Local support goes long way
| Thursday, Aug 13 2009 11:13 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Aug 13 2009 11:22 PM
Loading Stories
Advertisement
Images:
Jenn Ireland / The Californian Northwest Bakersfield's Joey Cooper is all smiles as he walks up to his coach for a high-five after hitting a homerun during their first game Sunday afternoon against the Oahu Shockers.
Felix Adamo / The Californian As his teammates wait, Northwest Bakersfield's Harley Lopez makes a flying leap to home after hitting a two run homer in the first inning against Arizona in the Pacific Southwest Regionals.
Jenn Ireland / The Californian Northwest Bakersfield's Sterling Riley ducks just in time to avoid getting hit by a pitch during their first game Sunday afternoon against the Oahu Shockers.
Felix Adamo / The Californian Northwest Bakersfield shortstop Sterling Riley falls backward after forcing out Arizona's Ian Sanger in the bottom of the first at the Pacific Southwest Regional.
The phrase "it takes a village" picked up a lot of speed a few years back to help illustrate the need for everyone to accept responsibility for raising our nation's youth. The saying is particularly true for the Bakersfield Northwest 12-year-old all-star team and its development as a baseball team.
In addition to the countless number of ground balls, situational drills and batting practice pitches from a variety of coaches, and the team's obvious talent, the team owes a lot to a unified group of parents and coaches and the generosity of the Bakersfield community and beyond.
From the 35-passenger bus donated by Paramount Farms to take the team to the airport Thursday morning to the countless number of donations -- both in time and money -- the team's trip to the Cal Ripken World Series wouldn't have been possible otherwise.
"Right now it's about having fun," said manager John Pavletich, "We've got a ton of plans covered for them thanks to community support."
The support includes team shirts and shorts and a pullover sweatshirt, official jerseys from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, six new bats, money for meals and free tickets to the Angels game against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The trip will also include an autograph session with Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
Four years in the making, Pavletich and assistant coaches Rick Burnes and Rob Hallum have coached all but one of their 10-man roster since they were nine. The team, which features Taylor Burns, Tyler Burnes, Joey Cooper, Harley Cruz, Christian Deaton, Brock Hallum, Andrew Hansen, Jacob Pavletich, Ross Puskarich and Sterling Riley have overcome their share of obstacles to reach the pinnacle of their youth baseball experience.
"We've come so close in the past," said John Pavletich, whose team finished second in the Pacific Southwest Regional in Reno as 10-year-olds and was third last year. "This year we pulled it off."
Northwest opens play in Aberdeen, Md., at 2 p.m. Saturday against the New England Regional champion from Danbury, Conn. The tournament runs through Aug. 22 and all games can be watched on the internet through baberuthleague.com for $14.95.
"Superior pitching has allowed us to get over the hump," John Pavletich said. "We were able to refine our pitchers to allow, fewer and fewer hits. We've always hit very well. I have 10 players on the roster and at anytime anyone of them can hit the ball out of the park."
Pavletich says the team owes a lot of its success at the plate to a lot of batting practice against older competition, such as former Liberty High and current Bakersfield College left-hander Greg Ziegeler, who volunteered his time to pitch to the team.
"What's great is these guys were in this league 7-8 years ago," Pavletich said. "And now they're giving back."
Bakersfield showcased its hitting prowess in winning the Regionals at the Sam Lynn Baseball Complex, capped by a dramatic come-from-behind 5-3 victory over Oahu, Hawaii in seven innings. Northwest ripped 11 homers in the tournament, seven by different players in six games.
"So it shows you, you might be batting in the No. 7 hole or No. 8 hole, it doesn't matter," Pavletich said. "They're going to hit it hard or hit it out there. The other thing is our boys' composure has really blossomed. As 9-year-olds you get on them a little as 10s it improves and 11s ... But this year it's gone from mistake, mistake, mistake to minimal mistakes. I mean they just get it."
The team's development on the mound has been the perfect compliment to Northwest's high-scoring attack.
The Northwest pitching staff is led by hard-throwing Ross Puskarich, the Regional MVP who captured four of the team's five wins in the tournament. Andrew Hansen, Tyler Burnes and Taylor Burns will also see time on the hill, and Sterling Riley saved two games in the Regionals.
Riley pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in a 3-2 victory over Oahu in the second game of the Regionals and also had two hits and an RBI in the game.
"I think we're going to do really good," said Harley Cruz, 12, who will be a seventh grader at Rio Bravo-Greeley School this year. "Our pitching is really good and our 'D' is really good, and are bats are hot, right now."
Northwest's bats took a little while to get going in the championship game Aug. 2. Trailing 2-0 heading into its final at-bat, Northwest rallied for three runs in the sixth and eventually won the game 5-3. Deaton and Puskarich had RBIs in the seventh to send the team to its first World Series.
"I'm pretty excited," said Hansen, 12, who plays leftfield, pitcher and second base and is heading into the seventh grade at Freedom Middle School. "We have good hitters, great pitchers and our catchers help us out a lot. "We're going to see some good teams and we just want to get in there and at least make the semifinals. This is the biggest tournament of my life."
