The Wilmington Youth Select Baseball 9u team, from left to right, front row, Owen Smith, Briar Frommling, Conner Hoak, Xander Smith, Jasper Macik, Boone Brooks; back row, Weston Earley, Brantley Guzzi, Brentley Shupert, Zaden Mellott, Casen Mellott, Sawyer Fliehman. Team members and coaches were Mason Roderer, coach Austin Smith, assistant coach Ryan Frommling, assistant coach Anthony Guzzi.
Submitted Photo
The Wilmington Youth Select Baseball 10u team, from left to right, front row, Raylan Sexton, Kamden Garrison, Wyatt Brooks. Parker O’Reilly, Carter Jones, Logan Morrison, Colton Estep; middle row, Knox Shidaker, Ian Hoium, Adrial Martin, Anakin Trevino; back row, coach Kevin Trevino, assistant coach Joe Trevino, assistant coach Zach Morrison. Team member Aidan Shaw was not present for the photo.
Submitted Photo
The Wilmington Youth Select Baseball 11u team, from left to right, front row, Zane Harris, Sawyer Camp, Blaine Cosler, Tyler Morrow, Easton Roe, Andrew Middleton; middle row, Brantley Hartley, Foster Birt, Brintley Rayson, Dalton Earley, Peter Sodini, Isaac West, Jeffrey Hoak; back row, assistant coach Jared Middleton and coach Bill Hall.
Submitted Photo
The Wilmington Youth Select Baseball Organization completed its 2024 season. The organization consists of teams in 9u, 10u and 11u competitions.
“We take a moment and reflect on our 11, 10 and 9U teams of 2024, while also planning ahead and working toward the continued growth of our organization,” WYSB said in a press release. “Our long-term goal is to become a resource within Wilmington and the surrounding Clinton County area for all kids interested in playing baseball at a higher level prior to reaching high school. So we’re excited to announce that we will be adding a fourth team for the 2025 season. In 2025 we are planning to represent youth select baseball in the Wilmington, Clinton County area at 9, 10, 11 and 12 U levels.”
Tryouts for these teams will be held July 14 at Wilmington’s Holmes Elementary School. Interested players should bring cleats and a glove. Players should register prior to the tryouts using the online form on the organization’s Facebook page. Registration forms also will be available at tryouts if needed.
There is no cost to tryout but “we ask that kids come in proper baseball attire (cleats, baseball, pants, glove, any numbered jersey if available) ready to run, field, hit, throw, and slide as you would in a baseball game,” the press release stated.
Tryout times are 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for 9u players; 12:30 to 2 p.m. for 10u players; 2 to 3:30 p.m. for 11u players; and 3:30 to 5 p.m. for 12u players.
The Wilmington Youth Baseball Organization started in 2023 with just a 10u team put together by Bill Hall, who initially planned to have tryouts and retain 12 players. He ended up having just enough tryout and not making any cuts, the release stated.
It wasn’t a season full of success and triumph but rather a lot of learning pains and defeats as it was the first time any of those players had played anything above rec baseball. It was also trying for Bill as he questioned if he had made the right decision taking this group of kids to such a challenging level, according to the release.
Moving ahead to 2024, two teams were planned — 9u and 11u. The number of players who showed up wanting to tryout and join the organization highlighted the need for a 10u team. Hall continued coaching the 11u team. As planned Austin Smith developed and led the 9u effort. Kevin Trevino, who had a son on the 10u team in 2023, became the 10u coach for the 2024 season as his son was younger and eligible to play at that level a second season.
The 11u team, which won one game in 2023, finished 8-10 in 2024. The team had just 12 kids show up a season prior had more than 20 kids come out in hopes of making the team for the 2024 season.
“It’s encouraging to see this many kids show up and want to be a part of something we’re building,” the WYSB press release said. “Any time you can have those types of numbers it creates competition within the organization. That internal competition can be a great motivator to push kids to be the best forms of themselves.”
Hall highlighted Dalton Earley as the top pitcher of 2024. He won six games on the mound for the 11u Hurricane. The offense was powered by Andrew Middleton, Brintley Rayson, Dalton Earley, Isaac West, Jeffrey Hoak and Peter Sodini.
The 10u team got a late start to its season as it wasn’t identified as a need until tryouts took place for the 11u team. Similar to the 10u team of 2023, this team experienced many growing pains and finished 1-17. Coach Trevino said growth wasn’t reflected only by wins but by individual improvement, including Parker O’Reilly’s prowess in centerfield, Colton Estep finding a home at shortstop, Kamden Garrison improving and becoming the primary first baseman while emerging as their ace pitcher, Anakin Trevino becoming a trusty utility player and Ian Hoium developing as a solid third baseman.
The 9u team was a blend of East Clinton and Wilmington athletes. Things started slow but picked up as the team finished 11-6 and in fourth place. Coach Smith said coach Ryan Frommling was great at pushing the kids physically to their peaks while Smith spent more time focusing on the mental side of the game.
“Our success really came from a team effort,” the release said. “We were able to send seven different pitchers to the mound over the course of the season to get experience and every single kid on our roster recorded a hit.”
The Wilmington Youth Select Baseball organization was sponsored by Dig-it Tree Company, Thompson Construction, Groves Tire & Service, Agro Chem, Everyday Chic Boutique, Skyline Chili, Ames Dentistry, Peoples Bank, Fisher Mechanical & Material Handling and Dairy Queen on Rombach Avenue.
“The help of these community partners allowed us to supply all the materials needed to our teams,” according to the release. “There is a large expense involved just to field a baseball team and their support made it possible for three teams.”
