World Series is the next stop for this local baseball team
With state and regional baseball titles in hand, the Kennewick American 10U All-Stars are next headed to the Cal Ripken World Series.
“They are super excited to go,” KA coach Clayton Rawlings said. “They are seriously talented. When they were 8, we knew. They are pumped that the season is not over. It will be exciting to get back there and see how we do against the other teams.”
The Kennewick team, which will play as Pacific Northwest, will leave Aug. 1 for Vincennes, Ind., and will begin pool play Aug. 3.
“There are two pools of six,” Rawlings said. “You have to finish in the top three to advance to bracket play.”
Winning has not been an issue for the KA team this season. It enters the World Series with a 31-1 record, and is 63-2 over the past two years.
KA has won back-to-back state and regional titles, but there is no World Series for 9U group.
This year, KA’s lone loss was to Black Hills (Lacey) earlier this month in a tournament in West Linn, Ore., where eight errors played a part in the loss.
Kennewick hosted the state tournament two weeks ago, beating Puyallup to advance to regionals in Moscow, Idaho.
Saturday, it beat Meridian (Idaho) 3-2 in the semifinals, with Hunter Van Hollebeke hitting a game-winning double.
In the title game, KA trailed Whatcom County 10-4 heading into the fifth inning, then rallied for a 16-15 victory in extra innings, with Angel Correa driving in the winning run.
“These guys are cut from a different cloth,” Rawlings said. “They put in the work and are super talented. They put in a lot of time in the offseason. Once you get to that point, it makes my job easier.”
Kennewick, which will play in the American Division, will open pool play at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 3 against Southern Indiana. Rawlings said right-handed pitcher Taron Carlson would get the start.
With just a little more than a week to raise $25,000 for the trip, there is a fundraising effort for the team. A Facebook fundraiser is under way, and one local business has stepped up to help.
Joel Watson, owner of Just Joel’s on Kennewick Avenue, is holding a raffle for all those who donate to the team at his diner. Any donation now through Saturday will earn you a ticket for a drawing for a $50 Just Joel’s gift certificate.
“A friend of mine (Raul Correa) has a son on the team and he asked for a favor,” Watson said. “I have never been in a position to help before. My customers are pretty cool. The kids are going to remember this for the rest of their lives. I played baseball when I was little, but we never made it to the World Series. This is amazing.”
The KA team is comprised of Dre Dimond, Trayce Teagle, Taron Carlson, Tate Cissne, Karson Rawlings, Dylan Mamiya, Morgan Dodson, Hunter Van Hollebeke, Angel Correa, Deegan Quesenberry, Wyatt Curtis and Brady Mattson.