The Hartford Heat 10U Cal Ripken Baseball All-Star team is riding its hot streak to regionals this weekend after coming from behind to defeat Twin Rivers 4-3 late last month to win the Vermont state championship.
Hartford went unbeaten in both the district and state tournaments on its way to the title. This is the first 10U or 12U Hartford Cal Ripken team to reach regionals.
Hartford coach Joe James acknowledged that, heading into the season, he was not exactly sure what he had with his squad. That changed after it entered a tournament in Swanzey, N.H., and put in a competitive effort.
“Because we were competitive with that, we were kind of optimistic about our chances going into the district and state tournament, although Hartford has not won that tournament in recent history,” he said. “Our kids really played well those two weekends.”
The New England regionals, which will be held in New Milford, Conn., are set to begin on Friday with opening ceremonies and skills competitions. The field will feature two Connecticut teams and two Massachusetts teams, along with one team from each of the remaining New England states.
Hartford will begin pool play on Saturday against Rhode Island before wrapping up the round with two more games: first against New Milford on Saturday, and then against Western Massachusetts on Sunday.
The top three teams from each four-team pool will advance to the next round, with the top seeds in each receiving a bye.
“We were excited to be able to win the state tournament and just go to the tournament. … There’s some very competitive teams that make this tournament,” James said.
“So we’re excited about just going and playing against some really good teams and having fun. I don’t think our kids are too worried about winning or losing; they’re so excited about just being there and looking forward to just having fun playing another weekend of baseball.”
