The Diamond Kings 12U Elite baseball team based out of Thomasville, Georgia traveled to Omaha, Nebraska the week of June 20 to compete in the USSSA Omaha Champions Village Tournament. At this tournament, the players and coaches eat and sleep at The Village next to the fields that sit on 170 acres. The opening ceremonies began with an airplane flying over the Village and fields dropping men in parachutes onto the field, including 88-year-old retired US Air Force Instructor Leno Baney. Another jumper, retired US Army Master Sergeant Kenneth Bader, was carrying the American flag while the teams sang the National Anthem. The other jumpers were active duty US Air Force pilot and respiratory therapist Mark Farrell.
The Diamond Kings opened up their first pool play game vs the Asheville Braves who are currently the number 1 ranked AAA team in North Carolina. DKSA Elite defeated the Braves 12-5 and then moved to their second game for the day vs the Arizona Mountain Lions. Again, the number 1 ranked Major team in Arizona. The Dk’s won 15-12 in an offensive shootout.
On Wednesday the Dk’s faced Top Guns Baseball team from Friendswood, Texas. The DK’s won 11-10 by a walk off in the bottom of the 6th inning. The team was then escorted to the NCAA Men’s College Baseball World Series at Ameritrade Park where they watched Arizona vs UC Santa Barbara.
Thursday, the DK’s would return to pool play action vs AP Baseball from Fair Oaks, California. The Dk’s lost this game but was able to rebound for the next pool play game where they faced a 12U Major Gamers Baseball Club out of San Jose, California. The DK’s won by a run rule in 4 innings, 9-1.
The Diamond Kings were seeded 3rd in the tournament and began single elimination bracket play on Friday morning. The DK’s again faced Gamers Baseball Club, defeating them 4-1 to advance to the next bracket game. The DK’s then faced 12 Maroon, College Station, Texas. After a walk-off GRAND SLAM in the 6th inning, the DK’s advance to the semi-finals!
There they would face, once again, the Asheville Braves. The boys came out swinging the bats and playing great defense, winning by run rule in 4 innings advancing to the championship game.
The championship game was more like a home run derby!!! The DK’s faced off vs 12U Major Texoma Prospects, Wichita Falls, Texas. The bats were hot from the start, causing the game to be shortened due to yet another run rule in 4 innings, with a score of 22-12.
The DK’s had 100 hits with 100 runs scored and 27 home runs during the week long tournament. After 14 hours on the field Friday, they finished with an 8-1 record and the title CHAMPIONS. The boys played their best baseball during this tournament and left it all on the field. They bonded as a team and made memories that will last a lifetime. The team is made up of players from all over South Georgia and North Florida. This team has won 3 World Series tournaments in 3 years!
– Submitted copy