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Opening pitch

BRWS gets underway today in city

By MATT SPIELMAN 9 min read

Mike Gill knows a thing or two about coaching in a World Series in Jamestown.

So do Mike Harrison and Tom Davey.

All three coaches will be back next week when the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series returns to Diethrick Park for the second straight year.

AMERICAN DIVISION

Dustin Wengert's Southeast Missouri Bruins are 9-0 this summer, sweeping the Missouri state tournament and Midwest Plains regional. After a 3-0 run in Jackson, Missouri, where the Bruins outscored opponents 35-2, they headed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. There, Southeast Missouri went 6-0 and outscored opponents 52-12, including a 4-3 victory over the Rapid City Sliders in the title game.

Jackson Browne led the Bruins in hitting with a .560 average that includes three doubles and a home run. He has scored 18 runs and stolen 10 bases while getting caught just once. Waylon Basler is hitting .500 with a double and 12 RBIs while Braxton Leible is hitting .476 with two doubles, 13 RBIs and eight runs scored.

Basler has pitched 12 of the team's 51 innings, starting three of their nine games. He has pitched to a 1.17 earned run average and carries a 0.58 WHIP with five strikeouts. Kayson Bauwens had pitched 10 innings with a 1.40 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, striking out seven. Browne and William Barber have thrown eight innings apiece. Browne has not allowed an earned run with a 0.75 WHIP and 10 strikeouts while Barber has a 0.88 ERA and 1.50 WHIP with five strikeouts.

It's been more than a decade since Davey coached in Jamestown. He led a Janesville team to a third-place finish in Jamestown back in 2015 -- Tri-Valley, California, won the title that year. This year's team heads to Jamestown after beating Beloit, Wisconsin, 11-0 in the Ohio Valley Region championship game. Janesville went undefeated in the five-game regional, outscoring opponents 65-10.

In 49 games this summer, the Generals have hit .342 with 62 doubles, 21 triples and three home runs as a team while striking out just 153 times in 1,531 plate appearances. Janesville has scored 505 runs with a .497 on-base percentage and stolen 246 bases in those games.

Coach Bill Daley's Westfield, Massachusetts was offered a spot in the World Series after losing by a run in the New England Region final against Bethel, Connecticut.

In six games at regionals, JJ Gonzalez was Westfield's top hitter with a .429 average that included four doubles. He drove in nine runs and scored four. JJ Rodriguez hit .400 with two doubles, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored while Robert Strange-Skribiski hit .400 with a double, seven RBIs and four runs scored.

On the mound for Westfield, Jake Moltenbrey threw 12 1-3 of the 39 1-3 innings, pitching to a 3.41 ERA while striking out eight, walking 12 and giving up eight hits. Gonzalez threw 11 1-3 innings, pitching to a 4.32 ERA with seven strikeouts, eight hits allowed and eight walks. Dean threw 9 2-3 innings, pitching to a 4.35 ERA with five strikeouts, nine hits allowed and nine walks.

Mililani, Hawaii, coached by Joseph Gabrillo, beat Kingsburg, California, 8-6 in the Pacific Southwest Region's final to cap a week during which the Westside Bombers outscored opponents 42-14.

In 25 games this summer, Shiloh Irvine leads Mililani with a .509 batting average that includes two doubles and two triples in 57 at-bats. He has driven in 18 runs and scored 28. Isaac Saoit is second in batting at .449 with 12 doubles, a triple and two home runs while driving in 23 runs and scoring 17. Logan Kawakami is hitting .377 with seven doubles, 17 RBIs and 31 runs scored. Stansen Verbeckmoes has scored a team-high 34 runs and Chaysten Fuentes is second in RBIs with 22. Ezra Pule-Nicholas has a team-best four triples.

Fuentes has thrown a team-high 35 2-3 innings with a 2.16 ERA and 24 strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .233 batting average. Pule-Nicholas has thrown 21 1-3 innings with 24 strikeouts and a 1.64 ERA while opposing batters are hitting .176. Shyne-Don Sanchez has struck out 16 in 15 innings with a 2.80 ERA.

Mid-County, Texas, coached by AJ Delage, went 4-1 and beat McDavid, Florida, 8-1 in the Southwest Region final to advance to the World Series.

In those five games, Trevor Chaney led Mid-County with four hits, including two triples, in eight at-bats. Chaney drove in six runs and scored three. Madden McPhatter hit .455 with a double and four runs scored while Anders Delage had three hits in six at-bats and scored three runs. On the mound, Connor Corcoran threw 10 of Mid-County's 27 innings, striking out eight while allowing just one earned run and 11 base runners. Nobody else threw more than Jake Collins' 3 1-3 innings. He allowed one hit and struck out one while hitting two batters.

Mid-County outscored opponents 31-13 in the five-game regional run.

Jamestown's host team, coached by Joe Crawford, is the final participant in the six-team American Division.

"The boys have played 10 games together, have sacrificed many nights for practice and we are eager to get going," Crawford said. "As a coaching staff we have really pushed the team chemistry aspect and as a team we will give everything we have to represent the city of Jamestown with pride."

NATIONAL DIVISION

Harrison will be bringing 13-year-olds from the Tallahassee-Leon program to Jamestown for a second straight summer looking to defend their organization's 2025 title. The now-14-year-olds from Tallahassee-Leon are also currently playing in the 14-year-old World Series in Eagle Pass, Texas. Tallahassee-Leon's 13-year-olds went 6-0 through the Florida state tournament and Southeast Region tournament, outscoring opponents 49-12.

In those six games, Ben Campbell led the team in hitting with a .429 average. He drove in four runs and scored three. Gabe Harper hit .385 with two doubles while driving in six runs and scoring seven. CJ Usina hit .368 with five RBIs and eight runs scored.

On the mound, Harper threw 10 of the 39 innings, striking out 12 while not allowing an earned run. He gave up four hits and walked six. Jack Wilson threw 8 1-3 innings, striking out four with a 3.36 earned run average and a 1.80 WHIP. Campbell threw eight innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out six, walking three and giving up four hits.

Gill is bringing an Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, squad back to Jamestown for the first time since winning the 2021 13-year-old World Series at Diethrick Park. This year's team went 5-0 at the Middle Atlantic Regional, outscoring opponents 51-10 in the process. Atlantic Shore beat Wayne, New York, 12-3 in the final.

Cole Leusner was Atlantic Shore's top hitter at the regional, going 8 for 12 with two doubles and a triple while driving in four runs and scoring seven. Owen Perez went 9 for 14 with a double, eight RBIs and a run scored. Nick Gelegonya went 8 for 15 with a triple, five RBIs and five runs scored while Landon Gracia went 10 for 20 with two doubles and two triples while driving in four and scoring 10 runs.

Grayson Zacchi threw 10 2-3 of his team's 32 innings in Old Bridge, New Jersey, striking out eight while pitching to a 2.63 earned run average and a 0.84 WHIP. RJ Scattone threw 8 1-3 innings with six strikeouts, a 2.52 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Declan Bridgeman did not allow a run in his five innings, striking out four while pitching to a 0.80 WHIP.

James Sveda's Bethel, Connecticut, team won the New England Region championship with a 6-5 victory over a squad from Westfield. In 40 games this summer, the Wildcats have 29 wins.

Tom Haly's Woodland, Washington, team will represent the Pacific Northwest Region after beating Bozeman, Montana, 7-2 in their regional final. The Lumberjacks have played 69 games together this spring.

Lincoln Horn leads Woodland in hitting with a .441 batting average that includes 13 doubles, a triple and a home run while driving in 44 runs and scoring 90. Cooper Ginter is hitting .425 with 27 doubles, five triples and two home runs while driving in 66 runs and scoring 79. Jason Kain is hitting .393 with 11 doubles and two triples while driving in 53 and scoring 69, and Ben Walker is hitting .392 with 12 doubles, three triples and two home runs while driving in 36 and scoring 54. Keithan Woody also has a pair of home runs, three triples and 10 doubles while batting .366.

On the mound, Horn has thrown the most with 79 2-3 innings. He has pitched to a 3.42 ERA while striking out 78 and holding opposing hitters to a .252 batting average. Zachary Muelheim has thrown 71 innings and struck out 48 batters while pitching to a 3.85 ERA and holding the opposition to a .277 average. Kain has thrown 69 2-3 innings, striking out 69 while Woody has struck out 82 batters in 52 2-3 innings.

Puerto Rico is the final representative in the five-team National Division.

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The World Series will open today at Diethrick Park. Mililani, Hawaii, will take on Janesville, Wisconsin in the 11 a.m. game, followed by Puerto Rico and Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, at 1:30 p.m. Tallahassee-Leon, Florida, will take on Woodland, Washington, at 4:30 p.m. The opening ceremonies will take place prior to the 7 p.m. game between Mid-County, Texas, and the host team from Jamestown.

On Sunday, Southeast, Missouri, will get its tournament underway with an 11 a.m. game against Hawaii. Wisconsin will take on Texas at 1:30 p.m., followed by Puerto Rico against Florida. At 7 p.m., the host team will take on Westfield, Massachusetts, which will be playing its first game.

At 11 a.m. Monday, Bethel, Connecticut, will play its first game against New Jersey, followed by Missouri vs. Wisconsin at 1:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., Texas will take on Hawaii and at 7 p.m., Washington will take on Puerto Rico.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts and Missouri will kick things off at 11 a.m., followed by New Jersey and Washington at 1:30 p.m. Connecticut and Puerto Rico will play at 4:30 p.m. while Wisconsin will take on the host team at 7 p.m.

Wednesday's action will open with Massachusetts and Texas at 11 a.m., followed by New Jersey and Florida at 1:30 p.m. Washington will face Connecticut at 4:30 p.m. and the host team will take on Missouri at 7 p.m.

With 11 teams this year, there will be two pool-play games Thursday prior to the start of bracket play. At 9 a.m., Hawaii will take on Massachusetts before Florida takes on Connecticut at 11:30 a.m.

Single-elimination bracket play will start at 4:30 p.m. Thursday with the National Division's third-place team taking on the American Division's second-place team. At 7 p.m., the American Division's third-place team will take on the National Division's second-place team.

On Friday, the American Division's first-place team will host a 4:30 p.m. semifinal and the National Division's first-place team will host a 7 p.m. semifinal.

The tournament's third-place game will be played Saturday, Aug. 22 at 10 a.m., followed by the championship game at 1 p.m.

Starting at /week.