Closing it out

The Bayhawks closed out a successful four-year run with a championship in the Sports at the Beach Summer Sizzler.

The championship was the fourth in seven tournaments in 2010 and the team finished with a 28-3-1 record this year. The Bayhawks' combined record over their four years was 96-22-5 with 16 tournament wins.

As of this post, 20 of the 27 young men who played for the team either signed or are playing college baseball. They are:
Kevin Bailey - Alvernia (Pa.) University
Chris DelVecchio - Mount St. Mary's University
Cameron DiGregorio - CCBC Essex
Nick Gentry - Salisbury University
Huston Hergesheimer - University of Delaware
Shane Holman - LaSalle University
Jordan Kunkel - Harford CC
Cameron Lauf - Randolph Macon
Jordan Lozzi - Wesley College
Brad Markey - Georgia Tech
Zach Nadolny - Rhode Island
Taylor Nelson - Harford CC
Michael Niederhauser - CCBC Essex
Kurt Simon - CCBC Essex
Zach Spahn - Coppin State
Courtland Sullivan - York College of Pa.
Corey Taylor - Harford CC
Ryan Welling - LaSalle University
Kenny West - Salisbury University
D.J. Williams - CCBC Essex

Thanks to the players, coaches and parents who made this team so special for the past four years.

2010 Bayhawks, l-r, Coach Terry Florey, DJ Williams, Coach Jeff Owens, Taylor Nelson, Jordan Lozzi, Nick Gentry, Zach Nadolny, Kenny West, Justin Owens, Jordan Kunkel, Courtland Sullivan, Kevin Bailey, Corey Taylor, Brian Owens, Coach Dave Williams, Coach Wayne Capaletti. Injured and not pictured, Chase Hollman, Chris DelVecchio.

Seven and Out

What a season! The Bayhawks wrapped it up by winning the Sussex County Sports Foundation's August Heat tournament. It was the seventh championship in nine tournaments this year. Add one second-place finish and that's a remarkable summer for the boys in blue.

It was fitting that the title game featured a come-from-behind effort. Cameron DiGregorio had a 2-run homer in the game - his 11th of the summer - but it was his walk with the bases loaded to score Mike Coarts that gave the Hawks the win.

Robbie Tune came up big with a complete game victory. His effort was huge considering that the cupboard was bare when it came to pitchers.

Great season! Final record was 35-2-3. Thanks to coaches Wayne, Dave, Jeff and Terry for their efforts. Thanks to the parents. And thanks to the kids for making this a simply remarkable, magical season!

Tops in 16U

The Bayhawks are BPA's top-ranked 16U team in the nation!

All Good Things

The streak is over. The Bayhawks came up short in their effort for a seventh-straight tournament crown, falling to the Baltimore Chop in the Mid Atlantic States championship game. And they fell big - 11-0. Ironically, both in both Bayhawks losses this year, they've been 10-runned and both have come on the field at Riverdale Rec.

Although they lost the final, the weekend did have its moments. Another couple of come-from-behind wins, a 15-run shutout win and three homers from Cameron DiGregorio.

The season record now stands at 31-2-3. Not bad.

Unbeeeeeelievable!

The Bayhawks took their sixth-straight tournament crown at the 15th Annual Bowie Baseball Tournament. Not having played for two weeks, the Bayhawks were a little rickety, but the magic was still there.

Highlights included a combined no-hitter Saturday night from Courtland Sullivan and Zach Spahn - a game that we nearly lost thanks to walks, hit batters and errors. Sunday's opener saw the Hawks down 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, when great at-bats from Taylor Nelson, Cameron DiGregorio, Zach Spahn, Ryan Welling and Brad Markey rallied for the win. The championship game featured a pair of two-run homers from Hammerin' Cameron DiGregorio and Brad Markey. And that game ended on a spectacular running catch and throw by Rob Tune to complete a double play.

Wheeling, Wet Virginia

That's not a typo. For the second straight year, the Beast of the East tournament was plagued by rain. Last year we lost four games to the weather and it was worse this year. The rain started falling an hour before our first scheduled game and we were rained out of all six scheduled games by the time we pulled out on Saturday.

It's too bad, because this is a great event when all goes well, with teams from all over the US and Canada. As bad as I feel for our kids, I feel even more for the team from California that spent $20,000 to go to Wheeling and watch the rain fall.

Five, Baby

The Bayhawks keep rolling. They won the BCS Mid-Atlantic Regional in Salisbury, Maryland this past weekend for their fifth straight title.

Courtland Sullivan opened the weekend tossing a 2-hitter against the Delaware Stingers, allowing only one ball out of the infield. Ryan Welling homered in that game.

HUGE game on Sunday from Cameron DiGregorio, who had grand slam and a 3-run blast. Brian Owens knocked in four.

Title game against tough Cyclones team from New Jersey saw gritty pitching from Taylor Nelson and clutch hit from DJ Williams.

Next up - Beast of the East in Wheeling.

2008 Bayhawks - Front row, l-r, Robbie Tune, Taylor Nelson, DJ Williams, Brad Markey, Brian Owens, Jordan Kunkel, Cameron Lauf. Back row, l-r, Coach Dave Williams, Coach Terry Florey, Ryan Welling, Cameron DiGregorio, Courtland Sullivan, Zach Spahn, Mike Coarts, Justin Owens, Coach Wayne Capaletti, Coach Jeff Owens.