HB Vikings : Welcome
 |
|
|
Vikings are National Champs!
The USTBA World Series, July 29-August 2 in San Diego, brought out the elite teams in the Western United States for a showdown. While the USTBA "Open Roster" policy allows for the temporary acquisition of players to increase a team's fire power, the Vikings chose to go with their regular roster. The teamwork which resulted put them over the top.
To begin the tournament, four games were scheduled to determine playoff seeding. The Vikings faced Puyallup Knights in their first game. Against the tough Washington team, the Vikings pitching was solid, holding the Knights to only one hit and allowing the Vikings to prevail 8-0. The next opponent was the West Covina Bombers, whom the Vikings have faced before in Southern California tournaments. The game was a pitcher's duel through the first three innings, but the Bombers ultimately pulled ahead with a HR in the 4th inning and took the game 3-1. The Vikings third game turned out to predict the championship, as the Vikings faced Northern California's Hard-90 Rival. Despite the difference in size (Hard-90 players outweighed Vikings players by about 30 lbs, on average!), the Vikings bats were full of pop and the Hard-90 went down, 12-3. The Top Prospects Elite were to be the Vikings' final opponent, but they failed to show for the tournament, forfeiting their games and providing a 3rd win for the Vikings. When seeding was complete, the Vikings were awarded the #1 seed and an automatic win in the first round of the playoffs, since the Top Prospects were the 14th seed and again forfeited their playoff game.
While the other teams were fighting through the first round of playoffs, the #1 and #2 seeds had Saturday off. The Vikings filled the day with lounging poolside, taking the San Diego Harbor Excursion, and a BBQ in Rancho Santa Fe. In a show of team unity, most of the players got haircuts - several mohawks and several with their Vikings number cut into their hair.
The Mohawk Mojo was working for the final playoff day on Sunday, Aug. 2. In the quarterfinals, the Vikings faced the Bakersfield Cubs. The Vikings gave up three runs in the top of the first inning, but came roaring back in the bottom of the 1st to put up 7 runs on 7 hits and drive the Cubs' starting pitcher off the mound. The Vikings added another run in the 3rd and another in the 6th. Padulo pitched 6 innings, allowing only 1 earned run in the first inning, while Schales closed the game, allowing no hits. While the Cubs were able to tack on a run in the final inning, the Vikings prevailed 4-9.
In the semifinal, the Vikings faced familiar rival, the So. Cal. Black Sox. Despite 3 walks in the 1st inning, the Vikings held the Sox scoreless. In the bottom of the 1st, the Vikings jumped out to an early lead converting two walks to runs on a single by Olivas. The same story held for the 2nd frame, as the Sox converted a walk to a run, and the Vikings added two more driven in with a double by Wallingford. The Sox answered with two runs in the top of the 3rd, but the Vikings again converted a walk to a run on a SAC bunt by Iriye in the bottom of the 3rd. Both pitchers settled down and the remainder of the game was scoreless resulting in a 3-5 victory for the Vikings behind a complete game by Olivas.
The championship game pitted the Vikings against Hard-90 Rival once again. Both teams scored in the first inning, with Hard-90 pushing across an unearned run and the Vikings scoring when Sprowls was hit by the pitch, moved to second on a passed ball and was driven in by an Olivas single. Despite allowing three baserunners, the Vikings got out of the 2nd inning unscathed, as starting pitcher Sheehan maintained his poise. In the bottom of the inning, the Vikings added three more runs of their own on a string of hits by Annella (2B), Iriye (1B), Schales (1B) and Abernatha (3B). There was no scoring in the 3rd, but in the 4th inning the Vikings struck again for three more runs, with a combination of walks and hits by Sheehan and Annella. Sitting on a 7-1 lead, the Vikings seemed sure to coast to victory, but the baseball gods had something else in mind. In the top of the 5th inning, the Vikings surrendered the lead with a combination of hits, walks and errors that resulted in 7 runs (5 unearned). Undaunted, however, the Vikings climbed on top once again with three runs in the bottom of the 5th after Wallingford singled, Padulo walked, and Sprowls reached on a bunt single. Jones drove in two with a clutch single and Sprowls came home on a balk by the Hard-90 pitcher. The Vikings added two more runs in the bottom of the 6th when Schales walked, Abernatha singled and Wallingford drove both in with a double. Though the Hard-90 added another run with a weak rally in the 7th, the Vikings prevailed to earn the national championship 9-12.
In their 26 tournaments as a 14u Major team, the Vikings have reached the championship game 16 times, compiling a record of 65-37-4.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE NUMBER ONE? CHECK OUT VINCE LOMBARDI ON THE SUBJECT (different sport, but classically effective ideas): http://www.lombardimovie.com/
COOL STUFF - CLICK HERE FOR THE SCIENCE OF BASEBALL VIDEO: The Physics of Baseball
Champions have no fear of failure.
Champions see adversity as an opportunity to succeed.
Champions visualize what they want to accomplish.
Champions sacrifice to get those accomplishments.
Champions know the ingredients, and are willing to keep driving toward their goals.
|