I know I said I'd post updates during the week at Junior Olympics, but there was so much going on that I decided to wait and post one big recap. It was a week with a lot of ups and downs for TP, but ultimately will be a week the boys will never forget. So here goes.
We arrived on Friday around noon, prior to our scheduled event time of 12:30. The event time was a time for our team to be observed by the USA Baseball scouts. Each player ran the sixty, then participated in a modified infield/outfield practice. The entire process took about an hour and we were then free for the rest of the day. There was a Jupiter Hammerheads game that evening, for which USA Baseball provided tickets. The game was rained out though, so several of the families ended up going out to dinner together while Coach C and the coaching staff attended the mandatory coaches meeting. Our five pool play games were scheduled for 8:00am, starting on Sat and ending on Tues. Here's where some of those downs come in, because TP struggled a bit in their pool play games. I'll give a brief recap of each game.
Game 1 TP came out and played well. The team they were playing against was extremely good and unfortunately our boys never did get their bats going. They lost that game 5-0, though they put up a good fight.
Game 2 was also a loss of 4-1. For that game, they could have played better. Once again their bats were quiet and they just weren't playing with a lot of heart. Coach C was starting to get a little irritated with them because they're capable of playing much better.
Game 3 was supposed to be Sunday but got postponed to Monday due to rain. It turned out to be the most difficult game of the tournament for them, ending in a 7-0 loss. The pitching on the opposing team was phenomenal and unfortunately it paralyzed our boys' bats. They let themselves be intimidated, which killed their shot at winning right from the start. Coach C gave them a pretty stern talking to following the game, and told them to show up that afternoon for game 4 ready to play hard.
Game 4 was the turning point in the tournament for us. The boys shook off their previous losses and came out fighting. Our pitcher pitched an outstanding game against one of the best teams competing in the tournament. This team was undefeated in pool play and TP shut them down with a 6-4 win.
Game 5 was a heart breaker. TP was playing well, but during one inning they made a coupe fumbles that allowed the other team to score two runs. They rallied, and scored, but the game ended in a 2-1 loss.
Wednesday was an off day and we found out TP was seeded 36 after pool play. Only the top 32 teams advanced to the playoffs, but TP would have two consolation games. Coach C got them fired up and they approached those two games as if they were the championship round. On Thursday they played with tons of heart and fire, and ended up with a 7-2 win. Friday's game was another good one, ending with a 10-2 win.
The overall record for this tournament was 3 wins and 4 losses. Junior Olympics is one of the best youth baseball tournaments in the country, with extremely competitive teams entering. Many of the teams that enter are put together for the sole purpose of competing at this tournament, bringing in kids from all over to play together for a brief time. The fact that our boys went out there and did as well as they did is a testament to how well they mesh as a team, their talent and skill, and the excellent coaching they receive from Coach C and the rest of the coaching staff.
We have one last tournament in a few weeks, along with a couple local scrimmage games. The final tournament is the same one we won last year, so Coach C wants to go and defend our title. If they keep playing the way I know they can, there's no reason we won't be bringing home the trophy again.
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