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2002 World Series Champions and host Families
1st row "The Host Families"
2nd row l-r Logan Champagne, Derek Ray, Evan Foxworth, Travis Thompson, Allen Harrington, Reese Guidry, Josh Waite, Chris Carrell
3rd row l-r Coach Hollis Whorton, Chris Wood, Chad Hebert, Coach Jimmy Collins, Jason Stutes, Michael Brady, Collin Delome, Skylar Sparrow, Chase Dunkleberger, Blaine Foreman, Lance Elizondo, Mgr Clint Landry
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Mid County 4 Lakeville, Mn 0
Jason Stutes retired 11 batters in a row, facing only three more than the minimum in his seven-inning game.
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Mid County 6 Manteca, Ca 0
Logan Champagne came within two outs of a perfect game in his effort.
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All-World Series Teams
Members of the All-World Series Team for the 2002 16-Year-Old Babe Ruth World Series are:
-- Pitchers — Kyle Zweber, Lakeville, Minn., and Allen Harrington, Nederland, Texas.
-- Catcher — Kai Rorex, Jonesboro.
-- First base — Spencer Ancel, Lakeville, Minn.
-- Second base — Nathan Brown, Russellville.
-- Third base — B.J. O’Brien, Lakeville, Minn.
-- Shortstop — Brent Gerlach, Hammond, Ind.
-- Outfield — Reese Guidry, Nederland, Texas; Warren Chotowetz, Calgary, Alberta; Andy Loomis, Hammond, Ind.
-- Utility player — John Harder, Manteca, Calif.
Members of the Spike’s Trophies All-Defensive Team are:
-- Pitcher — Logan Champagne, Nederland, Texas.
-- Catcher — Tom Frawley, Syracuse, N.Y.
-- First base — Fraser Gall, Calgary, Alberta.
-- Second base — Derek Ray, Nederland, Texas.
-- Third base — Collin Delome, Nederland, Texas.
-- Shortstop — Josh Spradlin, Clark County.
-- Outfield — Tracey Stiger, Russellville; Brylee Callender, Lakeville, Minn.; Chris Wood, Nederland, Texas.
-- Utility player — Walker Covington, Coastal Plain, N.C.
Babe Ruth Sportsmanship Award winners are:
-- National Division — Jamar Andrews, Jonesboro.
-- American Division — Lawson Hipps, Russellville.
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Texas ace sits down Jonesboro 16s
By SEAN INGRAM
The Courier, Russellville
RUSSELLVILLE — The Jonesboro 16-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team received a rude awakening in its second game of the World Series on Saturday night in Russellville.
That rude awakening is named Allen Harrington, who after having to change his left-handed glove in the sixth inning, tied a Babe Ruth World Series record for recording the most strikeouts in a game (19) as Nederland, Texas, opened its pool play with a 5-0 shutout over Jonesboro. Jonesboro had recorded a 7-0 victory in its first game Friday night.
“There’s no doubt to what the story of the game was,” Jonesboro manager Derek Bramlett pointed out after watching his team drop to 1-1 in pool play. “Their pitcher was awesome. Give him credit. He was as good as we’ve seen this summer, for sure. He had a good fastball, not a great, great fastball, but probably 85-86 mph. He spotted it well, and kept it away from us. Then, he had a great hook. We weren’t trying to strike out, but it just happened. And, he kept us off balance.”
Harrington, whose previous strikeout high was 16, struck out the first 11 Jonesboro batters he faced through 32/3 innings. He didn’t allow a base hit until the top of the fifth inning, courtesy of Jonesboro catcher Kai Rorex’s hit down the right-field line. Rorex led Jonesboro with the team’s only two hits in the game as he went 2-for-3 at the plate.
“Allen was on tonight, as usual,” said Nederland manager Clint Landry about his pitcher, who tied Horacio Ramirez’s 19 strikeouts in the 1996 Babe Ruth World Series with West Torrance, Calif. “He’s an excellent 16-year-old pitcher with a great defense behind him, and he works hard. He is a battler, and didn’t get upset when they made him switch gloves in the six inning.
“The umpire said he had some white on his glove. He’s been using it all through the tournament, but he took it like a champion. We got this first victory, which was a tough game. Our main concern before the game was to play this one like a championship game. The first game is probably the most important, even in pool play. We went out there with our game faces on to win the first game.”
Nederland (1-0) scored its first run in the bottom of the second inning when center fielder Josh Waite jogged across home plate after left fielder Reese Guidry was tagged out at second on a steal attempt. The Texas team, celebrating its 50th season in Babe Ruth baseball, scored its remaining four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
It was Waite again who came home for Nederland’s 2-0 margin, this time on a wild pitch behind home plate after Guidry had struck out. The real damage to Jonesboro came when Nederland first baseman Blaine Foreman doubled into left-center field, putting runners at second and third.
Second baseman Derek Ray rapped his two-RBI double into left field, bringing in shortstop Chad Hebert and Foreman for Nederland’s 5-0 advantage. Nederland loaded the bases, but losing pitcher Jeb Davis (0-1) ended the threat and stranded three Texas runners for the second time when he forced Waite to pop out to left field to end the inning.
Harrington ended up throwing 92 pitches, with 63 of those being strikes. He ended up with 14 strikeouts after five innings, 17 after the top of the sixth and the record-tying 19 after the top of the seventh by fanning the last two batters he faced.
Davis threw 90 pitches for Jonesboro before giving way to Ryan Bauschlicher, who tossed 20 pitches with one strikeout. Davis ended up with two strikeouts after surrendering five walks and five earned runs.
Nederland right fielder Chris Wood also went 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI. Ray went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as the Texas club acquired its five runs on seven hits and committed one error.
Jonesboro takes today off before facing Syracuse, N.Y., at 8 p.m. Monday. Syracuse lost Saturday’s first contest at M.J. Hickey Park to Manteca, Calif., 4-1.
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Championship Box
16 year old World Series
Russellville, AR
Mid County, Texas vs Lakeville, Minnesota
Saturday Aug. 17, 2002
.............. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Mid County 1 2 0 0 3 0 0 . . . 6 9 0
Lakeville 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 . . . 2 3 2
WP: Champagne (2-0)
LP: Hahn (2-1)
2B: Harrington, Waite, Hebert - Mid County Texas ; Ancel, Callender - Lakeville
HR: Delome - Mid County
Mid-County Texas first inning
Derek Ray reached on a throwing error by the 3b.
Harrington doubled down the right field line to score Ray.
Lakeville first inning
retired in order
Mid-County Texas second inning
Waite doubled to right center. Dunkleberger infield
single. Hebert doubled down the right field line which
scored Waite. Ray had a sacrifice fly to the center
fielder which scored Dunkleberger and Hebert was thrown out at home trying to take an extra base.
Lakeville inning 2
retired in order
Mid-County inning 3
retired in order
Lakeville inning 3
no score
Mid-County inning 4
no score
Lakeville inning 4
Zweber walked. O'Brien reaches on fielders choice. Ancel
doubled to left center which scored O'Brien. Callender
doubled to center field which scored Ancel.
Mid-County inning 5
Ray infield single. Wood sacrifice to move Ray to second.
Harrington singled through the right side. Delome 3-run
homer.
Lakeville inning 5
retired in order
Mid-County inning 6
no score
Lakeville inning 6
retired in order
Mid-County inning 7
retired in order
Lakeville inning 7
no score
Mid County Texas wins the 2002 16 year old Babe Ruth World
Series
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Mid-County holds off Russellville to earn way into championship
By Henry C. Apple
sportseditor@couriernews.com
Allen Harrington couldn’t have beaten Russellville with his arm if it hadn’t been for a little help from his bat and his glove Friday night.
Harrington belted a two-run single to drive in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, then made a game-saving play late in the contest as Nederland, Texas, rallied for a 4-1 victory over the host team before 4,879 fans attending the 16-year-old Babe Ruth World Series at M.J. Hickey Park.
The win moves Nederland (5-0) into today’s championship game at 1 p.m. with a chance to tie the record for victories in a Series.
Nederland found itself trailing for the first time in the Series after Josh Hart scored on a wild pitch and gave Russellville a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. That lasted until the bottom of the fifth as the Southwest Regional finally figured out Russellville right-hander Nathan Brown, who had only allowed two hits through the first four innings.
“That was one thing that had me worried,” Nederland Coach Clint Landry said. “I was wondering if we could come back after falling behind like we did. But our players really sucked it up when they had to and came back to win the game.”
Things began with a hit batsman. Then, back-to-back singles by pinch-hitter Lance Elizondo and Derek Ray loaded the bases and spelled trouble for Brown. Nederland tied the game without taking a swing as Brown walked Chris Wood, forcing pinch-runner Logan Champagne to come home.
Harrington then lofted his shot into the gap in left-center field, driving in Elizondo and Ray and giving Nederland a 3-1 lead. Collin Delome then drove in Nederland’s only other run, belting a fly ball into left field and allowing Wood to score.
“We had two bad innings in the tournament, and we lost because of them,” Russellville Manager Billy Newton said. “But Nederland deserves a lot of credit for it. They are a good team — probably the best 16-year-old team in the nation, and that includes Babe Ruth, American Legion, AAU ball or whatever.
“We felt like this was the championship game of the World Series, and in talking to the players, coaches and parents from Nederland, they thought it was, too. I was really proud of the way our guys played and fought hard throughout the game.”
Russellville put a runner on base in the sixth when Brown belted a shot back at Harrington, who ducked as the ball went into center field for a single. The host team, however, had the tying run at the plate in the seventh after Tracey Stiger and Josh Lane each drew one-out walks when Nederland felt it was time for a pitching change.
Jason Stutes relieved Harrington, who took over at first, and Matt Williams greeted the new pitcher with a bullet to the right side. Harrington, however, snagged the ball and tagged first for the second out, then Stutes got Wheelus to hit back to the mound to end the game.
“Allen’s pitch count was pretty high, and we had the eight, nine and one batters coming up,” Landry said. “When he walked that second batter, I felt the time was right to bring in Jason, who had been warming up for the last two innings. Jason knew the players and knew how to get an out, but Allen came back and made that play at first to really help.”
“I thought Matt really smoked that ball,” Newton said. “That ball could have easily gone through the hole, but the guy at first made a great play. We were able to put the bat on the ball through the game, but we didn’t get those big hits early in the game when we needed them. That’s just baseball, though, and Nederland got the big hits when they did.
“But I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed working with these kids this summer. They have been a joy from one to 18, and they are special. I also appreciate the town being out and supporting this team. I never thought I would see something like this in Russellville.”
Harrington retired the first nine Russellville batters he faced, but gave up his first base runner after hitting Hart with a pitch. Hart then stole second as Williams struck out and moved to third on a bloop single to right by Wheelus, who then stole second without a throw.
Harrington allowed his first run of the series when a wild pitch against Brown allowed Lane to race home while Wheelus moved to third. Nederland elected to intentionally walk Lawson Hipps — whose nine runs batted in was one short of tying the Series record — and face Tyler Loop, who was pinch-hitting for Jordan Lieblong.
Russellville then gambled by using a play that scored a run in Wednesday’s game against Manteca, Calif. Wheelus broke for home as catcher Skyler Sparrow threw the ball back to Harrington, but Nederland recovered in time as Harrington threw home for the out.
Russellville had another chance to score in the fifth as walks to Lieblong, Stiger and Lane loaded the bases. Williams, however, grounded to short for the force out, ending the threat.
Brown wound up pitching only six innings and suffered the loss, allowing four runs on five hits. Harrington wound up allowing one run on only two hits and took the win, while Stutes recorded the save by retiring the only two batters he faced.
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