National Flash:

Coming this week - National Rankings Updates

 “Congratulations to TbS All America, Bryce Harper, on a successful MLB debut”

 

TbS Travelball National Championship Web Site is LIVE - Click Here

Coming this week . . . "9U Players to Watch - Part I"

"Travelball National Championship to be televised on Comcast & Dish Network”

"Travelball™ National Championship to air in 35 million homes"

 

2008 10U San Antonio Devils Print E-mail
10U San Antonio Devils This week Travel Ball Select shifts its sights on South Texas, home to several powerhouse travel baseball teams, and examine the 10U Major San Antonio Devils – who are off to an impressive start in 2008. 

Following a strong performance in 2007, in which the 9U Devils finished with a 32-13 overall in-class record that included six first place trophies in 16 tournaments, the team added two players to their roster – and currently sit atop the 10U Major Power Rankings in Texas. Nationwide, they are second only to the Tomateros de California.

Through their first six tournaments – five 10U and one 11AAA – the Devils have chalked up four first place finishes, a second and a third.  Their record against 10U Major teams is a state-best 11-2, including a 9-6 win over Travel Ball Select’s sixth ranked Texas Nationals on March 8, in Austin.
  The Devils organization, led by high school baseball coach Jeff Jung, fields teams in the 7U, 8U, 9U, 10U and 11U classes. Jung’s coaching philosophy centers on aggressive defense and line-drive hitting – and it’s paying off.  In addition to delivering with their bats (the Devils are averaging seven runs per game) the 10U team is unmatched this year at halting opponents’ momentum by removing runners from base:  They love catching runners stealing – and picking them off base. 

Team Manager Edwin Mitchell and Jung attribute the team’s success to two things, hard work and playing as a team.  “We came into this season knowing we could compete against anyone – if we worked harder than anyone,” Mitchell said.  “That’s been our philosophy from the beginning.  Unlike some of our opponents, we don’t cut boys from the Devils just because a better player comes along.  We believe we can win with this group of boys – if every one of them is willing to work hard.”

To prove the point, Mitchell points out that eight of the team’s 11 current players were on the 8U Devils team that finished 9th in the Coach Pitch World Series in Sulphur, Louisiana in 2006. 

The remarkable start to the Devils’ season comes on the heels of a 2007 season that ended on a tragic note: Mike Coolbaugh, the minor league coach killed by a line-drive foul ball in Oklahoma, was the uncle of one of the Devils players.  The team got the news the first day of the 9U USSSA World Series in Kansas City.  “It was hard on everyone,” Mitchell said.  “We went ahead and played in the Series, and did okay … but our hearts just weren’t in it.”  The Devils ended up finishing 17th, after being eliminated 9-7 by Travel Ball Select’s ninth ranked team, the Jackson Coyotes.

The Devils in 2008 are planning to compete in the Triple Crown World Series in Colorado – where they’re likely to be one of the favorites to take it all. 

What about the Elite World Series?  “We’ll see,” said Mitchell. “It depends on how hard the boys are willing to work.”

Look to see the San Antonio Devils in Travel Ball Select’s next ranking due out soon.

Comments (0)Add Comment
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed
min/maxShow/hide comments

Write comment
feedShow/hide comment form
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.

busy
< Prev   Next >
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 08:01
 

Select News

Click HERE for the entire article list!