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BASEBALL: Rochester Recruits 12U squad shines bright as state champions

Dan Stickradt | July 30, 2013 | Comments (1)

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

Twitter: @LocalSportsFans

ROCHESTER HILLS — Chemistry.

It can become one the most key ingredients for success in all of sports. The Rochester Recruits baseball squad had an abundance of chemistry this season at the 12U level, which became the youth franchise’s most successful of any age group.

The Recruits, which featured eight young ball players from the Rochester area plus three more from nearby Berkley, recently capped a brilliant 43-8 season. The state champion Recruits took a fine 42-6 record into the Midwest regional held in Rockford, Illinois, July 17-20, where they finished 1-2 in the double-elimination tournament.

“I think the team just had the right make up of kids, coachable players that seemed to play well with each other,” offered Recruits head coach Tim Williams. “We have a lot of good, young baseball players, a lot of pitchers, kids that can hit in (different ways) and we were solid fielders.”

TOP RECRUITS: The Rochester Recruits baseball team recently finished a banner season with an AABC state championship and a berth in the AABC Midwest Regional. Courtesy Photo | Rochester Recruits.

The Recruits organization, which was formed only three years ago, finished a perfect 21-0 in their 12-team Pee Wee Reese AAA Division of the North Oakland Baseball Federation. They also won several tournaments or posted respectable finishes at several of those weekend tournaments over the course of four months.

At the 12U AABC state championships, held July 8-12 at Clintwood Park near Clarkston, the Recruits finished a perfect 5-0 to claim the state championship and advance to the AABC Midwest Regional. Rochester amassed over 50 runs in the state tournament, including crushing the Tri Valley Crushers, 18-8, in the state title contest.

Rochester also participated in a prestigious 12U tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., in late June, which was an invite-only tournament with teams hailing from more than 15 states.

Members of the squad include Tae Whinham, Robbie Mooney, Grant Ellison, Patrick Trout, Kyle Domzalski, Drew Loftus, Gehrig Williams, Sean Doyle, David Robinson, Ethan Staudacher, Austin Remick and Will Vogt. Coach Williams was assisted by Tom Loftus and Tom Whinham.

“I couldn’t be more happier for this team,” said Williams. “They worked hard since the first day of practice back in the spring and they just came together and played great baseball. They played with each other. As the season went along, we just really started to play better and better. We faced some really good competition at some of these tournaments, too.

“I think, in a few years, some these kids are going to become successful players in high school. We have some kids that have already developed into some nice young players with a lot of potential,” continued Williams. “There are some kids to keep an eye on…”

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