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Ft. Smith Muckdogs take 2nd place at Davis Park Tournament
The Ft. Smith Muckdogs went to Oklahoma City to play in their first tournament at Davis Park. The first game was against the Hilliard Sooners. After the Muckdogs got used to the speed of the machine the game was over. The final was 7-5. The second game was against a seasoned team called the OKC Braves. This team was the real deal. We learned a lot from this game as we were defeated 21-6. On Sunday we showed up early to go over our base running and talk about making too many throws which resulted in errors. The improvement from Saturday to Sunday was incredible. The first team we played was the OK Scrappers. We had our "A-Game" this day. The Muckdogs took care of this game in 3 1/2 innings winning 14-4. This put us in the championship game with the OKC Braves. We were ready! We had the lead the entire game until the last inning. We played awesome. Two less errors and the OKC Braves would have tasted their first defeat by a seven year old team. One thing is for sure. The Muckdogs will get a lot better and Davis Park, Oklahoma City, OK definitely knows who we are! Great games Muckdogs! See you at the next practice.
2000/2001 Season
The Fort Smith Muckdogs are a hand picked 7 & under USSSA baseball team. All of the players are from the Fort Smith/Greenwood Arkansas area. Players were selected from the Fort Smith Church Baseball League and the Fort Smith Boys Club. All players were selected on the basis of ability, attitude and desire to improve.
Bats help Fort Smith Muckdogs take 2nd place
Kenrick Burns led the air attack with an awesome batting average of .778 (7/9) for the weekend at Davis Park (Oklahoma City). Daniel Young helped the cause swinging the bat to a close second with a .750 (6/8) batting average for the weekend. Tony Sandifer had two home runs, Kenrick Burns had one home run and Daniel Young had one home run and one double. Bryson Hall and Landon Williams each had one double. Keep those bats warm Muckdogs!
Muckdogs Rattle Bats at Field of Dreams!
Kenrick Burns and Tony Sandifer led the air attack with batting averages of .857. John Hunton was a close second with .769. Kenrick Burns, Tony Sandifer, Bryson Hall and Austin Elder each accounted for one home run. As a team we had 28 doubles and 11 triples for this tournament. Way to "hit the ball" MUCKDOGS! See you at the next practice.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It....
The MUCKDOGS won and everybody shout it! How about those MUCKDOGS? Only our second tournament ever and our first tournament to play against 8 year olds and our kids were incredible. The first game was against the Arkansas Titans and was slow from the start. However, we came out on top 7-6 due to MUCKDOG speed on the bases. The second game was a game not to forget! We were down 10-2 against the Rogers Travelers in the bottom of the 3rd inning. We put our rally caps on and came back to win 20-17. This game showed our character. NEVER GIVE UP! The first game of the single elmination bracket would be against the Rogers Travelers. This game would be different than our first meeting and once we got on track defensively we won the game 15-9. This put us in the championship game against the Fort Smith Boys Club All-Stars. We won the coin toss and Landon, Austin (E) and Robert decided they wanted to hit first instead of be in the field. So that is exactly what we did. We jumped all over the FSBC All-Stars and took the air out of them early. They attempted a come back and hit two homeruns to bring them back in the game. But the MUCKDOG defense would have no more. We shut them down and put the game out of reach in the last inning to win our first championship. And if anyone wants to know, by the way we are only 7 year olds and this was an 8 year old tournament. WAY TO GO MUCKDOGS! WE ARE ALL PROUD!
Muckdogs with hot bats!
Great job of hitting at the Greenwood USSSA Tournament Muckdogs. Austin Nolan led us with a batting average of .938, Tony Sandifer was second with a batting average of .857 and Bryson Hall came in third with an average of .750.
Muckdogs Take 2nd Place at Greenwood, AR
This tournament would test each player at some point. It was an awesome performance by our 7 year old Muckdogs again. The first game was against the Arkansas Titans. These guys were playing for "pay back" and they just out hit us to win the game 18-7. The second game was against the Fayetteville Vipers. The was another 8 year old team that felt the Muckdog bite. The Muckdog bats came alive in the last two innings to end the game 17-11. The third game was against the Arkansas Drillers. By this game we were ready to play anybody. We won this game 14-4 in four innings. This put us in the championship game against the Arkansas Titans. It was a great game but we ran out of gas in the last two innings. The Arkansas Titans came back to beat us 20-12. Muckdogs keep your chin up. We are all very proud and 2nd place in great when you are playing up. I can't wait to see you at the next practice. Coach Wes
Hum Baby Tournament 3rd Place Finish
This tournament would prove to be our hardest yet. The Muckdogs played well but our two best opponents are getting much harder to defeat. Our first game was against the Arkansas Titans. The Titan defense kept them on top the entire game. It appeared that every ball we hit was "at'em" balls. We lost the game 2-10. Our next game was against the All-Stars. They got ahead of us but we battled back and gave them a scare. One more hit and the game would have been ours. We lost 6-7 in a close game. The third game of the tournament matched us with the Arkansas Drillers. This team has improved each time we play them. However, our bats were hot and it would have been difficult for anyone to beat us during this game. We won 17-9 for our first victory of the tournament. Our last pool play game was agains the First Baptist Knights. This team had reloaded players for this tournament and had beaten us in an earlier scrimmage. That would not be the case this time especially since our bats were still very hot. We won the game 15-6 and put on a baseball clinic (Bryson) during the 5th inning to put the game out of reach. This gave us the #3 Seed and put us playing the Arkansas Titans in the championship bracket. Both teams bats were hot and heavy. If not for a controversial play the outcome may have been different. However we almost won this game anyway. The final score was 9-10. They boys have everything to be proud of during this tournament. They got better each game and did not give up at any time. The 8 year old teams are getting better thanks to us. Keep up the good work Muckdogs and we can play these teams again in Little Rock.
Swing those bats, Muckdogs!
The Muckdogs were swinging the bats this weekend! We batted .646 as a team for our best tournament average yet. Tony Sandifer led the team with a .786 batting average. John Hunton slugged a .778 average and Daniel Young batted .750 for this weekend. Kenrick Burns led the team with 9 RBI's and one homerun. There were several great moments of hitting but I would like to re-live the 5th inning the the third game (Knights). We only needed one run to run rule the game. Matt and Dustin both hit singles to put runners on 1st and 2nd and Bryson Hall is up to bat. I gave Bryson the bunt signal and he laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Daniel was the next batter and he hits a triple to finish the game. A perfect example of teamwork! What a great time to be getting better. The world series is around the corner.
Arkansas State Champions
The Muckdogs made an impressive showing during the weekend of June 2-4 in Little Rock during the USSSA 8 & Under State Tournament. The Muckdogs are the 7 & Under State Champions and 4th place in the 8 & Under division.....in the state of Arkansas. Way to go MUCKDOGS!!!!
USSSA 8 & Under All-State Players
Congratulations to Tony Sandifer, Kenrick Burns, Robert Gean and Daniel Young for being selected as a 2001 8 & Under Arkansas USSSA All-State Player. These players were selected by opposing coaches during the state tournament in Little Rock, AR. We are proud to have these players represent the Ft. Smith Muckdogs.
Speechless in Fayetteville
CHARACTER! This is one attribute that the Muckdog team can claim. I am so proud of our players. We outscored our opponents 66 to 28 this weekend. Two dingers and a catch in left field that would make the ESPN webjems for an entire month. There was some awesome baseball being played by the Muckdogs. Our team has so much to be proud of this year. Take a minute to enjoy the accomplishments these boys have earned. 1st we go to OKC and learn from the best (OKC Braves), then we take Van Buren by storm and win our first 8U tournament. Our third accomplishment is interrupted by league ball and we finish 3rd at the Hum Baby. We finish 4th at the 8U State Tournament and claim the 7U State Championship and finally end the tournament season with a win in Fayetteville. All of these tournaments with the exception of the first are 8U tournaments. Parents....our kids are over-achievers with character and personality sprinkled in to make us a TEAM. WE ARE THE MUCKDOGS and we are legitimate contenders for the national championship. But let us remember that what we are playing is a game and as each MUCKDOG knows..."Games are suppose to be fun" so "Have Fun and Play Hard". Let's look forward to the next few practices and get ready to take the World Series! We are one of the best teams in the country and everyone will know this by the time the World Series is complete.
Great Teams at the 2001 7U Nationals
I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all of the teams that we played at Davis Park. OKC Cowboys, Moore Jaguars, MWC Warriors and OKC Braves all have great players, coaches and parents. It was a pleasure to play with teams that convey such good sportsmanship and composure at this level of baseball. I would look forward to meeting any of these teams again and submit a personal invitation to come and play in Arkansas if they get a chance. Thank you again and good luck next season.
Sincerely,
Wes Young
2001 7U USSSA National Champions
We are the National Champions of the 7 & Under Machine Pitch Division of USSSA Baseball. The World Series was played during the week of July 19 - 22, 2001 at Davis Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A new dynasty for our age group has begun...MUCKDOG BASEBALL! The big kids on the block will now be referred to as the Ft. Smith Muckdogs. Our attitude, character and ability to adapt kept us alive and allowed us to overtake our opponents. Have you ever seen Major League Baseball defensive shifts at our age level. Have you ever seen kids with character and attitudes as our MUCKDOGS? Our kids are amazing and I am proud to be a part of their life!
John Hunton led the team with an .842 batting average, Tony Sandifer followed with a .778 batting average and the 3rd best batting average belongs to Austin Nolan at .750. John Hunton had 16 RBI's, Robert Gean had 11 and Bryson Hall had 10. Our team batted .610 and had 83 RBI's. A great team effort! Unfortunately Davis Park still did not see our best sticks but hitting is only for show when the final score is not in your favor. Smart aggressive base running and timely hits is what propelled our team above the rest. I believe the proper baseball term for this is "small ball". This past March we received an education on base running and hitting. This July we returned the favor! Great job MUCKDOGS! Savor the moment because it only gets tougher from here. Everyone in the nation will want a piece of the MUCKDOGS. I doubt they will succeed in the long run.
Remember this fact...baseball is a game (nothing more) and games are meant to be fun....so "HAVE FUN AND PLAY HARD" and "NEVER GIVE UP".
Proud to be your Coach,
Coach Wes
MUCKDOG BASEBALL.......BASEBALL WITH A BITE!
New Muckdog
Please welcome our newest Muckdog...Hayden Smith. Hayden will be a big asset to our team with his quickness and ability to go catch a fly ball. Runners beware going to first base, Hayden may throw a few out from the outfield fence. Please help me welcome his parents Terri and Rusty Smith to our team and take a moment to share a Muckdog experience with them from our 2001 season.
What a Performance!!!
How about those MUCKDOGS??? We played awesome baseball for our first tournament. Let me recap a few of the highlights. 1) Ball gets hit hard to left field and our Leftfielder makes a running catch, 2) A hard hit ball to center field results in the Left Centerfielder relaying to our Shortstop who throws a bullet home to our catcher who tags the lead runner out, 3) a throw to first base gets buy our first baseman and our right fielder stops the ball before it can hit the fence to keep the runner at first, 4) half a second faster and our infield almost turns our first double play. Our hitting improved each game. Hats off to you guys you played great! Austin Nolan, Landon Williams and Alex Fosnaugh led the team in batting average and John Hunton, Hayden Smith and Austin Nolan let the team in RBI's. These MUCKDOGS will be a dangerous team to play because we know they will only get better. THANK YOU to all of the parents.
Muckdogs take Muskogee Championship.....again
What a tournament! The competition was great and we had to play baseball. This tournament would test our character from the beginning. We did not hit as well as the previous week but some credit goes toward our opponents defense. Our defense allowed us to continue to win games. John and Daniel led the team in batting average while John, Robert and Alex led the team in RBI's. This weekend was a TEAM EFFORT! Our Muckdog character came through and we never gave up....even when we were down. I'm proud of your effort and you are a great group of players to coach.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdog Bats are HOT!
Only a few words can describe the Muckdog offense this weekend....WOW! INCREDIBLE! and SUPER! After adjusting to the machine in the first game I thought we surpassed our hitting ability from the end of last year. And if anyone saw us play last year then they can only imagine what was happening today. The base running is getting better and we had some quality bunts. DEFENSE continues to be superb! Congratulations to Landon, Haydon and Austin N. for completing our first 6-4-3 (bang! bang!) double play. It was beautiful. There coach could not believe we turned a DP on their fastest base runner. John, Robert, Dustin and Austin E. were perfect this weekend on batting. These guys were never thrown out! John, Tony and Dustin led the team with RBI's. Keep those bats warm guys. We have two weeks and Bentonville will next. This weekend we witnessed MUCKDOG baseball!
Take Care,
Coach Wes
A Bump in the Road at Bentonville
Well it has finally happened. The Muckdogs have lost a game. Hats off to the Dominators they played the best game that I have ever seen them play. Round robin tournaments, unfortunately, don't always reveal the best team but that just proves you have to bring your "A" game to each tournament. Everyone wants an opportunity to beat the MUCKDOGS.
Congatulations to Robert, Austin N., Tony and Hayden for leading the team in batting average this weekend. Bryson and Robert were our RBI leaders this weekend. Our defense continues to play well but our bats were a little soft this weekend. I can't say enough about how proud I am of our effort. Our boys continue to impress me on their physical and mental ability to grasp the game. Now we are on to our next adventure in South Haven for a coach pitch tournament. Get ready to have fun and play hard MUCKDOGS!
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Eastbound and Down......
We are off to the premier youth baseball facility in the South. Snowden Grove Park located in South Haven, MS (www.ssmsports.com) is home to 17 high quality baseball fields and an atmosphere that would make any coach or parent wish they could play. Take a look at the talent compiled for this tournament and we will surely be in for a test. Team Memphis, Outlaws 8's, Outlaw 7's, DC Stars, Bartlett Rebels, Germantown Giants, McCrory Jaguars, Collierville Red Sox, Munford Vols, Mississippi Mudcats and Germantown Sox are the teams and that makes three four-team pools. Winners only advance to the championship bracket. Let's take our game to another level and see if we can leave our mark at Snowden Grove Park.
Coach Wes
What can you say.....
SNOWDEN GROVE PARK....WOW! The MUCKDOGS have left an impression at this facility that will not soon be forgotten. Our game went to another level facing the best gathering of competition we have seen. Games were intense and we learned how important great defense can help you WIN. To all of the other 8U teams on this side of the state, if you haven't played coach pitch then your team hasn't been tested. Without a doubt the best teams we have played so far are teams that are playing both machine and coach pitch. On the average the coach pitch division is stronger than the machine pitch division. Snowden Grove definitely ranks as one of the best competitive tournaments we have ever played.
Muckdogs win big at South Haven Super Series Tourn.
MUCKDOG baseball was primetime this weekend. We outscored our opponents 77-27 turn one 6/4/3 double play, turned one 4/6/3 double play and had at least four players doubled off by heads up MUCKDOG defenders. Our defense and base running continue to win ball games for us. Our hitting was also better this weekend, John and Daniel almost sent one over the 180' sign. John, Dustin and Robert led in the batting average category while Hayden, Matt and Dustin pounded runners across the plate with RBI's. Each MUCKDOG contributed in their own way this weekend. It takes all of us to win and you proved just what teamwork is all about. Your talent will get you a long way but your ability to make the right decisions will carry you to the top....GREAT JOB MUCKDOGS! Now it's time for the HUM' Baby in Ft. Smith. It's another tough tournament to test our ability.....be ready to HAVE FUN and PLAY HARD.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Hum' Baby Memorial Day Tournament "Washed Out"
Well the Hum' Baby was an exciting tournament. A lot of good competition and unfortunately a lot of rain. We got to see some exciting ball and we also got to spend some time with the Warrior parents. The game between the Warriors and us just wasn't meant to be this weekend. You can bet we will see them again during the World Series. A very special thank you to all of the parents and relatives that helped work the booths, concession and field crew. Without your help this tournament would not happen. THANK YOU!!!!!
Coach Wes
Muckdogs playing as 9's in Alma
Parents, fans and players get ready to add some excitement to our game. We are playing as 9U this weekend in Alma, AR. This is bound to be exciting as the boys think they are ready for the game of real baseball. It should be a fun experience. Get ready to play MUCKDOG baseball in Alma.
Coach Wes
Muckdogs find home away from home in Muskogee
Muskogee continues to prove to be a great place for the MUCKDOGS to play. We have won three tournaments out of three trips to the Love/Hatbox facility. Our defense was great, if I do say so myself. Our hitting wasn't always awesome but we got some clutch hits at critical times and our defense finished the games. Great job MUCKDOGS!!! Austin N, Daniel and John led the team in batting average and John, Daniel and Tony led the team in RBI's. However let me congratulate the guys that gave up the sacrifices for the benefit of the team. Those "at bats" are just as important as any average or RBI to me. Great teamwork MUCKDOGS!!! Let's see if we can elevate our game in Ft. Smith next weekend and defend our state title.
Coach Wes
Muckdogs finish 2nd Place in AR USSSA State Tournament
Way to go MUCKDOGS!!! Once again we have proven that we are one of the best teams in the state and in the nation. We hit the ball well and we played good defense this weekend. You have a lot to be proud of and we will continue to be successful as long as we remember we are playing a game. It is truly a privilege to be around each one of you guys. It's also pretty fun to watch you play the game of baseball. Keep you chin up and let's get ready for the World Series.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
2nd Place at Diamond Classic (Fayetteville, AR)
Congratulations MUCKDOGS on a 2nd place finish at Fayetteville this weekend. 2nd place was a great finish considering the machine problems and heat. I believe there will be more heat to deal with in the next few weeks. It appears the Dominators just have our number. Two out of the last three games we have played the Dominators we have been better for five innnings and come out away with second place, because of a sixth inning. They are a good team and took advantage of our mistakes. Let's get focused on having some serious fun in OKC next week. I am proud of all you MUCKDOGS each and every day. Congratulations to Tony for winning the Home Run Derby and Daniel for his first dinger.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Thank You Spencer Meares
I would like to thank Spencer Meares and his family for playing with the MUCKDOGS this weekend. Spencer you did a great job! Thank you for having fun and playing hard.
Coach Wes
World Series brings out Muckdogs character
What can I say about our MUCKDOGS! I am so proud of the way that they played this weekend. Words cannot express my true feelings.
We finished third place in the nation at the 8U USSSA World Series among 28 teams. Just sit back and say that a few times and see if it means more each time you repeat this accomplishment.
Congratulations to the OKC Braves for winning the 8U USSSA Machine Pitch World Series and to the OKC Stix for runner up.
The Muckdogs went 8-3 during this tournament and were a well deserved 3rd place finalist. This puts our record during the 2002 season at 47-7 which would make any opponent concerned when we take the field.
Congratulations to John Hunton and Daniel Young for making the All-Tournament team and to Tony Sandifer as MUCKDOG MVP. Although these guys received individual recognition it took each and every team mate to play each game. We win together and we lose together. You showed a lot of character this weekend, most notably on Saturday and Sunday.
We started at 8:00 Saturday morning with a loss to the OKC Braves, which sent us to the losers bracket and two games (Muckdogs vs. Rattlers, Muckdogs vs. Warriors) later we ended the day with a fourth game against the Dominators at 8:00 Saturday evening with an incredible win. Sunday morning started off strong with 6 quick runs against the Jaguars and all we could do for the next five innings was score one run, but we remained composed on defense and won the game. I am so proud of you for leaving your hearts on the field but the amount of games and emotions spent in such a short amount of time was more than we could overcome to play the OKC Stix. They played a great game and we responded with our hearts. However, the bats were not quite as hot and the decisions on defense were not quite as crisp. In the end the Stix would claim victory for the game but in my eyes I could see only victory for both teams.
You are an awesome group of boys and pretty good baseball players too. It is, without a doubt, an honor to be your coach and a privilege to have spent time with you and your families this year.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdog 2002 Tournament Results
This link will take you directly to the USSSA Ft. Smith Muckdogs website.
USSSA 2002 Arkansas State Rankings
This link will take you directly to the USSSA Arkansas State Rankings.
Lucas Jackson Memorial Tournament
Well we can put the pitching machines and extension cords away for the year. We are ready to enter the world of real baseball. The MUCKDOGS will play their first tournament as a 9U team at the Lucas Jackson Memorial "Back-to-School" tournament. Parents get ready for some exciting times as stealing, pitching and mental awareness become more a part of the game than ever before. You can expect some teams to be a lot better as kid pitch teams and some teams that you would expect to be good will stumble. Allen Hoyt (#12), Spencer Meares (#4) and Brock Widders (#??) will be playing as MUCKDOGS in this tournament and with their experience they will only add to our talented team. Let's get ready to have fun and play hard.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs win first 9U Tournament
WOW! Did you see the MUCKDOGS play real baseball this weekend. We swung at good pitches, we bunted well, we ran the bases well, we pitched well, we threw out a runner trying to steal second base, and we stole home several times. Our defense made plays when the other team hit the ball and we showed a lot of potential for the new season.
The downside to all of this is the game is slower and we only played fourteen innings in four games. Substitution of players is not an easy decision on my part when you are only averaging about three innings per game. There is a lot of learning on my part so please do not take any of my decisions as "signals" about any players. I am going to make as many or more mistakes than the players this year. Let's hope I can learn from them and become a better coach for our MUCKDOGS.
Thank you players and parents for a great tournament.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Let's get ready for Fall State!
Our final tournament of the year. Let's get ready to have fun and play hard in this tournament. We will only have nine players so everyone will have a lot of playing time and opportunity to hit the ball. We will see a few new teams at this tournament and let's see if we can improve over our last tournament.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
BASKETBALL Game
Well it was certainly interesting to watch these young boys play basketball this weekend. We outplayed the competition with no problem during the first game. Our speed and decisions were just too much for the other team. I think the final score was 26-12. However the second game was a little different. The Blue Bombers are a good team and it was obvious they had several practices under their belt. They made some adjustments in defense and we started playing playground ball a little to much. Our legs gave out and you could tell we were a little out of shape. The final score was 18-12 in their favor. With some more practices there is not telling what this group is capable of at this level of basketball. It was fun and anyone interested in pursuing more tournaments please let me know.
Thanks,
Coach Wes
Fall State Champions......Arkansas Muckdogs
Congratulations Muckdogs! You are the Arkansas 2002 USSSA 9U AAA Fall State Champions. You played some outstanding baseball and showed how much potential you have for the upcoming season. We will work hard during the off-season and continue to improve. You are a great group of kids.
Thank you to all of the parents.
See you in November.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
"Swing Away" Muckdogs 2003 Team Meeting
Pizza and swimming will start our first organized meeting of the winter off-season practices.
Date: November 14, 2002
Location: Sparks Athletic Club
Time: Pizza 6:00 - 6:45
Swimming: 6:45 - ?:??
Topics:
Tentative Spring/Summer schedule
Fund Raisers
Player Sponsorships
Uniforms
Expectations
World Series plans
Volunteers needed for:
Hotel scheduling
Out of town activities
Parent/Player Paraphernalia
See you at the meeting.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs first 2003 practice
Well the boys sure looked good at our first practice. It was good to see everybody and I can already see the boys have grown. Most of them have not picked up a ball or bat in two months. Their strength has increased so it will be exciting to see them develop throughout the year. It won't take many practices to surpass where they finished the 2002 season. See you Wednesday at practice.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
WELCOME SPORTS FANS.....
2003 has arrived and Baseball season is less than two months away. Check out the latest issue (Jan/Feb) of Jr. Baseball at your local newstand. You will find the publication selected the Ft. Smith Muckdogs as the 6th best 8U team in the United States during 2002. The selection was based on teams from all of the organizations (USSSA/AAU/SuperSeries/etc.)in the United States. We are among some very elite teams and we are the only AAA team selected in the top ten ranking. The Muckdogs are one of two teams from the state of Arkansas to be selected in this poll. You can see more about this at www.usasportsrankings.com as well as the new 2003 pre-season ranking coming out in March. The magazine publication is very good and would be a good choice for our players to enjoy. Check it out and be proud!!!
Take Care,
Wes
 | | 2002 Arkansas Muckdogs (Fall) |
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2002 AR 9U Fall State Champions
The "Kat" is Back!!!
Our final position for the 2003 season has arrived. Kenrick Burns has returned to the Muckdog roster. He played with us as 7's and we missed him when we were 8. He brings great quickness, a big stick and a good glove along with a great big smile. Please welcome the Burns family as they return to the Muckdog family and let's get ready to play some ball.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Wednesday, March 19
The Omaha Club
USSSA 2003 Arkansas Muckdogs Tourn Results
This link will take you directly to the 2003 USSSA Arkansas Muckdogs website for tournament results.
USSSA 2003 Arkansas State Rankings
This link will take you to the Arkansas State Rankings for all 9AAA teams.
USSSA 2003 National Rankings
This link will take you to the USSSA National Rankings for all 9AAA teams.
Hank Aaron Club (Goin' Yard)
2003 9U Season
John Hunton 2x
Tony Sandifer 2x
Kenrick Burns 1x
(more to come)
One of many for 2003
Our first tournament of 2003 was a thriller. Our base running and pitching was good and our hitting was better than I anticipated. We started the tournament playing the Alma Thunder. This was a slow three innings but the Muckdogs performed well winning the game 16-1. Our second game was against the FS All-Stars (10U) team. This was a great game. They threw a big lefty at us that was bringing the cheese. We battled the whole game (5 1/2 innings) and with a couple of little breaks the score might have been different(And by the way, the FS All-Stars finished 9th in the 9U World Series last year.). In the end the FS All-Stars won 10-6 but they sure knew they had just played a game Our third game of the day would match us with the Siloam Springs Knight Riders (10U) team. Their coach told me they heard about our past history and decided to change their pitcher for our game. Wouldn't you know it, another hard throwing lefty. We battled with the Riders for 3 innings and we were starting to hit the lefty. The score was 4-2 in our favor. They made a pitching change and put in a harder throwing right hander to finish the game. We still managed to get on base but we couldn't score. In the final inning they managed to squeak out three runs and win the game 5-4. You would think they had just won the tournament the way their crowd roared. I think they forgot they were playing a 9U team, or maybe just relieved to win. WE learned a lot from playing the 10U teams and we will do this again. Sunday sent us to the 9U championship game playing the Alma Thunder. The Thunder played a great game and showed improvement. We acted a little tired from the previous 3-game day and the result was an 11-4 win for our first tournament championship.
This weekend was a lot of fun and I appreciate each and every minute we spent together. Thank you parents for your help and support. Spring Break is a week away and then it will be time to get serious once again. Tulsa is our next stop for a Super Series Tournament. Have a great week and I will see you at the next practice.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
March 2003 Famous Saying
If you think you can....you will
If you think you can't....you will
Anonymous
April 2003 Famous Saying
"Never let the failure of your last pitch affect the success of your next one"
Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame pitcher
Washed Out in Tulsa
Our first game this weekend was with our friends the OK Stix. It was a great game. Neither team had much offense and the game really came down to one inning. We maintained our focus and won the game 8-3. Our base running and defense was good but we really never fired up our bats. Hats off to the OK Stix, they are great competitors with character and sportsmanship. Our next game placed us against the Wichita Astros. Again we started out with cold bats. We won the game 12-2 virtually on great base running. We had one 160' blast during this game that cleared the bases and a few key hits at the right time. With the win we were the #2 Seed based on runs allowed. We were scheduled to play Sunday 11:00 AM against the Wichita Bandits. We were pumped up for the challenge. And then the rain....and rain....and rain. The tournament was cancelled and no one will know the outcome. It would have been fun and I know several players were upset. There are many more tournaments in the future but for now....back to practice.
Great job this weekend MUCKDOGS! You played ball with the Majors and we know we can compete at any level.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs trip, stumble and fall.....
Well we loaded up and went to Muskogee this weekend for a learning experience. First up was the OK Rookies and they were ready to play. We pitched and hit the ball well enough to win but our defense let us down. The Rookies came away with the win in the last inning. The second game was with the Salina Rockhounds and they hit the ball well. We had them down and forgot how to finish a team off with superior defense. We pitched and hit well enough to win this game. Again we lost the game in the late innings with defensive errors. Our third game was against the Tahlequah Titans who were probably the second best team at the tournament. They pitched their ace and we had a decisive lead and thought we had the game won. We stopped playing defense again and the Titans won the game in the last inning. The final game of the tournament was the Sapulpa Giants. They played a good game but we finally put five innings of baseball together and it ended in a run rule. This weekend taught us that even the great teams can lose when you don't play hard every inning. We will rebound from this with a better understanding and respect for these teams. Our pitchers pitched very well this tournament. Our hitting was a little better than the last tournament and we are starting to get more comfortable at the plate. We will have to work harder at our defensive positions to be successful. Remember, offense may give you the lead but DEFENSE wins games!
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs win in Muskogee!!!
It will be hard to recap the weekend since so many good things happened but I will try. First game, Tahlequah Outlaws (10AA) was a good game. We played a complete game and held a last inning rally to win the game 5-4. The second game was a little different. The Oklahoma Outlaws (10AA should be 10AAA) brought us back to reality and could not do anything wrong in the second inning. If you take that inning away we win the ball game. However they beat us 17-6 but we showed very good signs of not letting up. We were down big and still managed to hit the ball and score runs in the last inning. Sunday was a different story! Today we put it all together! We handled the T. Outlaws 9-5 by playing good defense and hitting the baseball. The game of the day was the Muckdogs vs. OK Outlaws. They saw a different team today and I would feel sorry for any team that would have had to play us in this game. Hit after hit to the fence (210'), singles, doubles and triples! It was AWESOME! The first inning lasted about 40 minutes. We won the toss and elected home team and we proceeded to put them out 1-2-3 in about 10 pitches. The rest was a pitching, defense and a hitting performance put on by our bats. The result 22-5......with Muckdog baseball. The other coach was so mad he made their boys run sprints for 15 minutes after the game. I didn't know baseball had those type of consequences when you don't win a game. Let's take a few days off to regroup and we will start again Thursday with the next gameplan.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
May 2003 Famous Saying
"Go on up there and hit what you see. If you can't see it, come on back."
Bucky Harris, Washington Senators manager offering advice to hitters
Muckdogs win Border Shootout!
After what started out to be a WET weekend the weather turned out to be great! Our game times Saturday got moved to 6:00 and 9:30 and we started out well. We managed to pitch well against the Arkies and played good defense. Our hitting was not very impressive. We ended up winning 10-2 but the Arkies are not a team to take lightly. Our next game was against the Dominators and what started out to be a blowout by the Dominators changed in the middle of the game. They jumped on us quick and we finally managed to play some defense and hit well enough to keep the game close. The Dominators won 6-4 and it was a great game to watch. We started Sunday with the same format just different times. We would have to play better today to win the tournament. Our first game was against the Arkies. We had a great pitching performance and had the game won 8-1 in the final inning. The Arkies never gave up, we made a few errors and the game ended with us winning 8-7. The final game of the day would be with the Dominators. Not only did we have to win but we had to win by more than five runs to win the tournament. Not an easy task against this caliber of team! With good pitching (again) we mixed our pitchers very well to keep the Dominators bats fairly calm. We hit two HUGE dingers and played great defense in the final two innings to win the game 13-6 and give us the tournament win. It was a great game that went the complete six innings. You should've been there....
Let's get ready for the Hum' Baby and I will see you at practice.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
What a weekend!!!
What a weekend to play baseball! Snowden Grove is a great facility and loaded with talented competition. Our Friday night games got rained out so we got to visit the new Dulin Sports Academy. We got plenty of hitting in and we were ready to play Saturday. Our first opponent was the Germantown Sox. We played a complete game and won 15-3 in four innings. Our next game was a forfeit (Conway All-Stars) so we moved our Sunday game to Saturday evening. We were playing Team Collierville. They got six runs on a couple of hits because our pitching was not very good. We made a great comeback and finished the game with a two-run walk-off homerun to send us to the semi-finals of the championship bracket. The four teams left were North Alabama Vipers, Memphis Travelers, Knoxville Stars and us. After watching the Memphis Travelers give the game to the NA Vipers it was obvious that our game would be much more competitive. We won the coin flip and the game started off great! However the Stars had a pitcher throwing curveballs and we just couldn't get our bats warmed up. They hit the ball extremely well and that was the difference. We made it a game in the last inning and had the tying run up to bat but three curve balls later and the game was over. It's unfortunate that teams will resort to curveballs for 9 year olds just to win a game. The Stars are a very good ballclub with good sportsmanship and conduct. It would be a pleasure to play them again.
A special thank you to Tony Sandifer for helping us out this weekend.
To all of the MUCKDOGS, I am VERY proud of your effort. You are improving every weekend and that is our goal. Thank you parents for your support and once again we entered and departed a facility with class.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
June 2003 Famous Saying
"Every time you learn something, it helps you - maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe a year from now. Once you stop learning, you're going to be in the second row looking at somebody else playing."
Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins (won 20+ games six seasons in a row)
9U USSSA Arkansas State Runner-Up
9U USSSA State Runner Up - Arkansas Muckdogs
What a great finish for our team. We had to play back to back to back games in very hot conditions and you guys played very well. We ran out of gas midway through the final game and could not overcome a couple of errors and some good pitching (questionable pitch selection). This is the second tournament in a row we have not won, but this was not due to our team being second best. It is becoming more obvious that coaches are deciding to allow kids to throw curve balls in our age group. I do not agree with this and I am not willing to win a tournament at the expense of a young boys arm. I will gladly finish second place to prevent any damage to a young boy's future. The goal of our organization is to "enhance our abilities, build our character, instill good sportsmanship, develop positive attitudes and have fun learning more about baseball" not to win at all costs. We did not win the last two tournaments because we didn't have a defense or we couldn't hit a fastball, changeup or curveball. We did not win because we did not resort to "win at all costs" with our pitchers arms. The Muckdogs are champions everyday and don't let anyone tell you differently.
I hope all of the coaches that read this article would choose to protect their players arms for the future. These little guys are only 9 not 19!
MUCKDOGS, I will see you guys at the next practice. Thank you MUCKDOG parents for your support and once again we left a facility having the best class and sportsmanship of any other team.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Call it like you see it!!!
Well the Dominators have decided to throw a little mud on their website. They have laid claim to the best team in the state and are making an issue of my comments concerning curveballs. Call it like you see it, my best interest is in the kids and if you talk to any professional pitching coach, 9 is too young to throw ANY curveballs regardless of what a parent thinks. Have you ever noticed when you read the Dominator's website that you very seldom hear about any losses or tournaments they didn't win. Hmmmmm! You didn't read about the game we played in Greenwood with the same pitchers on their website. However it just proves that the kids are just 9 and you just don't really know how they are going to perform.
Blake Baxendale pitched his best game ever on Sunday against the MUCKDOGS. Blake is a great kid and ballplayer, he deserved the win despite pitch selection. The reality is he probably only needed one pitch on Sunday.
As my team knows, when you lose perspective of what you are trying to accomplish then you say things you shouldn't say or maybe didn't mean. If your goal is to beat one team then congratulations you accomplished your goal. Loyd you should rethink your comments so this doesn't turn into something other than a baseball game in the future. My comments weren't directed at any one team and you know it! We had this discussion briefly before we played on Sunday.
I have NEVER said anything disrepectful about the Dominator organization and I challenge you to prove otherwise. Two great teams met and someone had to win. It has been the other way around but you don't hear us slinging any mud. If you can walk off of the field knowing you tried your best then that is all you can ask of your kids.
Wes Young
Super Series State Tournament
This was our last tournament prior to the World Series. On Saturday we played well losing to the Tulsa Wildcats (10U) 6-4 and beating the FS All-Stars (10U) 8-4. Sunday was a different story. We ran into the Dominators who put on a baseball clinic. A valiant effort by the Muckdogs to try and make the game close in the last two innings showed we didn't give up. When a team such as the Dominators is up by 12 it's difficult to rally with that much of a deficit. The final score was 14-7.
It was good to see the Dominators and clear up the controversy from the week before. Things were said that shouldn't have been said and this day was just a baseball game. Both teams walked off the field with sportsmanship and class. Hats off to both teams since we were the only 9U teams willing to compete with the 10U division.
Let's get ready to take Arkansas Baseball to St. Louis, MO.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
9U USSSA World Series!!!
St. Louis, MO here we come! The 9U World Series is our final tournament of the 9U season. This is what we have worked for all year and you guys are ready! Our pitching has improved to the point that we have several pitchers that have the ability to pitch complete games. Our defense will be ready and our hitting will be incredible. We have made a few errors along the way but we have learned from them and it should make us better. We will probably have one of the most dangerous offensive lineups at the tournament. When we are hitting the runs can pile up quickly. It looks to be a challenging week of practice to make sure we are on our game and ready for the upcoming excitement of the World Series. Let's get ready to Have Fun, Play Hard and Never Give Up! Your parents and coaches are proud of you for your effort and improvement during the season. Let's take it one step further for the next two weeks and see how much fun we can have in St. Louis, MO!
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs finish 3rd in World Series!!!
How about that Arkansas Baseball! The Arkansas Muckdogs finished 3rd in the 9U AAA USSSA World Series! What an accomplishment for our program. Our goal was to finish among the top ten and we did that and more. We started on Saturday (7/12/03) with a treat to watch the Cardinal vs. Padres. It was a great game and a lot of fun with the boys. Opening ceremonies started Sunday evening and it was interesting to see how the teams looked. We traded pins with other teams and made several new friends during the evening. It was a great time! Monday was the beginning of pool play and we were ready to play ball.
(Monday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Oklahoma Sandites 6-3
(Monday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Jefferson City Vipers 13-5
(Tuesday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Witchita Cardinals 9-1
(Wednesday) Six Flags and Team Social Skills Events
On Thursday everyone was 0-0 again and the double elimination championship bracket began. The top 34 teams would start eliminating each other to see who had the pitching to go the distance. There were a lot of exciting games and great baseball to watch.
(Thursday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Lee's Summmit Magic 11-3
(Friday) THE RAIN CAME, all games moved to begin Sat. morning
(Saturday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Lincoln Dominators 11-1
(Saturday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs North Alabama Vipers 6-5
(Sunday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Strongsville Stallions 7-6
(Sunday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Dominators 2-4
(Sunday)Arkansas Muckdogs vs Strongsville Stallions 8-12
Our last three opponents were VERY good quality teams and all of the teams we played showed good sportsmanship. Our game with the Dominators was spectacular. We called the HOGS and the game began. Daniel and Blake put on a pitching performance that will be remembered. The only two teams left undefeated throughout the entire week were both from Arkansas. The game was played and the Dominators left the winner to represent themselves and our state in the finals. Our next game was with the Stallions and was our final game of the tournament. We had an opportunity to win the game but our intensity was drained during our previous game. The Stallions are a great team and the Dominators and Muckdogs were the only two teams to give them a loss during the week. We finished 3rd place out of 68 teams which is something to be VERY proud of for our program. Upon leaving the facility we called the HOGS with the Dominators once again and wished them well in the finals. At some point during the week every player had an opportunity to contribute to a great play for our team. It is a privilege to be your coach and I am proud of each and every player for their effort. Thank you parents for your support, without your dedication and committment our team would not be where we are today.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Arkansas Baseball
Arkansas Baseball is in premier form during the month of July. To my knowledge every Arkansas team that entered a World Series has advanced to the Championship brackets. If I leave a team out of this article then please feel free to send me information and I will update this as soon as possible.
8U Division - Arkansas Cobras (World Series Champions), Hot Shots, RedBirds and Border City Bandits all finished in the top half of their age groups.
9U Division - Dominators (World Series Runner-Up),Arkansas Muckdogs (World Series 3rd Place), and East Arkansas Bandits all went 8-1 in pool play. The Dominators and Muckdogs were the only two teams that remained undefeated through Sunday.
10U Division - Titans and All-Stars went 6-0 in pool play against their opponents.
I am not sure about the older divisions but I would bet the state director will have information on the Arkansas Website soon.
Be proud of your state and the teams that represented us at their respective world series events. We have some great baseball talent and it will only get better. Congratulations to all of the teams within the state and let's get ready for the 2004 season.
Take Care,
Wes Young
July 2003 Famous Quote
"I don't put any strain on my arm because I don't have to throw the ball harder to change speeds"
Doug Jones, who pitched into his 40's without being sidelined with a sore arm.
Muckdogs win at Lucas Jackson 10U Tournament
This was a great weekend for our first 10U baseball tournament! The boys were relaxed, the parents were relaxed and so were the coaches. Our first opponent was the Arkansas Rockhounds who won the 9U AA State Tournament. It was a good game and they are very good people. We won the game 9-1 and we played a complete game. We put the ball in play, played good defense and had another complete game pitched by our pitching staff. The next game was against the Bentonville Blades. This is a new team and they have a lot of potential. We won the game and had an opportunity to use some more pitchers. On Sunday we played the Blades first and we did a real good job of bunting and working on our switch-hitting. The Blades put out a lot of effort and they will come together to be a good team next summer. The next game was against the Rockhounds again and we won the game 9-2 for the championship. The Rockhounds have improved a lot since last year and they will be even better next season. All of this being said this was a great tournament to end the year. The boys had a great time coaching 1st Base and we ended the year playing well. WE have had a great season to be proud of and many more exciting times ahead.
Muckdogs end of the year party Wednesday 6:30-8:30 at the Hunton's house. Bring your swimsuit and contact Linda and/or Teri to see what each family needs to bring for food and drinks.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
August 2003 Famous Quote
"I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it."
Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax (who was 36-40 in his first six seasons and 129-47 in his final six)
October 2003 Famous Quote
"Kids today are looking for idols, but sometimes they look too far... They don't have to look any farther than their home because those are the people that love you. They are the real heroes."
Bobby Bonilla
November 2003 Famous Quote
"You take away a pitcher's legs, you take away his power."
Roger Clemens, New York Yankees pitcher
December 2003 Famous Quote
"The harder you work the luckier you get."
Tony Larussa
January 2004 Famous Quote
"The player who loses his head and can't keep his cool is worse than no ballplayer at all."
Unknown Coach
Honor Roll (Straight A's)
The following MUCKDOGS have made straight A's on their report cards.
Robert Gean (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Allen Hoyt (3rd Qtr. 4th Grade)
John Hunton (3rd Qtr. 2nd Grade)
Spencer Meares (3rd Qtr. 4th Grade)
Austin Nolan (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Hayden Smith (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Daniel Young (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Honor Roll (A's & B's)
The following MUCKDOGS made all A's and B's on their report card.
Kenrick Burns (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Dustin Shelby (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Landon Williams (3rd Qtr. 3rd Grade)
Can You Hear It ??????
Can you hear that sound??? It sounds like.....a metal sound. Now I am hearing a snap or was it a smack. Wait a minute, I heard a loud whoosh and then a pop or maybe it was a ping. It's getting louder and louder. It's coming from the East side of Ft. Smith, AR. Yes, I remember that sound.............
It's the Muckdogs swinging their bats. Watch out because we're bigger, faster and stronger than last year. A pitchers worst nightmare and you haven't seen us play defense yet.
It looks to be another exciting year of baseball brought to you by the boys in the River Valley. Yes, the Muckdogs are stirring and we will be ready to play. And remember....bring plenty of baseballs.
Coach Wes
Welcome New Muckdog
Everyone please welcome Evan Faries as the newest Muckdog. Evan brings a great attitude along with his baseball skills to our team. He throws right, bats left and has very good speed. His parents are Doug and Karen and they live in Van Buren, AR. Please make sure you welcome them to the team and maybe even share a memoroable Muckdog experience about our program.
This is going to be another exciting year!
Coach Wes
February 2004 Famous Saying
Five most important words:
"Surround yourself with good people"
Four most important words:
"Take care of yourself"
Three most important words:
"Class, character, concern."
Two most important words:
"Thank You."
Single most important word:
"We."
Welcome New Muckdog
Everyone please welcome Colton Spencer as our newest newest Muckdog for the 2004 season. Colt has a great attitude and his skills will help us continue our tradition. Colt throws right, has speed and brings a very good LH bat to our lineup. His parents are Robert and Stephanie and they live in Sallisaw, OK. Please make sure you welcome them to the team and try and share a memorable moment about Muckdog baseball.
This season is looking more and more fun!!!
Coach Wes
March 2004 Famous Quote
"Slowing down your body and thinking 'quick arm' will improve you control and velocity immediately"
Dave Smith, former Houston Astros closer
5th Annual Hum' Baby Memorial Classic USSSA NIT
The Hum' Baby Tournament is full of great teams and ready to play. Bring your gloves, bats and "A" game this weekend because you will be tested. This is the toughest tournament in Hum' Baby history and it should be very exciting.
13's and 14's have been reposted due to the Arkansas Storm dropping out. Please make all your parents aware that game times will change.
BRACKETS ARE POSTED! GO TO THE HANDOUTS LINK LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS PAGE. SOME HAVE BEEN REVISED AS OF 11:45PM 5/25/04. PLEASE REVIEW YOUR GAME TIMES! OFFICIAL BRACKETS WILL BE PASSED OUT IN YOUR COACHES PACKETS.
DIRECTIONS TO THE FACILITY ARE IN THE HANDOUTS LINK! BE SAFE ON THE ROAD AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOUR TEAM!
UPDATED TOURNAMENT RULES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE HANDOUTS LINK!
Location: Kelley Park, 1801 S. 31st Street, Ft. Smith, AR
(Old Greenwood Road and S. 31st are the same street)
Time: May 29-31, 2004
Divisions: Tournament is closed for entry!
Ages: 8U - 15U (7U)
Cost: $275 ($175)
Bonus Tournament 8U: Machine Pitch and Kid Pitch (Double points)
Current Teams:
Maximum six (6) 7U teams
7U Arkansas Vipers
7U Milford Jaguars (paid)
7U Arkansas Red Storm (paid)
8U DIVISION FULL
8U Arkansas Stealers
8U Oklahoma Cardinals
8U OKC Sooners
8U Ft. Smith Dodgers
8U Bentonville Bandits (paid)
8U Roland Gators (paid)
9U DIVISION
9U Arkansas Cobras
9U MWC Warriors
9U OK Heat
9U OKC Red Sox
9U Arkansas Stix (paid)
9U Ark-La-Tex Tornado's (paid)
9U Arkansas Diamond Dawgs (paid)
9U Muskogee Cardinals (paid)
9U Oklahoma Cubs
9U Muldrow Panthers
9U Louisiana Titans (no phone call returned 5/25/04 dropped from tournament. This is two years in a row for this team.)
9U Texas Rattlers (pulled out Monday 1:30PM)
Maximum six (6) 10U teams
10U Arkansas Muckdogs
10U OK Stix
10U The Dominators
10U A-1 Recovery Buzz (paid)
10U Arkansas Mavericks
Maximum four (4) 11U teams
11U Southern Reds
11U St. Paul
11U Greenwood Grizzlies
12U DIVISION FULL
12U Arkansas Wildcats
12U Midwest City Storm (paid)
12U Ft. Smith All-Stars (paid)
12U Benton Dodgers (paid)
12U Greenwood Bulldogs
12U Talequah Cardinals
12U Poteau Big Dogs
Maximum first four (4) paid 13U teams
13U Arkansas Astros
13U Ft. Smith Church League
13U Central AR Express
13U Arkansas Storm (dropped Thursday 4:15PM parents didn't like their game times)
14U DIVISION
14U Arkansas RiverBandits
14U South Ark BoneCrushers (paid)
14U Wagoner Sharks
14U Sallisaw Express
14U Ft. Smith Saints
Wes Young
479-452-4983
rwyoung001@aol.com
Rain, rain and more rain...
Well our first tournament of the year in Alma, AR is rained out after the first day. However we did get to play two games so we have something to build on before our next tournament. Let me recap Saturdays games: 29 runs scored, 0 runs allowed, one walk, only two HBP's, four pitchers used and six still in the bull pen. The only aspect we weren't prepared for was the 35-40mph fastballs. I believe we would have hit the ball better if we had seen some harder pitching. Hopefully this weekend will show improvement in our ability to adjust to the different speeds of opposing pitchers. Overall I must say "Great Job" to all the Muckdogs for our first tournament. Let's work hard at practice this week and prepare for our next event.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs do well in Tulsa
What a weekend!!! We started off with the OKC Braves with a little too much adrenalin and not enough field time. They did a good job of taking advantage of a few too many errors. The OKC Braves won 8-1. Next up the Tulsa Oilers and our bats were HOT! We gave up a few runs this game but finished well and won 9-4. On Sunday I wasn't sure how we would start the day but it did not take long to see. Three Home Runs a few doubles and several hard hit singles, add some good base running and the result is....well you know. The Sapulpa Giants played a good game but our bats were too much. Final score 13-3. Our final game of the Round Robin was with a team called Warrior Baseball. They played a great game and hung with us until their ace (the hardest throwing 10U pitcher for this weekend) got tired. We hit the ball well and they made some great plays. The final score was 8-2 and we finished the weekend with 2nd place. All the teams we played were great competitors and had very good fans. It was a pleasure to play at All-Star Sports this weekend.
Overall, we were probably the best hitting team of the weekend. When we get some field and mound time our defense and pitching will be the same. It sure is going to be exciting watching these boys this summer.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs Champions in Muskogee
Wow! The bats are still HOT! We scored 58 runs in four games and gave up 17 runs. The runs allowed are a little high but it presented us an opportunity to see how we reacted when teams were trying to battle. Our defense played very well!!! If we continue to make the automatic plays and hold hitters to only base hits we are going to have a lot of success on the field. We pitched very well this weekend with the small strike zones. Our plate discipline has improved 100% from our tournament in Tulsa.
Our first game was with the OK Rookies and we started off HOT! We played good defense and hit the ball extremely well and finished the game 14-5. The second game was with the Sapulpa Giants. Our bats are continuing to be "Loud and Proud". We played well but gave up too many runs in the late innings. The final was 17-5. The third game was with the Tahlequah Titans. The first inning was impressive by both teams. However, the 2nd inning we batted around almost twice and blew the game wide open. The final score was 18-2. Our final game was with the Oklahoma White Sox. Our boys knew we had already won the tournament regardless of the outcome so I don't think they played 100%. The White Sox pitcher did a good job of locating pitches with a larger strike zone for this game. In the end we finally put the game away and finished 9-5. We saw some good pitching this weekend and it was a very good tournament. If we could change one thing it would have been to do something about the 30mph constant wind. Other than that it was a great weekend. Thank you parents and fans for your support.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs Champions in Bentonville (and no rain...)
First of all "Thank You" to all of the Mom's that gave up this weekend for us to play baseball. I hope you had a Happy Mother's Day.
First up was the Arkansas Braves and our bats were still warm from three weeks ago. Our pitching was great and we ended up winning the game 18-1. Our next game was with our Bentonville friends the Dominators. As usual, it was a game that was decided by one inning and we came out on top 8-4. Both teams played a very good ballgame. Saturday night was a new adventure as we were scheduled to play the Knight Riders (11U) which would be a rematch from a year ago. We played very well and hit the ball with power which resulted in a 10-1 win. This put us in the 10U championship game on Sunday. Our opponents, yes you guessed it, the Dominators. Showing why they are a very good ballclub they proceeded to put 8 runs on us while holding us to 0. Suddenly we got a few breaks, we started hitting the ball and good things started happening. We battled back to 8-6 and then hit a two-run dinger to tie and a solo dinger to take the lead. We added one more run and then all we had to do was let our closer do his job. It was a fantastic game and we showed great character to pullout a comeback victory against a very good team. Arkansas will be very well represented in the "big show" this summer.
Let's get ready to play in Greenwood, AR next weekend. We will be playing as 11U AA during this tournament. New teams, new base lengths and new pitching distance will be a big challenge. Let's keep it going boys! Once again you continue to amaze me with your abilities. I am very proud of every one of you!
Take Care,
Coach Wes
WOW! Muckdogs rule in the 11's this weekend....
The Muckdogs are the Champions of the 11U AA Division in the Border Shootout in Greenwood, AR this weekend. These guys are simply amazing. The longer bases and pitching distance did not phase us this weekend. We were throwing hard and crushing the baseball...again.
Our first game Saturday morning was against the Greenwood Grizzlies. We won the game 22-1 with outstanding effort on everyones part. We played the North Garland Cardinals on Saturday evening and ended up winning 18-4. Sunday would be a new day and very interesting. We still had half of our bullpen available to pitch. We were the #1 seed and this put us in the semi-final game against the Greenbriar Swat Team. They started out strong but we prevailed with a 9-6 victory that took every out of the game to win. This put us in the finals of the 11U AA Division against the NWA Slammers. This team had been hitting the ball well this weekend. We shut them down and played stellar defense to win the game in five innings 9-1. Overall it was a GREAT weekend and we learned some valuable lessons about the game of baseball and life. I will see you at practice and again....I am very proud of 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 23 and 25. You guys are learning to be great players.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs Champions again......in 11U Tournament
STOP THE PRESSES! The Muckdogs have won their second 11U tournament in a row. This was a weekend that would test every aspect of our game. The competition at this tournament was VERY good. It was evident early that pitchers could not just rare back and throw heat or the ball was going out of the park. Pitchers had to pitch very smart this weekend and the defense had to be ready every pitch.
Saturday morning, 8:00 AM and barely awake, our first game was with the Springdale Rippers (#1 11U AA team in AR). We played very good baseball this early but gave up a few errors late in the game and (as good teams usually do) the Rippers took advantage. They won the game 9-8. The Rippers should be a AAA team with no problem. Our next game was with the Joplin Metro-Miners (#2 11U AA team in MO). Without a doubt this was our best hitting exibition in Muckdog history. The Minors were a very good team but we scored 23 RBI's alone in this game including two (2) grand slams. The final score was 26-10. We received the #2 seed in our pool and we were scheduled to play the Siloam Springs Knight Riders Sunday morning. This team recently added an 11U Major pitcher and he would be on the hill for our game. This was one of the better pitchers of the tournament and he kept us in the park very well. We manufactured a few runs and then when they changed pitchers the game was over 11-3. The semi-finals game would match us with the Road Warriors. This was a 5 inning game that ended with another Muckdog victory 15-6. So the final game was set. Muckdogs vs Rippers in the finals and we would have a chance to redeem ourselves. This was a very good game with our bats a little cool but our pitching and defense made the difference. We won the game 4-3 which was a great way to end the weekend.
This weekend made us a lot smarter baseball players and coaches. Being the younger team made us have to take advantage of every opportunity. Fastballs were basically base hits this weekend. If you couldn't throw your change-up for a strike the other team was going to use you for batting practice. These teams were very good hitting teams and played good defense. This is a VERY big win for us this weekend. I will see you at practice this week and let's get ready for the Hum' Baby.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Hum' Baby Teams 2nd to None!!!
The 5th Annual Hum' Baby Memorial Classic was another successful tournament which included some of the best teams in the region. On behalf of all of the Muckdog families, THANK YOU to all of the teams that participated and that were patient when we did have some rain. We worked hard to make sure teams were accommodated and made sure there was plenty of food and drinks. We had several comments about how nice it was to come to a ballpark on Memorial Weekend and not see inflated prices for gates and concession items. Thank you for the kind emails and comments about our families efforts. It is appreciated and we will continue to offer the same service in years to come. The competition gathered at Kelley Park this weekend was second to none in every age group. All you had to do was stop to watch a few innings on any field and every team was competitive in every ballgame. It was a great weekend for baseball and it wouldn't be possible without all of the great teams that participated. We look forward to your return next year and have a great 2004 season.
Thank You and Take Care,
Arkansas Muckdog Families
#1 John Hunton - David & Terry
#4 Spencer Meares - Jeff & Norma
#5 Tony Sandifer - Eric & Gina
#7 Austin Nolan - Bennett & Tammy
#8 Robert Gean - David & Cara
#9 Colt Spencer - Robert & Stephanie
#10 Hayden Smith - Rusty & Terri
#12 Allen Hoyt - Kelli and Freddie
#23 Evan Faries - Doug & Karen
#25 Daniel Young - Wes & Melinda
Additional Thank You's for the Hum' Baby
A special "Thank You" goes out to the following families and individuals for their help in making this event successful.
Doug Pogue
Annie Peterson
#6 Landon Williams - Ronnie, Pam, Logan and London
The Giacinti family
The Joslin family
The Wolfe family
Chaffin Cheerleaders
If we left someone of off this list we sincerely apologize. This was a very busy weekend and several "Thank You's" are due.
Take Care,
Arkansas Muckdogs
Muckdogs finish 2nd at Hum' Baby Tournament
What a weekend filled with talent. All of the 10U teams raised the level of their play for this very competitive tournament. Unfortunately our bats cooled off considerably but that was due the quality of pitching we faced and a lack of focus on our part.
We started off with the Dominators and we were down the entire game. We could not get a rally started and Zach (#34) pitched his heart out for the Dominators. We were down 3-1 in the bottom of the 6th when we managed to get runners on and then crush a ball to the gap in right center to tie the game. With one out and a pitching change we set up the safety squeeze play and managed to win the game 4-3 with a very good bunt and a hustle play by our base runner. It was a very close play and very exciting to be a part of for these two teams. Our next game was with the OK Stix and their pitcher (Blake #8) did a tremendous job of mixing pitches and kept us at bay. We managed to score a run but it was too little too late and the final score was 2-1. The next game was with the A1 Buzz and again we faced a very good pitcher (Burgess) who had his "A" game. They played very well and again we did not put the ball in play. They won the game 3-1. Our next opponent was the Arkansas Mavericks and we would improve this game. We put the ball in play a little better and ran the bases well for a final score of 10-2. With a little help from a a couple of teams that put us in the final game with the OK Stix. We were facing (Garrett) who was throwing the ball very well. We put the ball in play and had a few calls go our way but the Stix would not be denied this weekend. They won the game 8-5 in a very good ballgame. All in all the class and sportsmanship displayed this weekend was very good. It would have been nice to hit the ball better this weekend but that's why you have to play every game.
I don't normally name names in my articles but I thought the above pitchers for the other teams did an outstanding job for their teams and deserved some recognition. Our team is also a quality group of young men and we will continue to play for the benefit of the team.
Practice will continue this week as we strive to get better for the World Series. See you at practice, Muckdogs.
Coach Wes
Muckdogs win at O'Brien with bats only
Well it wasn't pretty but it was a win. We walked more people this weekend than a crosswalk on the first day of school. The only thing keeping us in the game was some defense and our hitting. We definitely have some work to do on the hill. If you were to remove all of the runs scored on us this weekend we would not have given up more than 10 runs the entire weekend. It was not as much fun coming from behind but it did give us an opportunity to reinforce our motto to "never give up"!
The White Sox were our first opponent of the weekend and we did manage to pitch well in this game. We won the game 11-3. Our second game was against the Tulsa Hawks. This is a pretty good team so don't take them lightly. We spotted them 8 runs in the first inning and had to battle back to win the game 12-8. Our third game was against the Tulsa Oilers who broke out some bats and pounded the baseball. The only pitch we could throw for a strike was a fastball and they did a good job of hitting the ball. We won the game on a walkoff grandslam 12-10 in the sixth inning. After this game our kids knew we were in the finals so I guess we thought we would just show up and win the fourth game. However this game would be a new experience. We were run ruled 12-0 by the OK Sandites with a spectacular pitching performance by their first baseman. We did manage to give them about 9 unearned runs in this game. So we regrouped to play them in the championship game and proceeded to walk in a few runs and spot them 5 runs in the first inning. By the third inning we were wondering when the boys would respond and not be runr-ruled again. We managed to score five runs in the bottom of the third to make the score 14-7. Going into the sixth inning we were still down 14-7 and with some gutsy batting and baserunning we won the game 15-14 with only one out used. It was a very intense weekend with the frustration from our bullpen so you can bet we will be practicing our pitching this week in preparation for our next tournament. Next up is the 11U AA State Tournament in Ft. Smith.
Coach Wes
Muckdogs win TWO State Championships in one weekend
Even the rain could not prevent the MUCKDOGS from their goal this weekend. Prior to this weekends 11U AA State Tournament the Arkansas State Director notified us that if (and only if) we won the 11U AA State Tournament we could be declared the 10U Major State Champions. However, if we finished anything lower than first we would just be that position in the 11U AA State Tournament. This was quite a challenge and I decided not explain this to our team to prevent any unnecessary pressure to play baseball this weekend. Our players played great with everyone contributing in some way! Pitching, Defense and THE BATS were all in place after a week of good practices. We made it to the finals and played a very good Benton Razorbacks team and won the game 6-2. So the Arkansas Muckdogs are now the 10U Major State Champions and the 11U AA State Champions. On the national website we will only get points for one State Championship so it will not reflect the entire situation. But on our website we can very proudly explain. Stand tall and be proud Muckdogs....you earned it!
Say it again.............10U Major Arkansas State Champions AND 11U AA Arkansas State champions.
(Looks like new hats for next season)
Game 1: The Springdale Rippers were ready to play this game. The goal for both teams was to try and win and allow as few runs as possible since both teams put the ball in play VERY well. We played well but the Rippers prevailed and won 10-2 putting the pressure on us to win our second pool play game to help with seeding.
Game 2: The Swat Team would be our next game and we put the ball in play well and played good defense and pitched very well. The final score was 6-2 which gave us a 1-1 record and what looked like an 8-11 seeding.
Game 3: We received a 14 seed due to some late upsets and high scoring games. Our first bracket play game was with the Knight Riders. We have a pitcher that they have not been able to beat so he got the ball and the result was the same. Final score 9-4 and we are movin' on.
Game 4: The Siloam Springs Pumas decided to only bat nine of eleven players for our game. This strategy paid off late in the game when they were able to tie the game 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth. International Rules were in effect. They expected a bunt and we put a ball in the outfield and three outs later we were ahead 6-4. This game would end with this score as they could not overcome our pitching and defense in the seventh inning.
Game 5: The Twin City Travelers had been overlooked by several teams. They were the 15 seed and had sent the 1 and 6 seeds home already. We (again) pitched a great game and won in three innings 12-1.
So now we are in the championship game and we have 5-1/2 pitchers available. All the other team knows is they are having to play a 10 year old team so they are calling the hogs and ready for the hardware.
Game 6: The Benton Razorbacks just beat the Springdale Rippers in the other semi-final game 1-0. They had just pitched their ACE and then they had to face the Muckdogs. With bats in hand and arms ready we proceeded to make the score 6-0 in 5-1/2 innings. They started to try and come back, so we changed pitchers and the final score was 6-2 with TWO State Championships to claim. It was very sweet!
The Benton Razorback coaches and team made a point to tell our team how impressed they were with our level of play. This was another very good tournament and we showed improvement on the hill and the ability to hit several pitches. One more tournament and then the World Series. We will represent our state proudly and have fun!
See ya at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs finish 2nd place in Van Buren
I believe we are ready for Broken Arrow, OK. We played very well this weekend. A 2nd place finish is very respectable considering the teams we played. If we can play this way against our own age group then we will have a successful World Series event. Our pitching seems to be on track and our defense remains consistent. Our hitting has cooled somewhat but I believe that is due to the pitching we are seeing in the 11U age group.
Our first game was against the Siloam Springs Pumas. We played a pretty consistent game but we were a little sluggish. We were ahead the entire game and did not allow them to fight back this time. The final score was 6-3. Our second game was against the Arkansas Titans (11U AAA State Champions) and we were ready. This was a pitching duel from the start and they capitalized on a few errors and won the game 2-0. We played very well and have nothing to hang our head about in this defeat. The umpire behind the plate was heard leaving the field saying this was one of the best 11U games he had ever called. Our third game was against the FSCL American team and this was another quality team. Our pitching proved to be too much for them and they did not have the answer on the hill. We won the game 12-0. The final game of the tournament was against the FSCL National team. We utilized this game to pitch a different pitcher every inning and play a few different defensive positions. We won the game 5-1 and ended the game on a very sweet 5-4-3 double play (just like we practice).
This was a very good tournament prior to the World Series. Let's get ready to work hard during the next two weeks in preparation to compete for the National Championship.
Have Fun, Play Hard and Never Give Up,
Coach Wes
Arkansas Muckdogs earn 2nd place at Super Series Nationals
WOW! The Arkansas Muckdog baseball program has once again achieved and surpassed our goals for the 2004 season. We are the Super Series 10U American Division Runner-Up for the 2004 season. We competed with 42 teams and I thought this was a more competitive World Series than last years event. We played very good baseball last week at the Super Series Nationals (World Series). I will post the game results in the next few days. We met some very nice teams and several teams had good things to say about our program.
Congratulations to the Baton Rouge Storm for winning the championship. We were the only team to defeat them in the tournament. They have a very good program and are very well coached.
All of our hard work in December, January and February paid off this week. It is a very good feeling knowing that ten (10) boys from the Fort Smith area can compete at such a high level. The sky is the limit Muckdogs when you put forth the effort that you guys showed this year. I am VERY proud of each one of you. Muckdogs, be very proud of yourselves and your accomplishments. Parents, thank you for your support and help throughout the season. These boys are a very special group and without your dedication we would not be this successful. We will continue to improve and have fun along the way. Now is is time for a few days off to enjoy our effort. We will begin to prepare for our 11U Season in the coming weeks. Thank you again, Muckdogs, parents and fans!
Sincerely,
Coach Wes
USSSA 10U Major National Rankings
This link will take you directly to the National Rankings for all USSSA 10U Major baseball teams.
USSSA 10U Major Arkansas Rankings
This link will take you directly to the Arkansas rankings for USSSA 10U Major baseball teams.
USSSA 10U Major Arkansas Muckdogs
This link will take you directly to the Arkansas Muckdog USSSA 10U Major baseball team tournament results.
Lucas Jackson Final Event of the year for Muckdogs
Our last tournament of the year and our first tournament as 11 year olds was a blast. The boys enjoyed coaching 1st base and we played some pretty good baseball. It was good to end the season on such a positive note and the boys indicated they wanted to play another tournament. However, the season must end sometime and I believe this will just make them more hungry to begin in December.
Our first game was against the NWA Diamond Aces and we bunted every batter in the first two innings. We scored six runs on bunts and ran the bases very well. Our two pitchers threw a perfect game and the final score was 12-0. Our second game was against the I.C. Buffaloes. We won this game 18-1 and continued to play well. Our next game was against the (Van Buren) Green Sox. They struggled with our aggressive play and we won the game 18-1. Our final game was against the Russelleville Scrappers. They came out swinging the bat and scored five legitimate runs in the first inning. However, there were five more innings to play and the final score was 14-6.
The Muckdogs are a special group of boys and I want to thank the parents for the opportunity to coach their children. It is a privilege to be able to be a part of these boys lives. Let's have a fun fall off and get ready to start again during winter.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdog / Cobra facility ready to go....
After a hard weekend of work the Muckdog/Cobra facility is in top notch condition. Thank you to Eric Sandifer for tilling, Rusty Smith for repair work on the building and brush-hogging, and Jeff Meares for mowing and weedeating. About six Cobra parents were also in attendence and we pulled grass and they spread fertilizer and grub killer to make the day complete. It was a lot of hard work but it will be well worth it in December when we begin our workouts. We also have a few new pieces of training equipment to look forward to using. Only two months to go before our first practice.
I want the boys to be thinking about the phrase "An extra 5%" for practice this year. I will talk more about what this means during our team meeting in a few weeks.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
It's that time again.........
Get ready for that familiar sound in the River Valley area. Yes, you can hear the sound of wood and aluminum hitting leather all across the area. You can hear a few grunts and groans and voices of support. But don't be alarmed, unless you are an 11/12 year old baseball team, because it's just the Muckdogs getting ready for the 2005 season. We have had our first practice and the boys of the River Valley area are looking good. Watch out for the Muckdogs and remember to bring plenty of baseballs.
Coach Wes
City of Ft. Smith Recognizes Arkansas Muckdogs
City of Ft. Smith Ray Baker has invited our team to attend a reception honoring our championship team. There will also be a few other teams in attendance for this occasion.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005, 5:30 PM
Ft. Smith Convention Center Room A-1
What to wear? Players: Red Jersey, black undershirt, black hat, black windsuit pants. Coaches: Red coaches shirt, black hat, black windsuit pants.
Thank You,
Coach Wes
Say a Prayer........
Please remember to say a prayer for Luke Hulse and his family. He is the young boy that played for the AR Titans and then switched to the Siloam Springs Knight Riders at the end of the year. He is a good baseball player and a good kid. His father passed away on March 1 and he is need of our prayers.
NEWS ALERT! USSSA has changed birth date requirements......
USSSA has notified me by email that effective August 1, 2005 the age cut-off for all age groups will be May 1. Whatever a players age is as of April 30 will be the age division they are eligible to play.
This rule change will drastically effect all age divisions. Players that are eligible to remain in their age group for an additional year will become highly recruited.
Super Series has not followed suit with this age change and says there will be no changes in age cut-off until the 2007 season. That means a team sanctioned legally with USSSA could have to play in the next age division in a Super Series Tournament.
Coach Wes
Look Who's Coming to the 6th Annual Hum' Baby
Brackets will be posted on the HANDOUTS LINK on or before Wednesday of this week.
8U Teams (First eight paid teams)Double Points Tournament ***Full***
Arkansas Vipers (paid)
OKC Jammers (paid)
Arkansas Kings (paid)
OKC Jaguars (paid)
Arkansas Red Storm (paid)
OKC Athletics (paid)
Dairy Queen Busters (paid)
Texas Sports (paid)
9U Teams ***FULL***
Arkansas Twisters (paid)
Ft. Smith Dodgers (paid)
Texas Sports - Black (paid)
Arkansas Reds (confirmed)
Oklahoma Cubs (confirmed)
Russelleville RiverCats (confirmed)
Texas Sports - Red (paid)
10U Teams ***FULL***
Arkansas Cobras (confirmed)
PCO Red Sox (paid)
Oklahoma Outlaws (paid)
Oklahoma Cubs (paid)
Oklahoma Cardinals (paid)
MWC Warriors (confirmed)
Greenwood Diamond Dawgs (confirmed)
11U Teams ***FULL***
Arkansas Muckdogs (paid)
Central AR Express (confirmed)
Arkansas Mavericks (paid)
Arkansas Rockhounds (paid)
Kansas Young Guns (confirmed)
Hilliard Sooners(paid)
OKC Venom (paid)
12U Teams ***FULL***
Waldron Red Sox
Conway RiverDawgs
Branson Crusaders
Church League Misfits
Arkansas Stealth
13U Teams ***FULL***
Fort Smith Lions (paid)
Arkansas Wildcats (paid)
Sheridan Yellow Jackets (confirmed)
Washington Cty Cardinals (paid)
OKC Redhawks (paid)
Greenwood Bulldogs (confirmed)
Springdale Rally Dawgs (confirmed)
Trojans (confirmed)
14U Teams ***FULL***
***These games WILL be played at UAFS College Baseball Complex***
Central AR Express (confirmed)
Lakeside Rams (confirmed)
Ft. Smith Church Leauge (confirmed)
Oklahoma Sooners (confirmed)
15U Teams ***FULL***
***SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT***
***These games WILL be played at UAFS College Baseball Complex***
Ft. Smith Church League 15U (confirmed)
Arkansas Braves 15U (confirmed)
Springdale Crush 15U (confirmed)
Arkansas Copperheads 15U (confirmed)
6th Annual Hum' Baby was a great tournament...
Thank you to all of the teams that participated in the 6th Annual Hum' Baby Memorial USSSA NIT Tournament. Thanks to the quality of teams that participated this was one of the better tournaments of the season. I hope everyone had a great time and the fields were up to your standards. Continuous improvement to the facilities over the next few years will continue to make Kelley Park one of the better parks to play baseball in the state. Everyone was a part of history as this was the first Hum' Baby Tournament to not have any rain delays the entire weekend. Please make teams aware of this tournament from other states and we will continue to grow the amount of states represented at this tournament. This weekend we had teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. Thank you again and have a great 2005 season!
Sincerely,
Arkansas Muckdogs
Muckdogs win Hum' Baby and return to form...
What a weekend for Muckdog Baseball. After adjusting to the loss of Austin Nolan our boys decided to step up their game. We pitched very well, played good defense and hit good enough to win ballgames. We are still adjusting to the 11U pitching speed as it is slower than the 12's. We will continue to get better as we play in our own age group. Our first game was against the Arkansas Rockhounds. We hit the ball pretty well in this game and won 13-1. Our second game was against the Hilliard Sooners. They had a very good pitcher on the mound and held us down for 2-3 innings. After that we put the ball in play at key times to win the ballgame 5-3. This gave us the 2 seed for bracket play. Our next game was against the Arkansas Rockhounds (again). However we would see a different team this time. They had a very good pitcher and both teams had a huge strike zone. We managed to win the game 2-1 due to a close play in the last inning. This advanced us to the semi finals to play the OKC Venom. They are a scrappy team and did not give up the entire game. We played very well and did not allow a runner past 2nd base. The final score was 6-0. This set up the finals between us and the Kansas Young Guns. The game was GREAT! Both pitchers hit locations and mixed up pitches to keep the other teams bats at bay. Finally, we managed a few baserunners and a key hit and scored two runs. The remainder of the game was exciting with double plays and runners thrown out stealing 2nd base. The final score was 2-0 with us coming out on top. The Kansas Young Guns are a class act and it was a pleasure to compete with their team.
Coach Wes
Pitching protection for young players Article #1
Please take time to read this article!!!
Pitching protection for young players Article #2
Please read this article!!!
Pitching protection for young players Article #3
Please read this article!!!
Muckdogs earn 1st Place in Spinach Festival 12U's
Well, I can sleep better after this weekend's performance. Our defense came to play ball. The outfield was terrific and the infield played very well. Our pitcher's did a much better job of challenging hitters also this weekend. We saw some (better than expected) very good pitching that will help us prepare for Ardmore.
Our first game was against the Arkansas Angels, a new team, that played very well. We jumped on them early and never looked back. The final score was 10-2. Our second game was against the LA (Lindsey) Dodgers which were a AAA team last year. They threw the heat at us and six innings later we won the game 10-3. Then came Sunday and we acted a little to comfortable in our pregame preparation. We started out with the Two State Arrowheads and should have put the game away early with a great pitching performance. We did not close the game very well and gave up too many walks. We had to play stiff defense and won the game 5-4. This put us in the final game with a rematch with the Arkansas Angels. They threw the heat at us and the young man on the hill did a real good job. We jumped on them early and played good defense throughout the game. The Angels did not give up and tried to come back in the 6th inning. We struck out the last batter looking and won the game 5-4.
A very good experience this weekend. Tournament was ran well and the teams were very competitive. Three of the AA teams should be AAA if you want my opinion. We have another tough tournament next weekend in Ft. Smith so let's get ready to play again.
See ya at practice,
Coach Wes
3 and out for this weekend
Three and out this weekend has not happened to the Muckdogs in a long time. However, it was not a negative experience and we had a lot of things to learn about this weekend. We made a few errors and the 12's took advantage whenever possible. We faced some good pitchers again this weekend and saw a lot more curve balls from the 12's. It is apparent they will do anything to not lose to a 11U team. This was a much tougher tournament than the Spinach Festival.
Our first game was against the Arkansas Stealth. We played very well in all aspects and won the game 10-0. Our next game was against the Clarksville Cardinals. This is definitely a AAA team. We played well enough to win but we gave up two dingers on 2-0 counts that accounted for 7 of their 11 runs. We got beat 11-10 and the pressure was on to win the final game. We would face the Rogers Travelers (AAA) in a game on a small field (210') which put pressure on pitchers to keep the ball down. This was a six inning game that we were never out of and continued to play well. Only one ball went out of the park and we got beat 4-1 by a very good team.
I noticed several boys maturing this weekend. In the two games we lost we continued to play through every inning and did not give up. This is a very good sign and is leading our boys in the right direction for the game of baseball and life. It was a little difficult not playing on Sunday but with the right perspective we will build on this weekend and improve.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs guns not loaded for shootout!
Well the OK/TX shootout was everything I thought it would be except for one ingredient...our bats! The pitching was good enough to win and our defense played good enough to win but we could not score runs. This is not a problem we have encountered in several years. One thing is for sure, we will work hard the next two weeks to prepare for our next tournament. I believe I made a mistake having us play in the 12's the last two weeks. The talent level is a lot different and the 12's throw much harder than the 11's. I did not do a very good job of preparing our boys for this tournament. I will try and have them more prepared for the next tournament.
Our first game Friday night was against the OK Stix. Both teams played great and both pitcher's pitched a great game. Neither team could afford a mistake and we made one more than them which resulted in a 2-1 loss. Our second game was against the Texas Thunder and I watched them hit the ball and run bases very well on Friday night. We started out slow and could not find the strike zone. With a combination of not hitting the ball we lost our concentration and this team took advantage of our lack of focus. We got beat 11-2 in a frustrating game. Our third game was against the Wichita Falls Rebels. This team apparently had watched us not hit the ball and again took advantage of a few errors. We could not consistently find the strike zone and used to many pitches in this game. We showed signs of coming out of our slump and battled in the final inning to make the loss more respectable at 7-3. Sunday put is in the consolation bracket to meet Cougar Baseball. They again pitched a slower pitcher with a very good change-up. We had the lead until the 5th inning and I left our pitcher in the game too long. The result was a final score of 2-1.
I made the comment on Saturday night that we had not made enough errors to lose any game if we were hitting the ball. But because of our inability to move and score runners the errors become more important. This is where defensively we have to become more consistent. We haven't proved we can win a 1-0 or 2-1 ball game and that is a concern. Be ready to work hard on the tee and dedicate some time toward pitching during the next two weeks. We can only improve after this weekend.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs perform well in Greenwood...
I wondered how the Muckdogs would rebound after our last tournament. It did not take long to find out. We responded by playing the game very well. Our first opponent was the AR Stealth. This is a pretty good team but we have their number for the moment. We hit the ball well and played very good defense, made all of the routine plays, and even made a few extra effort plays. We won the game 9-0. The next game we would play the Ashdown Travelers. Someone forgot to remind them they were playing a tournament this weekend and they were a "no show". We received a forfeit and the #2 seed for bracket play. Next up, the LA Dodgers. They jumped on us in the first inning and put five runs on us. We responded VERY well and won the game 10-5 with some very good hitting. The next game was against the Clarksville Cardinals. This was a very good game with the Cardinals leading 1-0 through five innings. We tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth and had a chance to take lead. Again, I left our pitcher in the game about 10 pitches too many and three runs later we were down 4-1. That would be the final score as we did not score any runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Overall, we played MUCH better than our last three tournaments. This is encouraging and now we will drop into our own age group for the rest of the season. The Hum' Baby is next and there are several good teams playing. Let's be ready for our next test.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Next stop Bentonville........and the rain came down
And the rain came down Saturday night to put and end to the tournament this weekend. It is unfortunate that the grounds crews in NWA are unable to prepare fields after a rain. They were quoted as saying the fields were "very" bad. Well, I looked at both Memorial and Phillips and have seen a lot worse conditions.
We opened the tournament against the BA Red Sox. It took a few innings to get adjusted to the slower pitching but we finally put the ball in play and ran the bases well. The final score was 7-4. Our next game was against the Arkansas Braves. This team has improved and they played very well. We again had to adjust to the pitching and prevailed 6-3. We ended up being the #1 seed for bracket play and the rain ended the tournament. It was good to see some different teams and how we compared in the state.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs do not finish at June Jam...
After being rained out on Friday we came out HOT on Saturday. Our first opponent was the Memphis Travelers. We played a very good game regardless of one inning and won the game 11-3. Our second game was against Team Nitro. We saved some pitching this game and hit very well to win the game 16-1. We would win our pool regardless of the next game. Our third game was against the Chesterfield Cubs. We came out a little flat and managed to win the game 7-3. This put us in the semi's with Team Collierville. They had revenge on their mind over a game two years ago. We were the dominant team for three innings and going into the fourth inning we were winning 5-3. Then the wheels came off and we did not do a good job of staying mentally focused and gave them three out of the five runs they scored. We continued to not rebound mentally at the plate and we lost the game 8-5 due to our errors. We must improve mentally by not letting errors effect the next play, or missing signs, and certainly no crying. We have been playing this game long enough where none of this should be happening. On a positive note we did hit the ball better this weekend and we are starting to get used to the 11U pitching. This tournament was good to get us ready for the state tournament.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs finish as AR State Runner Up
We started out very hot this weekend. Overall we played as well as we can play and we came home with the Runner UP trophy for the State Tournament. Given the adversity we have had this season this is quite an accomplishment. We will continue to get better and prepare for the World Series.
Our first game this weekend was against the Bentonville Diamond Dawgs. It didn't matter what pitcher was on the mound we were hitting the baseball. They made a few errors and the final score was 11-0. Our second pool game was against the AR Braves. We made sure they saw a different team from our last game. We won the game in four innings 12-2. This put us in the #1 Seed position and our quarter final opponent would be the Central AR Heat. I believe we looked past this team and they proceeded to challenge us to win in the final inning. It was an exciting experience and we did a fantastic job of scoring runs with the bases loaded. We now focused our attention on the Arkansas Rangers in the semi final game and we played a great game. We were ahead 5-0 in the final inning and I guess the umpires and other team thought we were stalling, so we proceeded to put up four runs and run rule the game with the final score 9-0. I felt lik we were a little down emotionally from the last two games but we took the field with the attitude of winning this ball game. Our opponent would be the Central AR Express who has shown improvement during the season. They played a great game and we blew up in the first two innings and could not answer. Congratulations to the Express as they have won their first state championship. We have been beat by a few AAA teams this year and it just proves that no matter what division you are you have to play each game well to compete for a championship. We will have many more in the future!
Not many teams can claim the consistency, competitiveness and class that the Muckdogs have shown during our exhistence. Be proud of your 11U State Runner Up accomplishment and now we will move on to the World Series in St. Louis, MO.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
2004 Super Series 10U World Series Final Standings
Click on this link to review the Super Series 10U American Division Final Standings.
USSSA Arkansas 11U Major Standings
Arkansas 11U Major Teams
USSSA 11U Major Rankings
11U Major Team National Ranking
Muckdogs are Champions in Muskogee
Baseball was certainly interesting this weekend. One day of early summer temperatures and one day of late winter/early spring temperatures. We played in similar contrasts. Saturday it was apparent we had not seen a strike zone since last year. We managed to win a game 9-1 from the Giants Baseball with some baserunning. Our second game was against the Tulsa Oilers. This team has improved and added a few players. They threw a pitcher (#10) that was in the zone on this day and held us hitless with no walks for over three innings. We finally managed a walk and a hit but still received one of the few shutouts in our history. We lost 6-0 to a very well played game by the Oilers. We had a brief discussion about how we needed to come to play on Sunday and the boys responded. We played the Tulsa Hawks and won the game 15-4. This led to a rematch with the Oilers. They won the toss and chose home. From that point we scored runs in every inning except one. The final score was 15-5 with us playing some better baseball than the day before. Overall our performance was encouraging. We improved a lot offensively from Saturday to Sunday. Our pitching got much better from Saturday to Sunday, however our defense is going to have to improve. It was good to get a tournament prior to Spring Break and we know what we have to work on for the next few weeks. We did manage two home runs (230+) and one that hit the top of the fence as well as turn a 6/4/3 double play. All in all I'd say a pretty good weekend. Let's get ready to work hard to improve!
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Wheels fall off in Tulsa........
Well, we witnessed some strange and unusual events in Tulsa this weekend. Muckdog baseball was suspect this weekend. Offensively we scored enough runs to win any tournament but our defense and pitching did not respond.
I want to say "thank you" to the Robertson family for helping us out this weekend. Brooks did a very fine job of participating and has some good skills.
Our first game was against Warrior Baseball. They were ready to play but we put eight runs on them in the first inning and managed to hold on for a 11-8 win. Our second game was against the Tulsa Hawks. We managed to play five innings of baseball and looked decent with good pitching and help in the field. We won the game 9-1. We "were" the 1 seed and advanced to the semi-final game where we met up with the Warrior Baseball team again. It's hard to beat a good team twice in one weekend and the boys found that out. Warrior Baseball played a great game. We should have had the game won in the fourth inning when we were ahead 6-5. We had a mental breakdown and never recovered. We got beat 16-7 by a team that refused to lose and took advantage of every error. That's what good teams do in the game of baseball.
It looks like we need more defensive practice and pitching practice. Be ready to work very hard the next few weeks since we are off next weekend.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs finish Runner-Up in World Series...
Congratulations to the McKinney Marshall's as the 2005 Super Series National Division World Series Champions. They have a quality program and were the only team to beat us during this event.
After several weeks of hard work our dedication paid off. We are the Super Series National Division Runner-Up for the 2005 World Series event. It was a very competitive field of teams even though the number of teams were low. There were no pushovers or games you could save pitching. These boys have a lot to be proud of and not many programs can claim to have the achievements we have over the last five years. We have played ball in the top organizations and continue to be competitive with teams across the nation. Muckdogs be proud of your effort last week and you definitely showed how to Have Fun, Play Hard and Never Give Up!
John Hunton - 1 (All-Tournament Team)
David Petrino - 3 (All-Tournament Team)
Spencer Meares - 4
Tony Sandifer - 5
Zach Coats - 6
Austin Nolan - 7
Robert Gean - 8
Colton Spencer - 9
Hayden Smith - 10
Allen Hoyt - 12 (All-Tournament Team)
Evan Faries - 23
Daniel Young - 25 (All-Tournament Team)
I am VERY proud of all of these boys! Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
New Players Announced
I would like to announce to everyone that we will have two new players for the 2006 season. The first young man is Drew Miller. Drew will bring a multitude of abilities (on offense and defense) and a charming personality to our program. Sean and Lisa are Drew's parents and are ready for the Muckdog experience. The next young man to our roster is Michael Wilhelm. Michael has a great attitude and will add some power to our lineup in addition to helping on defense. Mike and Mary Ann are Michael's parents and they are also ready for competitive baseball. Please welcome these young men, and their parents, to our program when you have a chance. We will be having a team meeting the end of October to visit and discuss uniforms, practices and 2006 tentative schedule. I am looking forward to the new season!
Take Care,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs newest player.......
I would like to welcome Christian (Chris) Quesada to the Muckdog organization. Mario and Annick are his parents and he has a brother, Liam. They have moved into this area from Miami, FL so please welcome them to Arkansas. Chris will bring some needed versatility to the team. He is able to play several positions as well as pitch. He has good speed and very good hitting mechanics. Along with all of these attributes he has a great attitude toward the game.
REAL practice begins January 8, 2006. This will be an exciting year!
Coach Wes
Monday, February 27
Latest addition to Muckdogs.....
Our roster is now complete for the 2006 season. Zach Coats and his family have joined the Muckdogs. Mark, Angela, Zach and Emily will be a great addition to the team. Zach brings a live arm, good bat and a great attitude to our family. Please welcome them to the Muckdog family when you have an opportunity.
Coach Wes
Tuesday, March 21
Muckdogs open in a huge way!!!
Wow! What a way to open our season. We started with the River Valley Predators on Saturday morning and it was a beautiful sight to see. We hit the ball all over the field, moved runners, played defense and won the ballgame 17-0. Our second game was with the Bentonville Tigers. We played very well but did not hit with the same intensity. We still hit well and played great defense to win the ballgame 4-0. Our final game Saturday night was against the Arkansas Mavericks. The game was played well by both teams and we won the game 11-3. Sunday was bracket play and we faced a pitcher that was an ACE. I had clocked him at 71mph the day before. This made for a great game! Our boys never gave up and continued battling this pitcher. We won the game in the last inning 1-0. The championship game would be against the Mavericks again. They came ready to play. We started the game with 4 runs and continued to score runs and the final was 11-2 in four innings. This was a great weekend and the competition was good. At some point every player contibuted during the weekend. It is good to see where we stack up and find out what we need to work on this week at practice. I am very proud of their effort.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Tuesday, March 28
Muckdogs win in Greenwood...
This weekend was an eye-opener for the Muckdogs. We certainly did not WOW anyone with our hitting but our defense remains consistent. We had one game we struggled at pitching but other than that there were several lessons learned this weekend. Our first game was against the Rockhouds. They are much improved and play good defense. We won the ballgame 5-1. The next game was against the Roughriders. This is an improved team also. We gave up 11 walks in this game to get beat 7-2. This put us as the 2 seed in our pool and our next game was against the Clarksville Diamondbacks. They did not show due to confusion about the game time. Our next game was against the Bentonville Tigers. We did a good job of hitting and base running and won the game 11-2. This put us in the finals against the Rockhounds. This game would be close and we did not hit to our ability again. We won the game 3-2 and played very well in such a close game. I am inpressed with our ability to play calmly with a small lead in some of these games. As soon as our offense wake's up we will be even harder to beat. Congratulations guys! Let's get ready for Tulsa.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Wednesday, April 5
Muckdogs lose in Bentonville....
Well what can I say? Our level of play has decreased each week over the last three weekends. What started out as WOW has turned into Oooh! We are not playing to our potential and it is my responsibility to make a change.
Our first game of the weekend was against the Roughriders. For most of the game we were in control but we could not finish and lost the game 7-2. The second game was against the Predators and we played a little better and won the game 10-2. We were the #4 seed and were set to play the OK Drillers. Again we had the game in control and we lost the game in the last two innings. I made a few errors in this game also and did not help our effort. When you let teams like these stay close in the last innings on a short field this is what happens. We can't complain about umpires because if we played to our potential a few bad calls would not have mattered. Maybe this will open a few eyes among the boys and we will have a little more dedication at practice on Monday.
Be ready to practice hard for the next few weeks. I have been way to easy and times are fixing to change! Expectations are going up and playing time will be earned not shared.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Thursday, April 20
Muckdogs play better but finish 2nd.....
Well, this weekend we showed some improvement but did not get tested until the last game. We won our pool, quarter and semi-final games and hit the ball pretty well. The championship game was against the Rockhounds and we did not challenge their pitcher. He pitched very well and they won the game 6-1. I don't think the boys will let this happen again.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Thursday, May 18
Broken Arrow ends with fizzle...
Well folks, Broken Arrow did not help our team effort. We played well defensively but continued our difficulty at the plate. We must improve and strive to play to our potential. It's obvious we have the talent, but you have to prove it each weekend. I will have game scores posted soon.
Coach Wes
Thursday, May 18
Moving from OKC to Muskogee...
What started out to be a 7-10 team tournament in OKC had dwindled to 4 teams. I have removed us from this tournament and unfortunately we will have to wait until Dallas, TX to have an opportunity to play the OK Elite Black. I don't like pulling out of tournaments this late but considering the amount of money each family would spend to play in a small tournament I felt it was necessary.
We are going to play in Muskogee, OK this weekend. This is a 7 team tournament; Muckdogs, Tulsa Oilers, Roughriders, Rockhounds, BA Red Sox, Muskogee Roughers and OK Orange Crush. We are in pool 2.
Saturday (Uniform: Pajamas)
9:00 AM Muckdogs vs BA Red Sox
10:45 AM Muckdogs vs Oilers
Sunday (Uniform: Code Black)
10:30 PM Seed 3
12:15 PM Seed 2
2:00 PM Seed 4
2:00 PM Seed 1
7:15 PM Championship game
Are you ready?
Coach Wes
Thursday, June 8
Muckdogs are still playing ball....
I apologize to parents, fans, and teams for not keeping the website updated. I've had a few things going on and I will try to be provide a brief update.
May 5-7 Tulsa, OK Rained Out
May 12-14 Broken Arrow, OK Super Series
Our struggles continued during this tournament. We went 1-1 in pool play, won our first game of bracket play and then got beat the next game. We continue to pitch and play defense well enough to win games but our bats are not helping. It is all between the ears. Player for player we have as much or more talent than any team we have played or seen this year. We just have to prove it!
May 19-21 Muskogee, OK USSSA
We continue to struggle with our bats. We managed to go 2-0 in pool play but it was not in a dominant way. Our first game of bracket play we lost to a team that played a great game. This game should not have been close but hats off to them for playing well and winning the game.
May 27-29 Hum Baby USSSA NIT
Our woes continue in pool play. We went 0-2 and did not hit well enough to win again. Suddenly, our first bracket game our team shows up and puts everything together and we win decisively against a very good Kansas Young Guns team. Our next game we continue our effort and we win decisively again. We take some new found confidence in the championship game and win the ballgame in the 5th and 6th inning. It is obvious our boys and parents are relieved to see the way we played.
Now we are on to the toughest Super NIT tournament in the nation to see how we can compete.
Are you ready?
Coach Wes
Thursday, June 8
Muckdogs sent home early in Texas....
It is unfortunate we did not respond well in Texas last weekend. The last time I remember getting this kind whipping was Ardmore, OK last season. We have got to respond and put out more effort. We have the talent but we have lost our attitude. We have two players hurt that could have helped us this weekend but that is no excuse. The Texas teams hit the ball and pitched better than we did. Let's respond!!!
Coach Wes
Tuesday, June 20
AR / MS / TN State Tournament
One and done is the story this weekend. Due to coaching mistakes on my part and a lack of hitting we have again not played up to our potential. However, we did manage to play better than the last tournament so that is something to build on for the future. Come to practice ready to work hard so we can have more fun!
Coach Wes
Wednesday, June 28
Muckdogs remember how to win this weekend....
Well, we finally put a complete weekend together since March. The Muckdogs played very well and went undefeated throughout the weekend. Friday night we played the Bentonville Tigers and won 6-1. Saturday morning we were one pitch from a perfect game and won 11-0. We gave up one run and earned the #2 seed for bracket play. Our first game was Saturday night with Rogers All-Stars and we won the game 12-4. This put us in the semi's with Bentonville again. We came out a little sluggish but ended up with the win 4-2. This advanced us to the finals with the Central AR Express. They have been trying to play us all year but we have not been able to play well enough to make it to the finals. This weekend was a different story and I saw something in our boys that I haven't seen in a while. The Express threw their big gun and so did we. We held a 1-0 lead for 5 innings, even during the side shows. I blew the lead and called the wrong pitch and gave up a HR in the top of the 6th and they went ahead 3-1. However, we were playing with confidence this day and we managed to tie the ball game on some key hits and an error. With the ball game tied and two outs we hit a walk-off HR to make the final 6-3 and earn a much deserved victory. The Muckdogs played like they are capable this weekend and I am so proud of their effort. It sure is fun to watch these boys when they play at this level. Let's see how much of this intensity we can take to our World Series event.
Good job Muckdogs,
Coach Wes
Muckdogs win Lucas Jackson Tournament
Well, the end of our season has finally arrived. Our last tournament of the year was fun and we played well considering the "relaxed" attitude for this weekend. Our first game was against the River Valley Cardinals. We hit the ball well and played good defense to end the game 12-0. The second game of pool play was against the SS Pumas. They played very well and had the lead after the 2nd inning. We responded very well and won the game 9-3. This gave us the 1 seed and we would have to play hard to win the next game. The FS Big Red played the best game of their life and we had our lineup upside down. We managed to win the game 3-2 in the last inning. It was exciting to see the boys respond in the last inning and manufacture the winning run. The championship game would be the Muckdogs vs Rockhounds. The Rockhounds have added a VERY good pitcher and he would be on the mound. We managed to score 7 runs on him before he got tired. The final score was 10-2 in five innings. What a way to start our 2006 season! Now it is time for football and other activities to recharge our batteries. Our first practice is only 17 weeks away.
Thank you to Drew Miller, Michael Wilhelm and Blake Hasley for participating this weekend. You boys played well and can be proud of your effort.
Take Care,
Coach Wes
7th Annual Hum' Baby Memorial USSSA NIT Tournament
We would like to thank all of the teams that participated in the Hum' Baby this year. It was another very good tournament and I hope all of the teams enjoyed your time spent in Ft. Smith, AR. This years teams diplayed great sportmanship. Coaches, parents and fan can be proud of how their team was represented. Good luck to all teams on the rest of your season and we hope to see you back next year for the 8th Annual Hum' Baby Memorial NIT. Entry into the tournament will begin in December 2006. Thank you again for playing in this tournament.
Tournament results will be posted on or before Thursday, June 1, 2006.
8U DIVISION
Oklahoma Redhawks
Oklahoma Knights
Arkansas Titans
Arkansas Hawgs
Arkansas Express
Stingers
Arkansas Mighty Ducks 7U
Arkansas Mighty Ducks
9U DIVISION
Ft. Smith Outlaws
Oklahoma Vipers
Ft. Smith Titans
Oklahoma Reds
Arkansas Kings
Arkansas Volcanoes
OKC Sooners
10U DIVISION
Arkansas Extreme
Arkansas Cobras
Oklahoma Bearcats
Kansas Young Guns
Ft. Smith Dodgers
Fayetteville Hogs
Fayetteville Razorbacks
11U DIVISION
Cobra Baseball
OKC Venom
GW Arkansas Diamond Dawgs
Oklahoma Outlaws
Fayetteville Padres
Edmond Yankees
Oklahoma Cardinals
Springdale Storm
Arkansas Diamond Hawgs
12U DIVISION
Arkansas Muckdogs
Arkansas Mavericks
OKC Venom
Arkansas Rockhounds
A-1 Recovery Buzz
Kansas Young Guns
13U DIVISION
Kingsford Flames
Little Rock Trojans
Arkansas Express
Arkansas Flames
Arkansas Stealth
Clarksville Cardinals
SS Knight Riders
14U/15U DIVISION
Sheridan Yellowjackets 14U
Arkansas Rebels 14U
Springdale Rally Dawgs 14U
Ft. Smith Church League 15U
Thursday, July 13
World Series Top 10 finish
What a great week to finish our 2006 season! We played some of our best baseball and only had one game that I felt we didn't play to our potential. As we were walking out of the complex I felt proud of our boys effort during the week. We proved we were capable of playing this game competitively. While a finish in the top 10 was our goal I am convinced we were in the top 3 overall after watching most of the teams compete.
Now we have graduated from the boys fields and going forward we will be playing on mens fields. I am excited about the new challenges ahead but I also still find myself hanging on to the memories from the small fields. Each of these boys are very special to me and I want to thank each and every family for allowing me the opportunity to coach your son. It is a PRIVELEGE!
Coach Wes
Monday, August 7
10th Annual Lucas Jackson USSSA Tournament
This was an exiciting weekend. We played well and had a good time on the big field. We will continue to improve and get better. I want to say thank you to David P. and Hunter W. for playing with us this weekend. We made it to the final game and came up short against the Rockhounds. It's time to take a break and recharge our batteries for next season.
See you in December,
Coach Wes
Tuesday, October 24
Welcome newest player
I would like to welcome Tyler Didway to the Muckdogs for the 2007 season. Tyler will add to our bullpen as a lefty pitcher. He will also swing the bat from the left side of the plate. He has a hard-working attitude and will fit in nicely. His parents are Steve and Pam and he has a younger brother Easton. Please welcome them to the team at our first practice.
Coach Wes
Thursday, December 7
Welcome New Player
I would like for everyone to welcome Slater Dunn to the team. Please also welcome Slater's Dad, Joe, his Mom, Debi, and his younger brother Paden. Slater will bring some strength and size to the team as well as a hard working attitude. There is no doubt his bat will make some noise. This brings our roster to nine and we only have one position left to fill. We will be looking solely for an outfielder or a catcher.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Friday, December 21
8th Annual Hum Baby Memorial NIT Tournament
Thank you to all the teams that participated this year. We worked hard to make your weekend as enjoyable as possible.
8U Division(8 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL
Ft. Smith Cardinals (paid)
Edmond Posse (paid)
Arkansas Patriots (paid)
Oklahoma Cardinals (paid)
Arkansas Mighty Ducks
9U Division (6 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL
OSA Xtreme (paid)
Arkansas Express (paid)
Benton County Cobras (paid)
Arkansas Hawgs (paid)
Sooners Baseball (paid)
Arkansas Warthogs (paid)
10U Division(6 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL
OKC Sooners (paid)
Ft. Smith Outlaws (paid)
Arkansas Express (paid)
Arkansas Vipers (paid)
Arkansas Yard Dawgs (paid)
Fayetteville Cardinals (paid)
11U Division(6 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL
Burns Park Patriots (paid)
Oklahoma Elite (paid)
Oklahoma Stixx (paid)
Oklahoma Rebels (paid)
Fayetteville Monarchs (paid)
Bulldogs (paid)
12U Division(8 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL
AR Diamond Dawgs (paid)
Oklahoma Cardinals (paid)
Van Buren (paid)
OK Sports Academy Cubs (paid)
AR Diamond Hawgs (paid)
Oklahoma Titans (paid)
Oklahoma Stixx (paid)
Fayetteville Padres (paid)
13U Division(7 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL Games will be played at Kelley Park
Arkansas Muckdogs (paid)
Arkansas Giants (paid)
Oklahoma Rockies (paid)
Arkansas Rockhounds (paid)
Oklahoma Drillers (paid)
14U/15U Division will play Sat/Sun only.
14U Division(6 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL Game location: Greenwood High School Field
First Lutheran (paid)
Arkansas Angels (paid)
Arkansas Flames (paid)
Dodgers (paid)
Hurricanes
Clarksville Cardinals
15U Division(4 teams)**FULL**FULL**FULL Games will be played at Crowder Field
Rogers War Eagles
Mean Green
Muskogee Titans
AR Wildcats
Sunday, January 14
Muckdog Roster Complete with newest player....
I want to welcome AJ Rosenberg to the Muckdog family. AJ will bring some additional speed and athleticism as well as a desire to improve. He will help us in a utility position and I look forward to seeing him make some plays with his speed. Please welcome AJ his Dad, Shane, his Mom, Heather and his younger brothers Parker and Riley to the team. Please introduce yourselves to them and share some Muckdog experiences.
Our roster is now complete! We have an exciting group of young men and I am looking forward to seeing them improve during the season. Let's get ready to get better.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Monday, February 12
Muckdogs to have SPARQ combine
Wow! Sunday was great! The exposure to the skills required for Sparq will enhance these players abilities in the near future. I will have Sparq cards available at our next practice. Thank you for participating.
Coach Wes
Wednesday, March 21
Muckdogs win season opener at Russellville...
What a weekend! We finaly got to play ball and everyone was excited. It is obvious I did not have the boys prepared at the plate. I will have to do a better job with live arm pitching during the week. All in all a great weekend, all of our pitchers got mound time and as the tournament progressed we hit the ball better. During the championship game we got to see a good pitcher that will really help prepare us. The more we see of that velocity the better we will get.
First game, Muckdogs v Diamond Dawgs. They played an error free game and we were sluggish at the plate, final score 3-2. Second game, Muckdogs v Benton Rebels. We got a little better and won 6-2. Third game, Muckdogs v Arkansas Storm. We improved a litte more and our bats woke up, final score 15-0. Fourth game, Muckdogs v Jacksonville Fever. This was a pretty good team that had a few hitters. The game was never close as our bats continued to get better, final score 12-4. Championship game, Muckdogs v Predators. We started hot and put 3 runs on them in the first. We had a small lapse in defense (it's early) and gave up three in the second. We added one run in the 3rd and neither team would score again, final score 4-3.
Let's keep improving,
Coach Wes
Wednesday, March 28
Muckdogs gell in Tulsa....and win Championship with power
Well, we experienced ho-hum baseball and then we saw WOW baseball! The boys showed poise, character and maturity this weekend. I'm not sure how to explain the results but they are impressive.
Our first game was a lack-luster effort against the Tulsa Rangers. We were ahead 2-0 until the last inning and somehow gave up 3 runs to lose the game. We did not play very agressive in this game. Our next game was against the OK Dirtbags who played well. They were ahead 4-2 with four minutes left in the game and we hit a two-run bomb to tie the game. We won the game 6-4 and showed some maturity during this game. This gave us the #2 seed and our first game was with the Wichita Sluggers. We put on a hitting exhibition and in the bottom of the 5th we were ahead 17-3. I decided to save some pitching and we ended up winning the game 17-9. The semi final game would be with the OK Lynx. They played well and again we did not show up at the plate. We were down 8-1 with time expired and we were the home team. We decided to not go down without a fight and tied the game 8-8. They battled back and scored 3 in the top of the 7th and then we put it away and scored 4 in the bottom of the 7th. The championship game would be with the OK Dirtbags and they would not know what hit them. We were out of pitching and had some kids step up and volunteer to throw 1 or 2 innings. We had enough volunteers to put together a game but we would only need 3 innings. We started the first inning with 2 runs and then they scored 3. In the 2nd inning no one scored. In the top of the 3rd they could only watch as we scored 16 runs with several "shots" that were quite impressive. We closed the game in the bottom of the 3rd and achieved a very satisfying Championship. I am VERY proud of these boys. It's scary to see how they are playing together early. This could be trouble for opponents down the road if we continue this trend.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Thursday, April 19
Bringin' The Heat will be a test....
I said this weekend would be a test but I did not expect these results. Basically, we got our rear ends kicked and deserved it the way we played. Our pitching staff struggled hitting spots and our bats were non-existent with the exception of a few innings. We made some errors on defense that are not acceptable and then we made some that just happen occasionally. We did not get better this weekend and I am anxious to see how we handle this adversity.
Game 1 Muckdogs v Angels we were run-ruled 9-0. Game 2 Muckdogs v Diamondhawks we played well enough to win 7-3 but not up to our standards. We received the #4 seed and our Game 3 Muckdogs v Lutheran ended up with us winning 6-3 in an un-impressive way. Game 4 was a rematch Muckdogs v Angels and I thought we would respond. We proceeded to receive another "whippin" and left the field with the score 16-1. WE have some work to do this week.
On the bright side of things we did run the bases well and our catchers did a great job of keeping wild pitches and passed balls to a minimum. That backstop was a mile away from home plate. We need leaders, is there anyone available?
Coach Wes
Wednesday, April 25
0-3 in Alma, Attitude check is needed
Well, we went 0-3 this weekend. We have got to respond and play with the attitude that the other team must prove they are better. We need to quit listening to people that are telling us what we can't do and step up and play the way we have been taught.
Saturday morning the AR Angels have our number. We played okay but lack of hustle and poor attitude toward the game is hard to take. We managed a 7-3 game and played good defense. The second game was with the Kingsford Flames. We had this game under control 5-1 until the last inning. Two routine fly balls dropped, a ground ball through the 5-hole and not being able to throw the ball from home to 1B resulted in a 6-5 loss. Saturday evening was bracket play and we played the Central AR Cats. They threw their ace who had an above average curve ball. We threw two pitchers that competed well enough to win the game but we couldn't pull it out at the plate. A little better effort during this game and we got beat 3-1 by a good 14U pitcher.
We have got to get better mentally. We have not played anyone that is much better in talent. If we can get past ourselves then we can play with the 14's.
OKC here we come. Let's see if we can perform with the 13's.
Coach Wes
Tuesday, May 1
Muckdogs trying to compete....
Well, with our second experience in two years participating in a Super NIT we came home with the same result but we played a little better. We showed signs of being pretty good and times of being pretty average.
Our first game was with the Houston Heat. This is a VERY good ballclub. We played the best game we have played all year and gave up 3 unearned runs to get beat 3-1. We competed very well and I was very proud of our effort. Our second game was with the OK Elite which is a very good Major team. We didn't show up and they got to see the same team the 14's have been seeing the last two tournaments. We got beat 8-1 in a game that was never close. Our third game was with the Mac-n-Seitz Indians. This was also a very good team and we didn't show up the first two innings. All of the sudden something good happened and we decided to play ball. The game ended 8-6 but we showed signs of starting to play ball. I was glad to see the boys not give up and finish the game strong.
We have got to realize how hard it is to compete with teams from out of the area.
Nothing worth having is achieved with ease. Everyone would be playing this game if that was the case. To my veterans, you must remember how hard you have to work each inning of every game. To my rookies, you must understand that you have to work hard each inning of every game. If you take an inning or two off then you give the other team a chance to gain momentum. Let's pull together and get to the level we all want to play.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Thursday, May 17
Muckdogs win in Muskogee...
We faced some pretty good teams this weekend and we were up to the task. Bracket play was a little unusual but if you wanted to play for the hardware you had to take care of business in pool play. The weather was beautiful and the baseball was good.
First game was against the OK Dirtbags. They had some revenge on their mind from our last meeting and we just about allowed that to happen. The coaches inserted a little spark and the boys answered by playing very well the last two innings and winning the game in the bottom of the 6th inning 7-6. The OK Drillers were out next opponent. We wanted to play well from our last meeting in Bentonville a year ago. It was a pitching dual and we came out on top 2-1. Both teams played well. Our third game was against the AR Diamond Dawgs and our bats got hot early. The final score was 12-2. This put us in the championship game with the AR Diamond Dawgs. We came out hitting and scored 5 runs in the first inning and that would be enough. The final score was 10-2 in four innings.
The boys played well this weekend and found some confidence. Let's see how we can take this into our league games and prepare for the Hum' Baby.
Thank You,
Coach Wes
Wednesday, May 30
Muckdogs get June Jammed....
Fun and disappointment are the words for this past weekend. For the second time this season we are in the toughest bracket in the tournament. Bottom line, we did not come to play. We pitched well enough to win games but our offense and defense let us down. We saw good pitching and only one dominant pitcher all weekend. It is embarassing to only score 7 runs on the pitching we faced. We need to step up and focus on our game. Game 1 was with the LA Tigers. We had the game won but due to errors we got beat 3-2. Game 2 was with the Memphis Tigers. We again were going to win the game but due to errors we got beat 5-2. Our 3rd game was against the Baton Rouge Red Sox and we just didn't show up. We got beat 6-3 and only competed in one inning of this game.
Let's work harder so we can have more fun!
Coach Wes
Wednesday, June 13
Bentonville State Warm up.......
I'm not quite sure how to describe this weekend. We out hit every team we played but our defense again let us down. Now that league is over and we are practicing again we should see our defense improve.
Game 1 was with the Rockhounds. Both teams competed well and we had the game won until the wheels fell off. The final score was 4-2. Game 2 was with the Dirtbags and we pulled out a win in one extra inning 10-9. Our first bracket game was with the Dirtbags again and should have won the game. Our defense during one inning put us down 6-3, however we battled back and had the winning run in scoring position in the last inning. We got beat 6-5.
We did have some good things happen this weekend. I noticed our guys pulling together in the dugout and our approach at the plate was much better this weekend. We hit the right pitches and used the entire field. There was also plenty of effort and hustle. Once we correct our focus on defense we should be in good shape for post season play.
Coach Wes
Wednesday, June 20
Arkansas State Tournament 13U Majors...
Well, a disappointing weekend since we did not play well one game and it cost us an opportunity to advance. How important is pool play? Well, we are winning and in control of our first pool play game and suddenly the wheels fall off. We go down by five in the last inning and cannot come back due to lack of momentum. The rain came and because of our previous effort we are awarded the last seed and our opponent is the Arkansas Select. Both teams played a great game with the Select winning 2-0 and we were done for the tournament. We hit the ball much better but it was right at them. Not much to say except we have got to get better against teams that don't have equal talent (1st game).
Let's have a good week of practice,
Coach Wes
Wednesday, June 20
13U Super Series American Division World Series Champions
What an exciting experience! The Arkansas Muckdogs are the 2007 Super Series 13U American Division World Series Champions. What a great reward at the end of a season filled with adversity. When this team came together last winter I thought we had a chance to compete with very good teams. We started out the season looking exactly like I expected...VERY good. We chose to play league ball and we stopped practicing and allowed ourselves to digress. Once league was over we started practicing again and I saw some young men working hard toward our next goal. We aded two young men to our team that I knew would gell immediately. It was very impressive to watch them improve and prepare themselves for what was ahead. Little did they now how much fun they were going to encounter during the World Series.
After our first two pool play games it was obvious we had to get into a routine of hitting every day before and after our games. The routine proved to be very bad news for our opponents. During our third pool play game we were down 2-0 and we hit a two run bomb to tie the game. That was the beginning of a lot of offense to come. That game ended 14-2 and the fun had begun. Congratulations to the following young men that made a choice to work hard for a common goal.
JOHN HUNTON (7TH YEAR), TONY SANDIFER (7TH YEAR), AUSTIN NOLAN (7TH YEAR), DANIEL YOUNG (7TH YEAR), ALLEN HOYT (5TH YEAR), MICHAEL WILHELM (2ND YEAR), DREW MILLER (2ND YEAR), TYLER DIDWAY (1ST YEAR), AJ ROSENBERG (1ST YEAR), JORDAN GALL (2ND WS), GARRETT SANDIFER (1ST WS)
All of these young men made contributions during the week toward this accomplishment. We played some quality opponents and some very classy organizations. It takes a team effort and the very reason we won this event was the fact that these young men were playing for the name on the front of the jersey and not the number on the back. I am very thankful for the opportunity to have played a part in these young men's lives. I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life.
As an organization we have been very successful. We have participated in seven World Series events. With one years exception, due to injuries, we have never finished lower than 3rd. We have now won two World Series and finished twice as Runner-ups. We will have one more season as Muckdogs to continue this tradition before all of these young men enter their respective high school programs. I am sure with the same desire and dedication we will continue our tradition of competing.
Congratulations to the Muckdog players and families,
Coach Wes
Thank You Sponsors
We would like to post this article as a sincere Thank You to our past and present sponsors. It is with your help that we are able to provide an opportunity for our players (young men) to learn about class, character and concern in baseball and in life. Teamwork, sportsmanship and dedication are just a few of the attributes these boys will obtain by this experience. Thank you again for helping these young men grow up and also have a little fun along the way.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Arkansas Muckdogs please call Wes Young at 479-452-4983. All funds received go toward the benefit of each player. Sponsors may have the option of anonymity or your company logo can be added to our banner that is proudly attached to our dugout during each tournament. Your help is greatly appreciated.
11U Arkansas Muckdogs
Adversity, Determination and new friends summed this season. We had injuries to deal with but we remained determined to complete our year. At the end of the year we added some new "old" friends and finished our 11U season in style.
8U Ft. Smith Muckdogs
Here we are when we were 8U.
A few new faces but the same quality team. Oh yes, and they are still growing.
9U Arkansas Muckdogs
Here we are for our 9U season.
The team name changed and a few new faces. This was our toughest year as we learned a lot about baseball.
7U Ft. Smith Muckdogs
Here are the little Muckdogs when we were 7U.
2001 Seems like yesterday for our inaugural season. See if you notice how much the boys have changed since the beginning.
10U Arkansas Muckdogs
Here we are for the 10U season.
A few new faces and this is our best season, so far, as a team.
12U Arkansas Muckdogs
It's hard to explain this season. We had all of the ability but were unable to gell until early July. Once this happened we proved we were as competitive as anyone. I am proud of their finish.
Tuesday, August 7
13U Arkansas Muckdogs
Wow! World Series Champions! Who would have thought this would be the way our season ended? We struggled through the middle months to be competitive but remained positive. Once league was over we decided it was time to work hard and the result was a lot of fun. Congratulations, not only did these young men become better players but they matured with the game of baseball.
I am very proud of all of them for their dedication!
Coach Wes
Wednesday, August 8
2008 Muckdog Season
The final season of Muckdog baseball will begin in December 2007. We have two roster players and one World Series player leaving the team for their respective high school teams. Tony Sandifer, Allen Hoyt and Garrett Sandifer will be playing for Greenwood High School next summer. It will be fun to see them contribute to their programs and apply what they have learned as Muckdogs to their high school careers. It has been my privelege to be around these young men and I will enjoy watching their future's unfold.
We must now add 2-3 players to our roster to bring us back to 10-11 players for the 2008 season. We will need to work hard to maintain our ability to compete and I know we will do "whatever it takes" to get the job done. I am ready for the challenge and I will put forward my best effort for you guys.
See you at practice,
Coach Wes
Wednesday, August 8
2008 new player
Jordan Gall has announced that he will be a Muckdog for the 2008 season. We look forward to Jordan contributing on the hill and at the plate immediately. He has a very strong desire to learn and get better. This will make him equally effective with his defensive skills. Please welcome Jordan and his family, Chris &Yolanda Simpkins, his sister Skyler and Paul Gall to the Muckdog family.
Coach Wes
Wednesday, August 8
2008 newest player
Please welcome Jesse Nichols to the Muckdog Family. Jesse will bring some very good speed and good defensive skills. He is very coachable and has the ability to be a very good baseball player. He will help us in as a utility player and pitching during the season. I look forward to seeing Jesse improve every practice. Please welcome his parents Randy and Tina to the Muckdog family.
Coach Wes
Wednesday, October 31
14U Arkansas Muckdogs
I am looking forward to a great final season as these boys prepare for high school and the next level.
Wednesday, October 31
Muckdogs roster complete with two new players
I would like to welcome Blake Estep and Garrett Hope to the 2008 Muckdog roster. These two guys are very familiar with our program and they should mesh very quickly. Blake and Garrett bring a great attitudes, knowledge of the game and a desire to win that will fit right in with everyone. Mike Estep will help with pitchers and catchers when he is available.
Our outfield is set, our infield is set, our pitching staff is set, and our offense will speak for itself. Our team speed is impressive and all of these guys are ready to compete!
Coach Wes
Thursday, December 11
9th Annual Hum' Baby Memorial Super Series Tournament
We want to say thank you to all of the teams that participated this year in the 9th Annual Hum' Baby. There were some great games and I got the privilege to watch several. Please contact me if you have any questions about the tournament and I hope everyone made it home safely. Good Luck with the rest of your summer season and we hope to see you next year at the 10th Annual Hum' Baby. The rings were such a hit we may have to consider that again!
Wes Young, The Arkansas Muckdogs and The Ft. Smith Church Baseball League
8U Division (8 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) Oklahoma Storm(paid), Oklahoma Elite(paid-need roster), DQ Crushers(paid), OKC Sooners(paid), MidSouth Ducks(paid-need roster), Moore Red Sox(paid), Nighthawks(paid), Oklahoma Thunder(paid)
9U Division (4 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) Arkansas Ducks(paid), Oklahoma Blue Sox(paid), Tulsa Cardinals(paid), Oklahoma Travelers(paid-need roster)
10U Division (6 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) Edmond Astros(paid), Nighthawks(paid), Oklahoma Rebels(paid), Cleveland County Indians(confirmed-need roster), Arkansas Express(paid-need roster), Jenks Black Sox(confirmed-need roster)
11U Division (8 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) Ft. Smith Outlaws(need roster), DQ Busters(paid), Fayetteville Cardinals(paid), Arkansas Scorpions(paid-need roster), Edmond Tigers (paid), Ft. Smith Titans(confirmed-need roster), Oklahoma Bearcats(confirmed-need roster), Arkansas Express(paid-need roster)
12U Division (9 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) OK Renegades(paid), Alma Shock(paid-need roster), Oklahoma Elite(paid), The Pack(paid), Arkansas Bandits(paid), Arkansas Stealers(confirmed-need roster), Oklahoma Bearcats(paid), Piranha Baseball(confirmed-need roster), The Heat(confirmed-need roster)
13U Division 54/85 (9 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) Edmond Yankees(paid), Oklahoma Travelers(paid), Wichita Shox(paid), Edmond Roughriders(paid), Oklahoma Pirates(paid), Fayetteville Padres(paid), AR Diamond Dawgs(need roster), Cobra Baseball(need roster), Oklahoma Cardinals(need roster)
The 14/15 division will be playing at Crowder Field, Univirsity of Arkansas Ft. Smith facilities. This is the nicest JUCO/D2 complex in AR/OK and will be a treat for these guys.
14U/15U Division 60/90 (6 teams-BRACKETS POSTED) Arkansas Muckdogs 14, Sallisaw Diamonds 15(need roster), Oklahoma Spikes 14(need roster), Arkansas Rockhounds 14(need roster), Kingsford Flames 15(need roster), Team RBI 15(need roster)
Handout: 9th Annual Hum Baby Memorial Tournament
Wednesday, March 5
2008 Season gets underway in Muskogee...
Well, the win/loss column did not reflect what we accomplished this weekend. It was obvious the other teams were ahead of us on the mound and I did not have us prepared for the velocity at 54'. I did see several nice plays and players in the right position to make the correct plays. We also had some errors that will be corrected. We will focus on bullpens and hitting at the correct velocity over the next two weeks to prepare for our next tournament.
Our overall talent level is extremely good and we will get a lot better very quickly. We started to show signs of how tough we will be in the last game on Sunday. I'm looking forward to spending the spring/summer with these guys to see how good they can be.
Coach Wes
Thursday, March 27
Muskogee again, all about effort...
Well, second tournament and we showed improvement in every aspect of the game. Our hitting, defense and pitching improved from the first tournament. We must continue to improve each weekend and not settle for average. I am confident we will be where we need to be when the time is right.
Game 1 Muckdogs v Athletics, we started a little sluggish and gave up a few too many walks. Our hitting and defense helped us through this game and we won 10-3. Game 2 Muckdogs v Buffaloes, this was a pretty good team that is well coached. We struggled a little at the plate and then allowed them to tie the game. Finally we put more runs up and held them to end the game. We won 7-3 and received the 2 seed in our pool. Bracket game 1 Muckdogs v Diamond Dawgs and we threw a no-hit shut-out in four innings. Final score 8-0. Bracket game 2 Muckdogs v Dirtbags who have improved considerably. We scored first and pitched well until the coach (me) called the wrong pitch with the game tied to give up a 2 run dinger. I waited to long to make a pitching change and didn't have or next pitcher ready so we gave up 2 more runs to make the score 2-6 and we did not answer. That loss is on me! Good job by everyone!
Coach Wes
Wednesday, April 2
Greenwood Tournament...major improvement
What a showing this past weekend! We scored 60 runs and only gave up 1 run the entire weekend. Our pitching is continueing to improve and our bats are starting to show what we will be capable of by the middle of summer. Great job by everyone and I look forward seeing these guys play again. Game 1 Muckdogs v Diamond Dawgs - we had a great performance on the mound and we hit the ball well for a 14-0 win. Game 2 Muckdogs v Riverhawks - our hitting supported the pitching in this game and we gave up one run late on a walk for the only run of the weekend, we won 16-1. Game 3 Bracket Muckdogs v Conway Cardinals - another stellar performance on the mound and our bats are continueing to improve for a 15-0 win. Game 4 Championship Muckdogs v Rockhounds - this has been a very competitive game in the past. Our pitching dominated this game and two double plays allowed our offense to make this game a run-rule 15-0. We played very well and we are a much better team than a month ago. Just imagine how much better we will be with another 10 games under our belt. I am proud of our effort this weekend and let's continue to improve.
Coach Wes
Wednesday, April 16
Muckdogs gell in Alma...
What a weekend! We started off a little sluggish and made a few errors against a pretty good AR Stealth team and held off a late game rally to win the game 7-6. Our next game was against the Bentonville Tigers 15U team. This game got a little mouthy and after some questionable comments we responded. The Tigers won the game 4-2 but we showed some great chemistry and proved we would not be intimidated. Sunday was bracket play and we beat the AR Diamond Dawgs 12-3 which set up the final game with the Tigers 15U again. We were focused and ready to play and we turned it up a notch to intimdate a pretty good 15U team. We threw a no-hitter and achieved a rewarding victory 6-1. We learned some things about ourselves this weekend which will prove to be very helpful later in the season. We are close to being ready for OKC so let's keep working hard.
Thursday, April 24
Bringin' The Heat....one step back
I guess the best explanation is 3 steps forward and one step back. We embarassed ourselves this weekend and did not compete at the level needed to be ready for a Super NIT. We will have to focus this week during practice to regain our edge. Challenge yourselves to prepare mentally, that is the only reason we did not perform this weekend.
Coach Wes
Wednesday, April 30
OKC Super nit.......Muckdogs need to focus
What a weekend in OKC! We started out exactly how I had hoped, then we stumbled and then we played a good game but just not quite enough. Friday evening we played well against the OKC Astros and won 9-0. Our next game was against a TX Hurricanes team that came out hot and we did not have an answer. The beat us 14-6 in a game that our coach (me) cost us a very good seed. We ended up with the 10 seed playing a 7 seed which would be the Dirtbags. We jumped on them early and were about three plays from winning the ball game and just couldn't get it done. We got beat 5-3 and both teams played well.
We are showing signs of gelling very well and the team concept is clicking. We are right on track to be exactly where we want to be in July. Let's keep working hard and improving our skills, mentally and physically.
Coach Wes
Monday, May 12
Muckdogs need to re-focus in Bentonville...
It's the middle of the season and it is time to regain focus for the next 8 weeks of baseball. There are a lot of distractions at the moment and we will just have to do our best with spring football practice. Eight teams in this weekends tournament; Muckdogs, Team RBI, Tulsa Bats, D-Backs, OK Dirtbags, AR Select, Fayetteville Sluggers, Springdale Titans
Saturday Uniforms: The Original Coaches: Red
10:00AM Muckdogs v Team RBI(Rogers)
2:00PM Muckdogs v Tulsa Bats
6:00PM Seed 4 v Seed 5
8:00PM Seed 3 v Seed 6
Sunday Uniforms: Cool White Coaches: Black
10:00AM Seed 1 v Seed 8
12:00PM Seed 2 v Seed 7
We will leave at 7:30AM from Logans Steakhouse.
Coach Wes
Thursday, June 12
2008 Arkansas State Champions 14U National Division
Wow! What a display of Muckdog baseball this weekend. Congratulations Muckdogs! YOU are the Arkansas State Champions 14U National Division. This is a great accomplishment and we are continuing to improve. Everyone contributed this weekend and I had a great time watching you guys compete. Let's get ready for the World Series.
Coach Wes
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