Tri-City baseball players headed to Connie Mack World Series in New Mexico

Nat Roe and Jason Repko were just looking to get some kids exposure in front of some baseball scouts.

What ended up happening, is an earned trip to this year’s Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, N.M., July 23 through Aug. 1.

Roe is co-manager of the Northwest 509 Stars — along with Tim Ayers of Spokane. Repko, a Hanford High graduate who played all or parts of seven seasons as a Major League outfielder, helps out.

Both Roe and Repko have sons on the team.

But this team has an interesting background.

“It’s kind of a neat story,” said Roe. “It’s a combination of two travel ball teams.”

Roe and Repko were involved in putting together a summer travel ball team with the idea that kids could get some notice and yet the season wouldn’t pilfer the parents’ pocketbooks.

But the duo kept noticing over the next few seasons they’d play a team that was a mirror image of themselves.

“Back then, we were the Tri-City Stars,” said Roe. “Over the last few years, we kept crossing paths with Inland Empire Elite out of Spokane. We’d always seem to meet in the championship game of whatever tournament we both played in.

“Over time, we got to know each other. We played the same type of baseball they did. Players had the same attitudes.”

It just made sense, said Roe, to combine the best of both teams.

That happened four seasons ago as the new squad was named the Northwest 509 Stars 18U team.

How does a team with players hundreds of miles apart prepare for a summer season?

“We largely practice in the winter, in Spokane at a place called HumNow Sports out in the Valley,” said Roe.

“And I have a batting cage at the house,” adds Repko.

Roe handles the offense, while Ayers runs the pitching staff.

The one thing no one has to worry about is the players’ drive.

“These guys are all grinders,” said Repko. “About 90 percent of these guys are going to college. We have about five guys not committed.”

This year’s lineup includes Kamiakin’s Tanner Davis, Richland’s Braylon Edwards, and a Hanford trio of Dallin Higgins, Ty Repko and Derrek Roe.

The remaining players of the roster helm from Spokane-area schools such as Ridgeline, Mt. Spokane, Lewis & Clark, Chewelah, Gonzaga Prep; and Idaho schools of Lake City and Post Falls.

The idea, especially this year with this age group, was to play a summer schedule in front of as many baseball scouts as possible.

“We play close to 11 tournaments from Memorial Day to the 1st of August,” said Roe. “We try to go play basically at all of the colleges.”

But that also ended up including a Connie Mack national qualifier tournament in Spokane last month.

“We did OK last year at it,” said Roe. “We knew there was a carrot (World Series berth) with this tournament.”

The Stars were more interested in that out of state competition: The TBT Baltimore Orioles Scout team, out of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, region; the 4 Corners Blue squad from New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah; and the West Sound Baseball team from the Seattle region.

It didn’t matter. The Eastern Washington squad won the title — which included a check for $7,000 to help with World Series expenses.

This past weekend, the team went 6-0 to win the Spokane Wood Bat 19U tournament. Then the players immediately jumped into a bus to play this week at the Pathway Utah tournament in the Salt Lake City area.

After that, the Stars play in the Gonzaga Midsummer Team Camp from July 16-19, before heading to the World Series — where a per-game average of 6,000 fans, scouts and college coaches will be watching.

The team is still looking for donations for the Connie Mack World Series trip, and those interested in donating can go to the NW 509 Stars Facebook site.

The Stars are hoping to do something that hasn’t been done since 1965: a Pacific Northwest team winning the Connie Mack World Series.

Roe thinks this is the team that can break that drought.

“It’s a collaboration of two groups, basically, who have been trying to kill each other over the years,” he said.

Drafts and camps

Congrats go out to Kamiakin grad Tyler Bilodeau, who was selected 43rd overall in the NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets.

Meanwhile, Jakub Vanecek of the Tri-City Americans was a second-round selection in the NHL Draft a few days later, going to the Dallas Stars.

Now this coming Saturday and Sunday, the MLB Draft will be held with 20 rounds of selections. There is always a chance someone from our region could be selected.

• Bilodeau — a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward who finished his collegiate career with UCLA in March — signed a two-way contract with the Nets.

That means he is expected to likely play with the Nets’ G League team as he defines his game better.

A two-way contract is about equal to 50 percent of the NBA minimum salary applicable to a player with zero NBA years of service. For example, in 2025-26 that was equal to about $630,000.

Bilodeau, meanwhile, has already donned a Nets jersey in competition, playing a couple games in the California Classic Summer League in the Bay Area.

On Monday in a 100-79 victory over Warriors Blue, Bilodeau scored 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the 3-point line. He also added 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

He is also set to play for Brooklyn in the Las Vegas Summer League, which runs July 9-19.

• Vanecek spent last week in the Dallas Stars Development Camp, which almost every team had.

Former Tri-City American Connor Dale got an invitation to the Vancouver Canucks’ camp.

Other ex-Ams earning camp invites include Charlie Elick and Jackson Smith to the Columbus Blue Jackets; and Terrell Goldsmith to the Utah Mammoth.

NHL transactions

Former Ams defenseman Brandon Carlo was sent from Toronto to St. Louis last week in exchange for two third-round draft picks in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Ex-Ams defenseman Dylan Coghlan just signed a two-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Eric Comrie, a former Tri-City goalie, just signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks. Comrie spent the last few seasons with the Winnipeg Jets.

Ex-Ams defender Juuso Valimaki was just extended a 1-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Former Ams defenseman Parker Wotherspoon was traded from Pittsburgh to Vegas for Kaedan Korczak.

Hydroplanes

Jimmy Shane might have stopped racing unlimited hydroplanes the last four years, but it didn’t hinder his driving skills.

Last Sunday, Shane drove the U-27 Miss Apollo to the APBA Gold Cup victory in Madison, Ind.

Shane elected to take Lane 1 in the final — a tough assignment considering the watery mess that would await him in the first turn.

But he might have hit the most perfect start and then first turn ever seen in a long time, giving him the lead for good en route to the victory.

It was Shane’s sixth career Gold Cup victory.

It was also team owner Bruce Ratchford’s second consecutive Gold Cup win. Last year, in the Tri-Cities, Dave Villwock drove the U-27 to Gold Cup victory for Ratchford.

So now, the H1 Unlimited fleet comes to the Tri-Cities on the next stop of the four-race tour.

The Apollo Columbia Cup is set for July 24-26 at the Lampson Pits in Kennewick.

Race officials are expecting as many as nine unlimiteds to compete.

Here are the points race standings after Madison: 1, U-27 Miss Apollo (Jimmy Shane driving), 1,680 points; 2, U-1 BWR Racing (Andrew Tate), 1,569; 3, U-00 Maverick (J. Michael Kelly), 1,345; 4, U-3 Tahoe Miss (Corey Peabody), 1,340; 5, U-6 Royer Miss Madison (Brandon Kennedy), 897; 6, U-11 Miss FLAV-R-PAC (Jamie Nilsen), 494; 7, U-40 Bucket List Racing (Dylan Runne), 385.

More racing

Tri-City Raceway held the Freedom 250 on July 4 in front of a packed house out in West Richland.

Arizona’s Ethan Ebert, a former Baja 500 off-road champion, led for 138 of the 150-lap CARS Tour West final to win the main event.

Ebert has spent the last 18 months making the transition from off-road racing to asphalt racing.

Meanwhile, Keelan Harvick placed second, while his father — former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick — placed third.

Selah’s Tyler Huffines won the 50-lap final in the Hobby main event, while Spokane’s Colton Schultz was the winner of the 50-lap Mini main event.

Softball

Richland sophomore Ali Evans and Hanford junior Kenzie Hofstad were named Mid-Columbia Conference Co-Players of the Year by the league’s coaches recently.

Kamiakin senior Elizabeth O’Leary was named MCC Pitcher of the Year, while the Braves’ Kylee Lete earned Coach of the Year honors.

All three players compiled some outrageous statistics this spring.

Evans hit .716 (68 for 95) for the Bombers (25-4) over 29 games, scoring 23 runs and driving in 69. She also hit 9 home runs. As a pitcher, Evans had a 21-2 record with a 0.33 earned run average. She also struck out 279 batters over 127.2 innings pitched.

Hofstad, who played shortstop for the Falcons (22-6), hit .516 (48 for 93) in 28 games of work. She scored 52 runs, had 54 RBIs, hit 21 doubles and belted 6 homers.

O’Leary — who will pitch next spring for Central Washington University — had a 17-0 record for the Braves, along with a 2.79 ERA. In 113 innings of work, she fanned 188 batters.

Along with Hofstad, Hanford had three other players who made the first team: junior DH Alanah Eaglehart, junior third baseman Neve Jimenez, and junior outfielder Brooklyn Moss.

Kamiakin had three first-teamers, including O’Leary. Senior outfielder Jordynn Marquez (who will play next year at Eastern Oregon University) and catcher Harley Worster (playing at CBC) also made the team.

Joining Evans on the first team for Richland was senior first baseman Emmalee Mohr, who will play next spring for Western Washington University.

Three other MCC teams each had one first-team representative: Chiawana sophomore utility player Kinsley Jones; Hermiston freshman outfielder Jazlynn Ramirez; and Walla Walla junior second baseman Brooklyn White.

-Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.