National Youth Baseball Championships qualifying continues March 11-12 as All World Sports hosts the NorCal Qualifier in the Sacramento, California area. Over 40 teams are scheduled to participate for five available bids in 10U-14U.
The 10U, 11U and 12U divisions will play at Woodland Sports Park while the 13U and 14U teams will compete at Mather Sports Complex.
Lamorinda Baseball Club, 12U champions at last summer’s NYBC, is looking for a return trip to New York with their Vikings 12U and Raiders 10U. The only organization to win back-to-back NYBC titles is the Banditos Baseball Club in 2011-12.
The 12U championship will be streamed on Facebook Live and is scheduled to start at 4:45 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 6. Be sure to follow @NYBCbaseball on Facebook to watch the 12U championship live and to follow all the action during the weekend.
The NYBC is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017 and will once again be contested at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y., located an hour east of New York City on Long Island. CBS Sports Network will be nationally televising 12 games during the championship week, and MLB.com is providing online streaming.
NYBC NorCal Qualifier with All World Sports
Schedule and Standings
Over 60 California teams competed March 4-5 at the National Youth Baseball Championships SoCal Qualifier hosted by Xtreme Diamond Sports. Wilson MVP Elite (12U) and Top Tier Gamers (11U) won their division titles and claimed the first two berths for this summer’s NYBC Finals in New York.
The 13U and 14U divisions were also contested over the weekend, but rain forced play to stop in the semifinals. Both age groups will finish play at a date to be determined by Xtreme Diamond Sports.
In 12U, Wilson MVP Elite earned the eighth and final place in the gold bracket to complete for an NYBC berth. Right away they faced another powerhouse organization, the San Diego Show, in the quarterfinals and earned a 6-2 win. Facing the Chino Hills Thunder in the semifinals, the two teams turned in the game of the day going extra innings to determine a winner, as MVP won 11-8 in eight innings.
In the 12U championship, streamed on Facebook Live, MVP took control early and piled on runs late to win 19-4 over the So Cal Outlaws. With the win, MVP will make the trip to New York to compete for another NYBC 12U crown, the first of which they won in 2015.
The Top Tier Gamers and San Diego Stars squared off in the 11U championship, a rematch of their pool play game a day earlier that the Gamers took 7-0. The Gamers got up big early and held on for a 13-8 win over the Stars to claim the division title and the NYBC berth.
The Gamers dominated the competition all weekend long, winning all their games by no less than five runs. They scored 28 runs and gave up only one in their two pool play games and then defeated the Irvine Rox Black, Stars & Stripes Red and San Diego Stars en route to the championship.
Next weekend (March 11-12), the NYBC heads up the coast to Northern California and the Bay Area for the NYBC NorCal Qualifier with All World Sports where over 40 teams will compete for NYBC bids in 9U-14U. Click the links below to see the full standings from the March 4-5 qualifier in Southern California.
Watch the 12U Championship!
NYBC SoCal Qualifier with Xtreme Diamond Sports
Final Results
National Youth Baseball Championships qualifying begins March 4-5 in Southern California with Xtreme Diamond Sports hosting over 60 teams in Orange County. Champions in the 11U-14U divisions will earn the first paid berths to move on to the NYBC Finals this July in New York.
California teams have consistently left their mark on the NYBC, winning titles in seven of the nine years since the event began in 2008. This weekend’s qualifier features a loaded field with several organizations that have competed in past NYBCs: Wilson MVP, San Diego Show, San Diego Stars and BPA.
Play begins at 8 a.m. PT on Saturday, March 5 with the 11U and 12U age groups spread out around three parks. The 12U division is the largest of the event featuring 23 teams. The sold out 13U and 14U divisions are both playing at Steed Park in San Clemente.
The 12U championship will be live streamed on the NYBC’s Facebook Live and is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 6. Be sure to follow @NYBCbaseball to watch the 12U championship live and to follow all the action during the weekend.
The NYBC is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017 and will once again be contested at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y., located an hour east of New York City on Long Island. CBS Sports Network will be nationally televising 12 games during the championship week, and MLB.com is providing online streaming.
NYBC SoCal Qualifier with Xtreme Diamond Sports
Schedule and Standings
The San Diego Show ran through a successful 2016 season finishing as the No. 3 ranked 11U team in the country in the NYBC 25 national rankings. This year, the team is looking to build off that success and put together a great 12U season.
This weekend, the Show will be participating in the NYBC SoCal Qualifier in Orange County to try and punch its ticket to the NYBC Finals in New York. The 12U field is loaded with top teams from around the area, but the Show has to be considered one of the favorites to take home the title.
We caught up with San Diego Show head coach Luis Lorenzana before the qualifier to check in on his team.
NYBC: How did your season go last year in 11U? San Diego Show: We had a very successful 2016 season capped off by a runner-up finish at the USSSA Elite World Series.
NYBC: You finished your season last year as the No. 3 ranked 11U team in the country in our NYBC 25 rankings. What have you done to build on your success from last season? San Diego Show: We really don’t focus on rankings, records, championships. We actually lost a few key components from that squad who decided to part ways, but what we did was add from within our program, so we’re focusing on building off that.
NYBC: What are your team goals for 2017? San Diego Show: Our goals are to compete every day at practice and play at the highest level. If we do that, we will get better.
NYBC: What big events are on your schedule for 2017? San Diego Show: Every event we play in is a big event. This weekend will have some say in what we do as far as the summer. We also plan on playing in the TBS National Championships in East Cobb, Georgia.
NYBC: How would you describe your team’s playing style? San Diego Show: Pitching and defense oriented along with timely hitting. We’re a very fundamental team who plays for 18 outs.
NYBC: What would you say sets your team apart from other 12U teams? San Diego Show: I’m a fan of the chemistry we have. We have a great group of young men who wear our colors proudly, and a majority of them have been with our program for a few years. They trust in what we do. That goes a long way. You don’t see that too often at this age.
San Diego Show 12U
Team Roster
17 Trent Abel
19 Jared Allred
5 EJ Barnes Jr
7 Matthew Broder
14 Jacob Connelly
16 Duke Ekstrom
18 Harley Harrington
23 Bryan Martinez
34 Frankie Tarantino
57 Junior Taylor
27 Sean Trusso
36 Dean West
0 James Whitman
The National Youth Baseball Championships powered by Brita will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2017 as travel baseball teams from around the country will meet on July 24-30 at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y.
Steel Sports is teaming up with top tournament organizations and venues on 18 qualifiers spread around the United States from January-June. All World Baseball, Baseball Heaven, Game Day USA, The Baseball Legends, Travel Sports Baseball and Xtreme Diamond Sports will operate qualifiers nationwide. With the inclusion of first class venues in Louisiana’s Cypress Mounds Baseball Complex, Iowa’s All-Star Ballpark Heaven and Missouri’s Ballparks of America on the qualifier schedule, the NYBC will feature events in 12 states, the most in its 10-year history.
“Steel Sports is honored to carry the National Youth Baseball Championships into its 10th year,” Steel Sports CEO David Shapiro said. “We are committed to creating a major league experience on and off the field when it comes to the competition, venue, national television, social media coverage, educational opportunities and interaction with MLB alumni. With the help of outstanding partners like Brita, the NYBC will host more youth players and teams than ever before in 2017 and continue to shine as one of the premier youth events in the country.”
CBS Sports Network will nationally televise 12 games during NYBC’s championship week, and MLB.com will live stream all 12 broadcasts online. The week will also feature an opening ceremonies, a televised 12U All-Star Game, appearances from Major League Baseball celebrities and a festival throughout the week to commemorate the 10th anniversary.
“Having traveled to youth baseball events all over the country, I can say the National Youth Baseball Championships is unlike anything I have experienced,” former Major League Baseball player and manager Bobby Valentine said. “The NYBC is everything youth baseball should be about, a positive and fun experience that offers much more than high level competition on the field. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the NYBC the last two years, and it’s something I want to continue being a part of for as long as I can.”
NYBC qualifying begins on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (Jan. 14-16) with events in Arizona, California and Florida. Additional qualifiers will be held later in the year in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York and Texas.
The nation’s best travel baseball teams in 9U-14U traveled to Baseball Heaven in Yaphank, N.Y. this past July for the 9th annual National Youth Baseball Championships. Over 70 teams from 10 different states competed to make up the event’s largest and most competitive field ever.
CBS Sports Network nationally televised 12 games during the week, and MLB.com provided live online streaming of those games. This was the first year in NYBC history that the 13U and 14U age groups had games televised.
Perhaps the most exciting title game was the 12U championship between California’s Lamorinda Trojans and New Jersey’s BC Phenom, two nationally-ranked teams. The No. 1-ranked Trojans held a 5-2 lead going into the top of the sixth needing just three more outs, but the Phenom came roaring back with three runs to tie the game.
In the bottom of the inning, Lamorinda put its first two runners on base, and then Kai Francis delivered a three-run walk-off home run to give his team the 12U national championship.
In the 14U division, the Jerry Manuel Foundation capped off an amazing run to the championship with a 7-4 win over Florida’s CFL USA Elite. Coming all the way from Sacramento, the JMF team earned an all-expense-paid trip to New York from title sponsor Brita through an urban youth initiative. They made the most of their opportunity going 2-1 in pool play and coming out on top in bracket play despite several close, hard-fought games.
Two local rivals, New Jersey’s Tri State Arsenal Prime and New York’s LI Body Armor Titans squared off in the 11U championship game and didn’t disappoint. The game was tight all the way through in a pitchers’ duel with the Arsenal coming out on top, 3-1.
Georgia’s Team Halo, returning from last year’s NYBC, won the 13U title over Team Steel White, 8-3. In the 10U division, the Dallas Tigers dominated the competition all week long and earned the championship with a 15-7 win over the Jersey Storm. The LI Strengthheals Jr Ducks were the comeback kids of the NYBC as they came back from a couple large deficits during bracket play to win the 9U division.
NYBC week featured numerous activities during the week to entertain the players, coaches and families in attendance. Teams were treated to Festival Day on Friday, July 29 that included the MLB Roundtable powered by Brita with special guests Bobby Valentine, Jerry Manuel and Eric Karros. After the Roundtable, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda was honored with the grand opening of the Tommy Lasorda Collection inside the Baseball Heaven cafe.
Valentine and Manuel even suited up and took the field for the NYBC 12U All-Star Game powered by Brita. Valentine coached the East All-Stars to a close 6-5 win over Jerry Manuel’s West All-Stars, and both former managers instilled their knowledge of the game into all the competing players.
The 2017 National Youth Baseball Championships will mark the 10th anniversary of the event. Qualifiers will be held around the country from January-June with the championship week heading to Baseball Heaven once again in July.
2016 NYBC Champions
9U – LI Strengthheals Jr Ducks (NY)
10U – Dallas Tigers – Bergman (TX)
11U – Tri State Arsenal Prime (NJ)
12U – Lamorinda Trojans (CA)
13U – Team Halo (GA)
14U – Jerry Manuel Foundation (CA)
Xtreme Diamond Sports hosted the NYBC Las Vegas Diamond Challenge Qualifier on Feb. 27-28 at several locations around the Vegas area. With NYBC bids on the line in 10U, 12U and 14U a few teams traveled from California and Utah to compete against some of Nevada’s best.
Two California teams, Wilson MVP Elite and Lights Out/Patriots, met in the 12U final, and they did not disappoint their fans. The game was tight for all six innings, but MVP held on late to win 10-7. With the championship, Wilson MVP Elite moves on to New York where they finished runner-up as 11U in 2015.
In 14U, LVR met their younger counterparts LVR 13U, playing up a division, for the title. Both teams showed their dominance over the weekend going undefeated into the championship game, but it was LVR taking the win over LVR 13U, 7-2.
The Red Dragons outscored their opponents 37-4 en route to the 10U championship and an undefeated weekend. They defeated the Nevada Bucks in the final, 10-0.
Xtreme Diamond Sports is set to host another NYBC Las Vegas Qualifier on April 16-17 along with a qualifier in Southern California that same weekend. Click HERE to learn more about the two upcoming qualifiers.
Click HERE to see the full results from the NYBC Las Vegas Qualifier.
2016 NYBC Las Vegas Qualifier Champions
10U – Red Dragons (NV)
12U – Wilson MVP Elite (CA)
14U – LVR (NV)
For most of the teams at the NYBC North Texas Qualifier with Steel Sports on Feb. 13-14 it was their first tournament of the 2016 season. Nonetheless, the stakes were high as five teams earned spots in this summer’s National Youth Baseball Championships at New York’s Baseball Heaven.
Nearly 30 teams competed for the five berths at Grapevine’s picturesque Oak Grove Park with pool play on Saturday and bracket play on Sunday. Eight teams competed in the 12U division, and the competition across the board was outstanding. Two three seeds, Banditos Black and Team Citius, made their way to the final with Team Citius earning the 9-2 win.
Both organizations competed in the NYBC 12U division last year in New York, and Citius will return this July. The Banditos are another team on the radar as the Houston based organization has won two NYBC titles in its history.
In the 11U division, the top two seeds NTX Eagles – Bade and the LBC Patriots squared off for the championship and New York berth, and it was perhaps the best game of the entire qualifier. The Eagles won the title in extra innings, 3-2.
The Austin Banditos won the 13U division with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Austin Horns. The Austin Banditos are another organization that traveled to New York for the 2015 NYBC.
The Dallas Tigers organization sent its 12U team to New York in 2015, and this time it was the 14U and 10U teams earning berths. The 14U team went 3-0 on the weekend and defeated the TC Patriots National, 8-5, in the title game. The 10U team went a perfect 4-0 and won the bid with a 9-2 victory over Spitfire Elite.
Texas teams will have other opportunities to qualify at events in Baton Rouge, La., on May 21-22 and again at Grapevine’s Oak Grove Park on Memorial Day weekend May 27-29.
Click HERE to see the full results from the NYBC North Texas Qualifier.
2016 NYBC North Texas Qualifier Champions
10U – Dallas Tigers – Bergman 11U – NTX Eagles – Bade 12U – Team Citius 13U – Austin Banditos 14U – Dallas Tigers – Hernandez/Arias
*All teams from Texas.
