Journey to the unknown
Wylie 11-12 squad becomes first to earn trip to sectional tournament
By Shiela K. Haynes
Contributing writer
The Little League 11- and 12-year-old all-stars representing the Wylie Baseball Association (WBA) ventured into uncharted territory on Saturday when they crushed South Garland 15-4 in 3 1/2 innings to claim the District 8 championship.
This is the first time a team from Wylie in this age group has won a district championship and earned a trip to the sectional tournament.
WBA president Matt Rose said, “This is a special thing for not only for Wylie baseball and for these boys to make it to this level, but also for this community.”
The champions from Districts 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 will compete in the double-elimination Little League Section II tournament, which begins Thursday in Waco. Games will be played at Little League Southwest Regional Headquarters, 3700 South University Parks Dr.
Wylie is scheduled to meet the District 6 champion at 8:15 p.m. Thursday.
The winner of that game will play again Saturday at 5 p.m. The loser will play again Friday at 8:15 p.m.
It’s a long journey, but this is the age group that competes at Williamsport, Penn. in the Little League World Series in mid-August. Teams must make it through sectional and regional tournaments to reach that pinnacle.
Rose said Wylie is a true all-star team comprised of players from five of the WBA’s seven major league teams.
He said, “Our coaches have done a great job of getting the boys to gel together. I can’t say enough about the coaches, because they are putting them in a position to win, but they have given all of the credit to the boys.”
The team is under the direction of manager Jim Marquez and coaches Jeff Knapp and Jack Stanley.
Marquez said they are preparing the squad mentally as well as physically for the upcoming competition.
“We have told the boys there are no bad teams at this level. The teams that aren’t that good are gone. The competition will continue to get tougher as they go,” he said. “All of the kids are contributing. They’re having fun and bonding together.”
The road to the district championship started off with a bump when Wylie fell to McKinney Combined 3-1 in game one of pool play. McKinney Combined then fell to Sulphur Springs 14-10 in game two, and Wylie redeemed itself by dispatching McKinney Combined 9-2 in the rematch.
The 12 district teams were divided into four pools of three teams each, playing in a double-elimination format. At the conclusion of pool play, one team from each pool was ousted, and the remaining two teams continued into the 8-team championship round.
In game one of the championship round, Wylie defeated Denison 10-0 in four innings.
They moved on to defeat The Colony 9-4 in a hard-fought contest. The teams were tied at 4-all as they headed into the top of the final inning, but Wylie bats got things moving in the right direction, and an outstanding defense shut down a Colony rally.
The win earned Wylie an appearance in the final. South Garland dismantled each team they faced.
Their first two games in the championship round included an 18-1 victory over Dallas and a 17-2 win over Garner.
Rose said, “They were pounding everybody they played.
Our boys came out and just played their hearts out. We played as a team. The boys supported each other, and the coaches made the right decisions.”
The Wylie squad has solid pitching backed up by a dependable defense. They hit the ball extremely well and are playing with confidence.
Marquez said, “It’s pitching, defense. Everyone has a different role. It’s tough sometimes for an all-star team to get together. They’re all used to being the best players on their teams. But these boys all understand it’s about winning and advancing.”
Other WBA all-star action
The 9- and 10-year-old All Stars, under the direction of Eddie Griffin, rolled over Denison Gold 17-2 in four innings and defeated McKinney 11-0 in pool play. They fell to McKinney Combined 5-3 in the first game of the championship round.
The 10- and 11-year-old All Stars, under the direction of Shane Settles, were eliminated after dropping a pair of close contests, falling to Denison 4-3 and West Dallas 6-4.
The Junior League All Stars lost to North Garland 8-2 and exploded past McKinney 25-14 in pool play. They went on to beat The Colony 11-1, but exited the tournament with a 9-5 loss to Sulphur Springs. They were coached by Ric Sauceda.
The 7- and 8-year-old All Stars began their district tournament earlier this week
