Tallahassee-Leon Babe Ruth’s 13U All-Star team capped an outstanding summer by finishing third at the Babe Ruth World Series in Jamestown, New York. The accomplishment was made even more impressive by the fact that the team’s semifinal loss came against eventual champion Hawaii.
The World Series run that ended Friday, Aug. 21, provided another highlight in a productive season for local baseball programs.
Tallahassee-Leon’s 14U All-Stars finished fourth in their World Series in Texas, while Chaires-Capitola Little League captured its first state championship and advanced to regional play in Georgia on ESPN.
Veteran coach Mike Harrison couldn’t have been prouder of a 13U squad that claimed both state and Southeast Regional titles before closing the postseason with a 10-3 record.
“We had a great time this summer with this group. The young men continued to grow and develop as players throughout the summer,” Harrison said.
“We battled through the afternoon thunderstorms in Tallahassee to develop as a team. Then we played Thursday night in the World Series bracket round against Jamestown, a team that advanced to the bracket for the first time in league history, with 2,000 people in the stands cheering both for and against us. They handled it like seasoned veterans.
“Our message was, ‘Lions don’t turn around to barking dogs,’ which means don’t worry about what someone is saying. Hollering and heckling never scores runs, only fundamental play. After experiencing that, they can come back and play in a heated local rivalry game completely relaxed.”
Tallahassee-Leon was recognized with several postseason honors. CJ Usina and Whit Jacobs were named to the All-World Series Team, while Grayson Goeke earned All-World Series Defensive Team honors.
Usina led the team offensively during postseason play with a .447 batting average. Other top hitters included Cole Miller (.424), Alex McGee (.423), Harvey Reichert (.357) and Goeke (.333).
On the mound, Gabe Harper logged a team-high 16 innings during the postseason. Jack Wilson added 14.1 innings, Ben Campbell threw 11.2 innings and McGee contributed 10.1 innings as Tallahassee-Leon’s pitching staff helped fuel a memorable championship run.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Hawaii ends TLBR’s World Series dream, but historic summer remains
Reporting by Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
