BT 10u Baseball on-fire heading into Cal Ripken World Series.
For many youth travel baseball teams, the hope is to be competitive, have fun and win a tournament or two.
For the Burlington Township 10u baseball team, its summer has been one to remember. Despite not lifting a trophy in the first five tournaments, the Falcons advanced to the Cal Ripken World Series after becoming regional champions earlier this month.
The Falcons defeated Flood City, Pa., on July 24, 9–6, to lift the regional champion’s trophy. It was the second title in a row this summer after the Falcons also won the state championship, which was the turning point for the team.
“We may not have won districts, but from our loss there everything clicked for the boys,” Head Coach Joe Dorety said. “We rolled off six wins in districts, and won five in a row in the state tournament after being in the losers’ bracket.”
This is Dorety’s fourth year coaching this group of kids, whom he met when they were 7 years old. He had seven kids from the 12-player roster on the 7u team, and 10 on the 8u team. Before the season, however, the coach didn’t think this road would be possible.
“Before the season, we set some goals, but we wanted to at least get to regionals,” Dorety said. “It’s pretty amazing when you think about it because these kids have worked their butts off to get where we are headed.”
Since their regional victory, the coaches, parents and team have quickly turned their attention to preparation for the World Series, which takes place in Hammond, Ind., Aug. 5–12.
The town has rallied around the team, coming up with fundraisers and events to cut costs for the trip.
“We had a Home Run Derby fundraiser on July 30, which brought in a lot of people, even from other towns,” Dorety said. “Smylie’s Ice Cream Parlor also donated some of their weekend proceeds to us, which is truly appreciated.”
Other than the support from Burlington Township, Dorety said several coaches around Burlington County congratulated him through text and email. Baseball organizations also donated to the cause, such as Cinnaminson, Delran and Mt. Laurel.
The goal now is to compete in Indiana at the level it has been doing all summer.
“To know we are representing not only our little town, but the whole state of New Jersey is an amazing feeling,” Dorety said. “These kids really understand the game, (and) they implement the stuff we practice into the games, which makes a coach feel good because they have been paying attention.”
The Burlington Township Falcons opened their schedule on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. against the New England Champions.
For more information regarding the Burlington Township 10u Baseball team, check https://www.facebook.com/BurlingtonTwpBaseballAssociation.
