Halie Wetherington reporter@greenepublishing.com
The Madison County Babe Ruth 10 and under baseball team gave their dads a great Father's Day present by returning home as Small League Champions on Sunday, June 19. This group of all-stars played in three tournaments over the past weeks, and are now bringing home a ring to show their victory. The players included: Bryce Robinson, Ben Rogers, Brady Boan, Jackson Churchwell, Luke Keeling, Brayson Thompson, Lucas Miller, Christian Robinson, Tucker Odiorne, Ja'khi Wilson and Braxton Willoughby. The team was coached by Brad Robinson, Adam Odiorne, Steve Odiorne and Doug Brown, who also received help from Josh Boan and Matt Thompson throughout the season.
Over the course of the three tournaments, the team managed a 14-2 record, with a 115-54 run differential over their opponents. “They put in a lot of hard work, practicing four to five times a week for three hours a day,” said assistant Matt Thompson. “It was truly a group effort, and I am proud of the team contribution throughout the tournaments.”
Thompson described the experience as memorable, telling the story of their loss in the district tournament that normally would have put a damper on most teams' momentum. However, even after the Madison All-Stars came in second for the district tournament, they managed to push through and come out victorious at the state level. The Madison boys beat out other small town teams in the North Florida area, such as Bradford, Williston and Lafayette. “Every starting player that we had batted a .300 or better,” stated Thompson. Ja'khi Wilson, one of the players, had five home runs over the course of the tournaments, with one bouncing off the scoreboard. “The players are all close to the same age, so they will get to play with each other for years to come,” Thompson added. “I am excited to see where the future leads.”
Congratulations to the 10 and under Small League Champions.