Rocket City Baseball Club – Stingers 13U

The Rocket City Baseball Club has assembled top ranked baseball teams for five years now.  A couple of years ago one marquee team had a record of 88 wins-7 loses and featured TravelBallSelect.com All-America players A.J. Cole, Mathew Crownover, Evan East (all East Cobb Astros now) and other stand outs like K.J. Green (ECB Astros), Anthony Rapiere (Alabama Heat), and Jim Basque (Lake Jackson Blaze, Texas Drillers).

But no Stingers team has been as successful as the Rocket City Stingers 13u team. Two years ago the Stingers finished 3rd at the Elite 24 as 11 year olds. Not bad considering the team had been formed just nine months prior to its date in Orlando. Then last year as 12u, the Stingers finished with 101 wins and 8 losses (3 losses as a result of playing up). Along the way the Stingers won two Super NITs, Week 3 in Cooperstown, and finished 2nd at the Elite 24. The team was anchored by a solid pitching staff of ace pitchers like Austin Sanders who averaged 1 ½ strikeouts per inning and pitched in most championship games, Victor Cole and Tripp Hobbs two of the top lefties in the Southeast (Victor’s dad spent many years pitching as a professional and Tripp has guest played with teams such as the OC Hawks). The pitching staff had the supporting cast of top defenders in shortstop Dathan Prewett and catcher Jordan Cole.  Dathan caught Lou Presutt’si eye in Cooperstown with his Derrick Jeter type plays, and Jordan was an Iron Man behind the plate. The Stingers were not short on offensive fire power. In addition to the above mentioned players, the Stingers had Chase Hamilton (Elite 24 offensive MVP), Trent Simpson (going yard 30+ times including a bomb in the Elite finals), Jackson Stephens (led the team in average the past two years), Taylor Propst and Daniel Robert (both multi-dimensional players). All top ranked teams have unselfish players who do whatever it takes to help the team win (utility players). Adam Brown and Brandon Bilek are two who epitomize the team player role.

With the past success it was easy to coast a little and rest in the off season. Not this group. Instead they have hired a young standout college player turned coach, Philip Donaldson. Philip has big shoes to fill as the past coach had compiled 605 wins over the past seven years and taking a team to the Elite 24 since its origination. But Philip is no stranger to the big stage as he has taken teams to World Series events as well as to Disney.

In addition, the Stingers have been looking for players to backfill some holes as school ball is starting to impact the scene.  They have filled one of three openings with Colby Sherman who is out of the Team Alabama program (finished fifth at the Elite as 13u last year).  A couple more gems like that will solidify RCBC’s position at the top.
With all of the talent, the Stingers can not wait to kick off the new season.  However, it will have to wait until April to start as Alabama Athletic Association regulates extra curricular play.  The 13u team has a short but tough season as they will travel to play in three Super NITs, TBS-TOC and Southaven’s NABF World Series.

TravelBallSelect.com hopes the Stingers can build on their past successes and have another stellar year.

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