton Green was able to get things going for Team USA, stealing 2nd base and putting him in scoring position. #16 Sam Perez put the first run on the board for Team USA, hitting an RBI Single which scored Payton Green.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Sam Perez came up big again, this time hitting an RBI double which scored Payton Green for the 2nd time tonight, making the score 5-2.

For the next two innings, no hits or runs were made by either team, but in the bottom of the 6th inning, a Single followed by a 2nd base steal by Team USA’s #18 Blake McCain gave them a chance to score. #13 Xander Lietz was able to hit McCain home, putting Team Southeast within 2 runs of Mexico. Unfortunately, Team USA was not able to get a rally going, having trouble capitalizing on their at-bats, as Mexico became victorious in the World Championship.

“Like I said earlier in the week I feel like we can compete with anybody and I just had to let my kids know that.” said Coach Pate.

The Southeast/USA Player of the Game was #21 Zach Hurand, who pitched 5 scoreless innings against Mexico. This is the third time that Zach has won the Player of the Game award at the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series.

“It feels great to come out and represent my country, ” said Hurand.

After Garrett Moffett came off of the mound in the first inning, Zach was put on after throwing a decent number of pitches over the course of the week.

“I didn’t have the mindset of pitching, but I’m ready when I get called on… I just wanted to throw pitches that would keep them off-balance.”

“It’s just been an amazing experience to play with people from all around the world.” said Hurand. “We’ve talked about this week since the kids were nine years old, “ said Coach Pate. “We went to the 10U World Series down in Ocala, FL, and when we left there after losing in the semifinals, we made it a priority to get up here and compete for a week… I had 13 guys that just really put it on the line every game this whole summer. From getting off the plane and going to Under Armour to playing in the World Series has been amazing. And going through last night winning the National Championship and getting to play Mexico tonight was just phenomenal for us.”

Congratulations to Team Southeast as they gave a spectacular performance throughout the entirety of the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series, going 5-2. The award recipients are as follows:

Home Run Derby Champion - Blake McCain Player of the Game vs. Ohio Valley – Zach Hurand Player of the Game vs. Harford County – Blake McCain Player of the Game vs. Mid-Atlantic – Payton Green Player of the Game vs. Midwest Plains – Garrett Moffett Player of the Game vs. Pacific Southwest – Zach Hurand Player of the Game vs. Mid-Atlantic (U.S. Final) – Timothy Pate Player of the Game vs. Mexico – Zach Hurand All-United States Offensive Team – Joey Ferrari All-United States Offensive Team – Timothy Pate All-United States Defensive Team – Zach Hurand All-United States Defensive Team – Blake McCain United States Most Valuable Player – Timothy Pate

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Southeast: Team SE plays well all-around, beating Mid-Atlantic, 3-1, in the U.S. Championship

By Spencer Latran

Team Southeast was firing on all cylinders last night at Cal Sr.’s Yard and hungry for a rematch against  Mid-Atlantic in this U.S. Championship. On the back of a dominate pitching performance from Timothy Pate and a Sam Perez solo homerun, Team Southeast defeated Mid-Atlantic in a nail-biter, winning 3-1, clinching Southeast’s third straight World Championship game appearance.

“This is fantastic, it really is,” said Southeast head coach Rick Pate. “Now I can breathe. We’re going to relax and look to have a blast out there tomorrow night.”

The 2nd inning saw both teams trade runs, as Zach Hurand reached on an error to score a run in the top half of the inning, but shortly after Mid-Atlantic’s Spencer Mochulski responded with a solo-shot to tie the score at 1-1. In the top of the 3rd inning, Perez crushed a home run to left giving Southeast a 2-1 lead.

In the Top of the 5th inning, Tim Pate hit an RBI Single, scoring Blake McCain to stretch West Raleigh’s lead to 3-1.

The Southeast bats weren’t the only story in this one however, as starting pitcher Tim Pate tossed a 5 inning, 1-run gem highlighted by nine strikeouts, while Garrett Moffett came on in relief for the final frame to close out Southeast’s win.

Pate was named Southeast’s Player of the Game following his efforts on the mound. 

“The entire game was a battle,” said Timothy Pate. “After the early homerun I gave up, I really had to relax out there on the mound and focus on each hitter.”

“I’m a proud coach of 13 fantastic ballplayers who all have great parents,” said Southeast Manager Rick Pate. “I’m honored to be a member of the great organization that is West Raleigh, who made all of this possible.”

Southeast Manager Rick Pate praised his sons gritty performance, saying, “Timothy has typically been a power pitcher and he had to revamp his game because the kids at this level are much bigger and stronger. He did a phenomenal job at changing speeds tonight.”

“I’m sitting here not only as a proud coach,” said Manager Pate, “but as a proud father, to watch my son out there and perform the way he did tonight. It was just incredible.”

Team USA doesn’t plan on slowing down either as they head into their World Championship matchup with Mexico tonight at 8 p.m. at Cal, Sr.’s Yard.

“Mexico has a fantastic team and a great program,” Rick Pate said. “Last year’s West Raleigh team beat Mexico in the final so I’m sure they’ve got a little motivation to come after us pretty hard. But our guys are going to go out there and compete like they have all week. We’ll have a good time, and we’re going to enjoy this moment.”

This game recap is brought to you by the AT&T Media Center. Be sure to follow your U.S. Champions, Team Southeast, on Twitter at @CRWS_Southeast for all the latest stories, scores, updates, and more. 

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Southeast: The team’s adventure in Charm City

By Spencer Latran

On Wednesday, July 29, Team Southeast, players and family alike, took a trip down to the city of Baltimore for the day, in between their Tuesday win against Midwest Plains and their Thursday win against Pacific Southwest.

Some Southeast members had never been to Baltimore, and, ultimately, they gave positive reviews of the city, even though the time spent there was quite short.

From Fells Point all the way to Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles, Team Southeast enjoyed themselves at many landmark restaurants of Baltimore, most notably Bertha’s Mussels and Phillip’s Seafood. Baltimore, and the eastern side of Maryland in general, is known for their fine Maryland crab cakes, but any kind of seafood at just the right place never seems to disappoint.

At Bertha’s Mussels in Fells Point, the Perez and Bloom families had quite an array of dishes, from elegant seafood salads to an eye-popping amount of mussels. Overall, Team Southeast’s Sam Perez spoke most excitingly about the enormous bowl of mussels that lay on the table in front of him. Not even halfway through the bowl, just Sam’s expression of delight was enough to know that they didn’t call it “Bertha’s Mussels” to try to sell their Shrimp.

At Phillips Seafood, right in the Inner Harbor, was where the Hunley’s enjoyed some nice Maryland Blue Crabs. Later on, Mr. Hunley was more than happy to explain in detail the process that was undergone for shelling a crab, and he gave a positive review of the seafood chain found in the Mid-Atlantic part of the United States.

Later on, Sam Perez, Payton Bloom, and Braden Bloom travelled with their families to the official Under Armour retail store in Baltimore, where they showed expressions of pure amazement at all the products in what seemed to be an athlete’s wonderland. They would not just be gazing at UA gear, however, as they ultimately purchased socks and shoes that are patriotic, showing patterns of stars along with the red, white, and blue of the flag of the United States of America. Braden Bloom’s socks had this feature on the back of his socks, while Sam’s navy blue shoes and Payton’s red shoes each had stars on the tops and sides of them. They arrived stunned, and left excited to don their newest footwear Under Armour has to offer.

Some families also chose to visit the world-renowned National Aquarium located in Baltimore, where they were surrounded by an assortment of many fascinating sea creatures from all over the world.

Finally, the trip to Baltimore culminated at the Orioles game at Camden Yards, where they faced the Atlanta Braves in the last game of the series. Having only two major sports teams in the city of Baltimore, you could tell that fans are very passionate about either one, or both! While there, some members of Team Southeast learned about the history of Camden Yards, how it was tied to Babe Ruth’s family history as well, and where the “O!” shouted in the ending verse of the National Anthem came from at the Cal Ripken World Series. Due to the rain delay that cut into the initial starting game time, not all of Team Southeast stayed for the entirety game, but they saw enough, as the Orioles beat the Braves, 2-0. Some favorites of the stadium by the boys were the cinnamon sugar-covered pretzels, the frozen lemonade cups, and the versatility of the design on the Maryland flag.

So, less than 24 hours after their trip to Baltimore, Team Southeast played Pacific Southwest in the U.S. Semi-final game in Cal Sr.’s Yard, beating them out 5-2 after two rain delays, and advancing as a Southeast team from West Raleigh, NC for the third year in a row. Tonight, July 31, Team Southeast will play Mid-Atlantic at 8:00 in Cal Sr’s Yard for the U.S. Championship title, and the chance to represent their country in the World Championship while donning new USA Under Armour uniforms. Good luck Southeast!!!!

Follow Team Southeast on Twitter at @CRWS_Southeast for all the latest updates, videos, and photos, as they make a run at the National and World titles in the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series.

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Southeast: press conference vs. Pacific Southwest

Coach Rick Pate and Player of the Game Zach Hurand share their thoughts on Southeast’s win over Pacific Southeast.

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Southeast: A late rally and strong defense carry Southeast into the U.S. Finals as they beat Pacific Southwest, 5-2

By Spencer Latran

After a 2-run home run by Pacific Southwest’s Stanley McKenzie in the 1st inning, it wasn’t until the 4th inning that Team Southeast was able to make a huge rally, and ultimately pull away through two rain delays, as they won, 5-2, in the U.S. Semi-finals in Cal Sr.’s Yard.

“I knew they (Pacific Southwest) were going to be a tough team to beat, “ said Southeast head coach, Rick Pate. “They’ve scored runs, they’ve got big kids, and they’ve got good pitches… I knew that if my kids came out and competed like they know how, I think we can beat anybody here.”

Team Southeast started off the game with a double by #9 Payton Green and #18 Blake McCain hitting him in to make it 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, however, #30 Stanley McKenzie on Pacific Southwest hit a 2-run Home Run bomb to take the lead, 2-1.

For the next 2 innings, both teams virtually hit nothing but Singles, until the Top of the 4th inning, when Southeast’s #16 Sam Perez hit an RBI Double, followed by a 2-run RBI Double by #10 Payton Bloom, putting Southeast up 4-2.

In the 5th inning, Southeast’s #8 Grayson Nichols hit a Double, and he eventually stole home, giving the team from West Raleigh, NC a 5-2 lead over Pacific Southwest. In the bottom of the 5th inning, #4 Dominic Fritton replaced Zach Hurand on the mound for Team Southeast.

After two rain delays, the tensions were high, as Team Southeast awaited the final 3 outs in the bottom of the 6th inning that would give them the win to send them to the U.S. Championship. #22 Timothy Pate was brought onto the mound to finish out the game for team Southeast. Once second-baseman Joey Ferrari scooped up the grounder and threw it to first, all stress was relieved and the Southeast players and fans alike celebrated while also being respectful in the exchange of mementos with their Pacific Southwest opponents.

“We showed great perseverance, sitting through two rain delays. Early on we hit the ball a little bit but we didn’t string hits together. Their left-handed pitcher didn’t throw too hard, but he changed the speeds just enough to keep us off-balance. Our defense has just been stellar throughout the whole tournament.

Southeast’s starting pitcher, #21 Zach Hurand, was the Southeast Player of the Game.

“On the better batters and the bigger kids, we were trying to move the pitches down and away to make it hard to hit for anybody really, “ said Zach.

This game marks Zach’s second time in the CRWS where he has won the Player of the Game award.

“We were a little nervous at first, “ continued Zach. “but once we got through their first couple of batters, everything started to fall into place.”

Team Southeast will face the winner of today’s Southwest/Mid-Atlantic game tomorrow night at 8:00 in Cal Sr.’s Yard for the U.S. Championship and the opportunity to represent the United States of America in the World Championship for West Raleigh’s third year in a row.

“The only pressure that the boys felt was all the hard work they’ve put in throughout the season, “ said coach Pate. “They really wanted to show that they deserve to be in that national final. Whoever we play tomorrow, we go into that game with the motivation of wanting to wear that USA jersey, so that’s motivation enough. They’re ready for this moment, they really are, and they showed it today.”

Follow Team Southeast on Twitter at @CRWS_Southeast as they advance through the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series.

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Southeast: A team of Rituals, Traditions, and Camaraderie

By Spencer Latran

Over the past few days at the Cal Ripken Word Series, many things have stood out regarding the Southeast baseball team. Not only have they had success on the diamond, but their fans have been incessantly enthusiastic, bringing an arsenal of chants, posters, supporter shirts and accessories. It seems as though this team from West Raleigh, North Carolina has brought some of their hometown luck with them.

Passing by a game, you may not only see Southeast fans in their gold and green jerseys but also catch a sea of blue and red uniforms, which would be those of the West Raleigh All-Star Team. Of course, while it is an honor to represent an entire region, the Southeast team never forgets where they came from and who they have been a part of over the past couple of months, and even years.

Traveling away from the baseball field, and over to Team Southeast’s hotel, the tradition does not stop. Instead, you will see elaborately decorated hotel room doors showing pictures of the 12-and 13-year-old players from West Raleigh in all their years of being All-Stars. After speaking with coaches and family members, there was initially some confusion with the jersey numbers for Team Southeast, and it took some getting used to. The reason for this is that these boys have been together for so long and have basically worn the same jersey number since their beginnings in West Raleigh.

Next, if you head down to the main lobby, you can find the family and friends of team Southeast enjoying a meal that is sure to have anyone desiring to spend some time in West Raleigh just to get a little taste of that undeniably delicious Southern barbecue. This was an event held last Sunday, which also featured arguably some of the best croutons you could find, two large tubs of Kentucky Fried Chicken, nearly 5 pints of ice cream and much more!

Heading back to the baseball field, once game preparations begin, so do the rituals that are as varied as each team in the Cal Ripken World Series. Once they have reached the field, head coach Rick Pate, along with assistant coaches, Brian Green and Craig Nichols, will share their motivational thoughts two or three different times prior to game time.  

Next, each athlete keeps track of one baseball for himself, and after speaking with some of the players this was a tradition that goes all the way back to the beginning of the season for the West Raleigh All-Stars. Each player receives a ball with their name on it, and is tasked with keeping it for the entirety of the season to promote responsibility not only as an individual, but as a whole unit.

Afterward, #16 Sam Perez, whose character and vocabulary far exceed his age, will lead the team in prayer. He shows great poise speaking confidently and in an appreciative manner. At this time, everyone else removes their baseball cap, and stands in a circle, expressing reverence.

Once Sam’s prayer concludes, the fun and excitement begin. Water bottles filled with red, white, and blue beads are shaken enthusiastically, creating a moment of distraction for the opposing team and one of support for Team Southeast.

Just seconds before the team takes the field, things really begin to heat up on the Southeast bench. The final act before game time is orchestrated by Assistant Coach, Craig Nichols, who squats down with all of Team Southeast gathered around him in one big huddle. The opposing fans can only watch as the boys from West Raleigh scream “Let’s get it started in ha, let’s get it started in here!” Now it’s Coach Nichols chance to do the screaming. “Get loud one time! WHO ARE WE?” yells coach in the most energetic way possible, as the boys reply “WEST RALEIGH!” Coach Nichols asks for one more out of the West Raleigh Blue, saying “Crank this up one time! WHO ARE WE?” The boys give one final reply, shouting “WEST RALEIGH”, as they head out more psyched than ever to take down their opponent.

As Team Southeast and their unbeatable crowd advance to the U.S. Semi-Finals of the Cal Ripken World Series, look out for large banners, some hometown mementos and support from previous Southeast teams, all to show some West Raleigh love.

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Southeast: A strong start and a late rally push them over Midwest Plains, 9-1

By Spencer Latran

A Single by #22 Tim Pate, followed by three Southeast players stealing home on passed balls, gave them a huge boost in the first inning as they defeated Midwest Plains, 9-1, at Cal Sr.’s Yard at the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series.

“It was pretty simple for us tonight, “ said Southeast Head Coach, Rick Pate. “If we win, we’re in…. Just come out, relax, and play West Raleigh baseball, then things will take care of themselves. Finally tonight we came out hitting the baseball and that’s really what I’ve expected.”

After the three stolen bases, #12 Garrett Moffett hit a Double, scoring the first RBI of the game, making the score 4-0. This was followed by an RBI Triple by #13 Alexander Lietz, and a hit on an error by #4 Dominic Fritton, concluding the first inning with a 6-0 lead.

In the second inning, #7 Joey Ferrari hit a Double, and he scored off of a Sacrifice Fly by Tim Pate, making the score 7-0. Team Southeast would go scoreless for the next two innings, until Joey Ferrari hit a single, followed by an RBI Double by #18 Blake McCain, and an RBI Single by #16 Sam Perez, making the score 9-1. #8 Grayson Nichols finished off the side with a Single. Being the Home team, this was Southeast’s last hit of the game.

“My game plan was to try to get us hitting again like we know how to hit, “ said Coach Pate. “If we come out and hit the baseball like we did in the first couple of innings, we’re very tough. It’s a testament to these boys.”

The Southeast Player of the Game was Garrett Moffett, who hit Team Southeast’s first RBI of the game.

“I was 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts before that hit, and I just wanted to get a hit, so I swung at the first good pitch I got so I hit it.”

Garrett also had a stellar pitching performance against Midwest Plains.

“I was trying to keep them (Midwest Plains) off-balance with my curveball and just throw strikes.”

This huge win puts Team Southeast into the U.S. Semi-finals set for Thursday.

“We came out and hit the baseball hard tonight, “ said Coach Pate. “I can’t express how happy defensively I am with our team, and tonight we got both offense and defense.”

Follow Team Southeast on their journey through the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series on Twitter at @CRWS_Southeast for all the latest updates, videos, and photos. GO SOUTHEAST!

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Southeast: post-game press conference vs Mid-Atlantic

Check out Team Southeast’s post-game press conference after their game against Mid-Atlantic. 

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Southeast: A quick comeback rally just not enough to take down Mid-Atlantic as they lose, 7-4

By Spencer Latran

Both teams had their solid at-bats, and stellar defensive performances, but in the final innings of the game, Mid-Atlantic was able to pull away, beating Team Southeast, 7-4, at Cal Sr.’s Yard at the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series.

“Our expectations of Mid-Atlantic were exactly what you saw, “ said Southeast Head Coach Rick Pate. “I knew they were going to be tough. Their one-through-seven hitters got big hits when they needed them, which is something that we still haven’t done yet.”

After a 2-run home run in the 1st inning, Mid-Atlantic was answered by Southeast’s #7 Joey Ferrari, who hit home #16 Sam Perez and #12 Garrett Moffett, making the score tied up 2-2. Not too long afterwards, Team Southeast’s #4 Dominic Fritton hit a Single, scoring in Joey Ferrari, allowing the Southeast to take the lead, 3-2.

Later, in the 3rd inning, #9 Payton Green hit a Single, followed by a run-scoring double by #22 Timothy Pate, putting Southeast up 4-2.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Mid-Atlantic’s #16 Lonnie White hit a huge home run, putting them within 1 run of Southeast at 4-3. Later in the inning, an RBI Single tied the game up 4-4.

In the 5th inning, Mid-Atlantic started to pick up speed, and never looked back. An RBI Triple, a Sacrifice Fly RBI, and a Fielder’s Choice RBI bumped them up to a 3-run lead at 7-4.

In the final inning, #9 Payton Green and #18 Blake McCain both hit Singles, and went through rigorous at-bats, and the bases were eventually loaded with 1 out. Ultimately, however, Team Southeast was not able to obtain any fortune and capitalize on hitting opportunities.

Coach Rick Pate still believes that there is much more to be worked on and much more to be seen of Team Southeast.

“We’re still a team that’s built like an 8-cylinder engine that’s only running on 4 cylinders…. I hope this will motivate the guys a little more. I don’t know what else you can do about motivation except that this game is for the No.1 seed. The guys have to get tougher mentally.”

Despite tonight’s loss, #9 Payton Green was Team Southeast’s Player of the Game! Congratulations Payton!

“I’m just trying to get on base as much as possible, and score some runs,” Green said. “For tomorrow, we all have to work harder and have the motivation that we need to hit the ball.”

Team Southeast is back in action tomorrow night at 8 P.M. for their final pool game when they take on Midwest Plains in Cal Senior’s Yard. GO SOUTHEAST!

“I’m not looking to check any teams out, “ said Coach Pate. “My focus is on SOUTHEAST. If we play like we know how to play, I still feel like we’re the best U.S. team in this tournament.”

Follow Team Southeast on Twitter at @CRWS_Southeast for live updates, pictures, and videos as they continue to progress through the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series!

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Southeast: Pre-Game Huddle

If this doesn’t get anybody pumped up, I don’t know what will! Team Southeast came out psyched vs Harford County today! 

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Southeast: Post-Game Conference

Team Southeast dominated Harford County 10-3 on Nationals Field today. We sit down with Blake McCain and Rick Pate at the AT&T Media Center after their victory. Here is what they have to say!

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Southeast: Powerful and consistent hitting drives a win over Harford County, 13-3

By Spence Latran

Consecutive powerful hits and quick feet on the base paths gave Team Southeast a massive response in the first few innings, as they defeated Harford County, 10-3, in their 2nd game of the Cal Ripken World Series on Sunday, July 26 at Nationals Park.

Harford County was able to get a big start in the first inning, hitting two home runs that were both over the left field fence, but Team Southeast responded with a 2-run RBI double by their Player of the Game, #18 Blake McCain. Along with McCain’s hit, were singles from Tim Pate, Alexander Lietz, and Dominic Fritton, the latter of which scored a 2-run RBI. Garrett Moffett also hit a 1-run RBI.

Team Southeast would manage to keep Harford County from scoring a single run for the next three innings, until they scored on an error in the top of the fifth inning.

Throughout the middle of the game, four more runs were scored, off of RBIs, smart base running from #8 Grayson Nichols, and a solo home-run by Blake McCain in the bottom of the second inning.

“I honestly thought that it wasn’t going out, so I was just hoping for a good double off of the hit, “ said Blake McCain regarding his first home run of the Cal Ripken World Series. “As soon as I heard the first base coach tell me I hit it out, I felt pretty good about it.” Blake, the winner of the Home Run Derby, would be the only Southeast player to hit a home run in today’s game.

The game ended early, when a huge rally in the 5th inning propelled Team Southeast to a 13-3 win. This surge was started from a single by Zach Hurand, followed by a double by Joey Ferrari, and RBIs each from Dominic Fritton and Evan Ashworth. Payton Bloom came in clutch with a walk-off RBI, concluding the game.

“Going into this game, I was hoping that we would hit the ball a lot better than we did yesterday, “ said Southeast head coach, Rick Pate. “One of our coaches said it best that we’re an 8-cylinder machine that’s running on about 4 cylinders right now, so still not satisfied with the way we’ve been hitting, but it’s come along definitely better than yesterday.”

Team Southeast hopes to add to its undefeated record when they take on Mid-Atlantic tomorrow at Cal Sr.’s Yard at 5:30 p.m.

“Mid-Atlantic is going to be tough. We need to be a little more aggressive at the plate again, and swing at good pitches. We’ve got to be mentally tough tomorrow because we could find ourselves down a couples runs playing against a really good team, so we’ve got to be focused.”

Follow Team Southeast on Twitter @CRWS_Southeast as they move through the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series. GO SOUTHEAST!

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Southeast: 2015 CRWS starts with a 1-0 win over Ohio Valley

By Spence Latran

After four scoreless innings by both teams, Team Southeast was able to answer with a series of hits, in the fifth inning, as they defeated Ohio Valley 1-0 in their first game of the Cal Ripken World Series at Nationals Park on Saturday, July 25. Ironically enough, this was also the same score as the Southeast’s first game at the 2014 CRWS.

“After seeing Ohio Valley’s pitcher in the home run contest, I figured we were in for a tough game, “ Southeast Head Coach Rick Pate, said. “We usually do well against fastball pitchers, but we just couldn’t catch up with him today. He did a really good job.”

Scoring only one run in a baseball game seldom occurs with West Raleigh and Southeast baseball, so the team has to reflect on their performance in order to prepare for tomorrow’s game against Harford County.

“We’ve got to hit the baseball better and attack the ball, “ Coach Pate said. “Instead of the third call stirkes, we need to be swinging the bat. Typically, we’re a little more aggressive than that.”

There were pop flies, grounders, and strikeouts, and one single by Southeast’s Timothy Pate in the first inning, but the momentum changed completely when they had a huge rally in the top of the fifth inning, starting with a double by #16 Sam Perez, followed by a single by #7 Joey Ferrari and an RBI single by #19 Evan Ashworth. Sam Perez would score the only run of the game.

After that half of the inning, Ohio Valley managed to squeeze in three more hits, all of which were singles.

The Southeast’s #21 Zach “Zee” Hurand was not only the winning pitcher, but the Player of the Game as well. This was Zach’s first ever shutout.

“I was proud of the guys. We got a couple good hits in crucial situations, we got a break, and just took advantage of it.”

“We had our coach from last year’s World Series Championship team come in and spoke to the boys, and he did a good job at motivating the boys and told them to take one game at a time, and I really think that helps. Last year’s team, their first game was also a 1-0 win, so we seem to be following in their shoe steps, so I’m hoping the rest of our week can go the same way theirs did.”

Team Southeast will take on Harford County tomorrow at 10 A.M. at Nationals Park, as they look to build a win streak.

“Harford County is going to come out hungry looking for a win. We don’t want to make any little mistakes to give them any kind of momentum whatsoever. Our bats need to start cracking.”

Follow Team Southeast on Twitter at @CRWS_Southeast and on the Cal Ripken World Series Website at https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/world_series/media

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Team Southeast takes some more grounders before their game vs Ohio Valley #crws

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Congrats to Blake McCain on winning the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series Home Run Derby! Great to see the whole team supporting the slugger himself #ripkenway #crws

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Rituals are a cornerstone of Team Southeast’s success. Just look at that focus!!! Yeah Blake “Ninety-eight” McCain and Sam “Sammy Sprinkler” Perez #ripkenway #crws

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Southeast: New Beginnings

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By: Spencer Latran

WOW! What an awesome two days so far at the Cal Ripken World Series. Yesterday, after flying into BWI Airport, Team Southeast had the opportunity to receive their uniforms at Under Armour in downtown Baltimore, where they not only saw gear currently worn by some of the best collegiate and professional athletes on the planet, but also got a sneak peek at apparel that is set to be released next year. The favorites of the boys seemed to be the baseball arm sleeves and the All-Star Game cleats. 

There was definitely a lot of life and energy inside the Under Armour complex, seeing teams from all over the world enter and exit with exuberance that goes unmatched compared to any other program for their age. Now that’s The Ripken Way at its finest!

As for the first day at the Cal Ripken World Series, there was never a dull moment. Team Southeast always found a way to enjoy themselves, whether it was getting a bite to eat at the team dinner pavilion, chilling with some water ice in the outfield stands, or taking hits in the batting cages before the opening ceremony. These guys sure know how to have a good time.

From the press conference in the morning, Team Southeast was all for seizing the day. They had some terrific performances in the team challenges, which certainly upped the level of competition. However, the main event came from #18 Blake McCain, who won the 2015 CRWS Home Run Derby, sponsored by Zepp, a company that creates devices which record the speed of a swing, and analyze a player’s overall hitting power. Solid job Blake! By the way, Blake hit the ball so hard that the paint came off of the bat in the qualifying round. What an exciting way to kick off Team Southeast’s rally!

During the team dinner and batting practice, every member of Team Southeast mentioned their nicknames, some of which are not only creative, but also outright hilarious when uttered either casually or in the heat of a game. It will be interesting to find out the story behind some of the names as the tournament progresses. They are as follows:

#1 Braden “Buster” Bloom

#4 Dominic “Dominator” Fritton

#5 Mason “M&M” Moffett

#7 Joey “Maserati” Ferrari

#8 Grayson “G-Money” Nichols

#9 Payton “PG” Green

#10 Payton “PB” Bloom

#12 Garrett “G2″ Moffett

#13 Xander “X-Man” Lietz

#16 Sam “Poppa Bear/Sammy Sprinkler” Perez

#17 Tanner “T-Bone” Hunley

#18 Blake “Ninety-eight” McCain

#19 Evan “E-Man” Ashworth

#21 Zach  “Zee” Hurand

#22 Timothy “Sniper” Pate

Team Southeast, coaches and players alike, could not have been more social, funny, and enthusiastic on Day 1 of the Cal Ripken World Series. The passion that everyone has for the program and the game of baseball in general is one that generates success, and hopefully they are fortunate enough to have that opportunity again, for the third year in a row. Their spirit and respect that were shown today definitely set the stage for what kind of a team they are expected to be, and everyone else is coming into competition knowing that this unique group of boys from West Raleigh, NC means business. 

Team Southeast’s first game is set to kick off at 5:30 P.M. tomorrow, July 25, against Ohio Valley.

Follow Team Southeast on the Road to the U.S. Championships and the Finals of the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series on Twitter @CRWS_Southeast