GREENWICH, Conn. — New England Regional baseball champions, the 12U Greenwich All Stars, are
gearing up to travel to Branson, Missouri this summer to compete in the Cal Ripken Majors/70 World Series, putting Greenwich back in the World Series for the first time since 2007. The winners-only tournament will run from August 5-13 at the iconic Ballparks of America facility and feature top teams from across the nation and around the globe.

The Greenwich All Stars represent our community with students from all three Greenwich public middle schools and two local private schools. The core of the 2022 team, playing together under Coach Jeff Mini for the second consecutive year include: Will Conte, Julian Dyson, Gavin Kirsch, Maddox Monterisi, Jake Natale, Jaxson Perez, Philip Tarantino, Cal Tompkins, Luke Wells and Liam Zeller and recent team addition Lachlan Hill.

The team will train intensely beginning this week through July to ensure they are ready to play their best baseball in August. Sessions will reinforce lessons learned last season while refining skills required for success. Every aspect of the game, pitching, hitting, fielding and base running, will have to be raised a notch to compete on the national stage.

Team updates will be posted on their team blog link: Greenwich 12U Cal Ripken All-Stars (wordpress.com). In addition to their on-field efforts, the boys and their families will host various fundraising efforts in 2022 to help offset the high costs that come with competing in the World Series and ask the community to consider supporting the team with a 100% tax deductible donation through the OGRCC.

“Greenwich played outstanding baseball in the New England Regionals in Dover (NH), winning all five of their games while outscoring their opponents 37-10” Coach Jeff Mini proudly recapped, “In the process, they captured the hearts of the local spectators with their slick fielding, timely hitting and spirited play.”

Facing the best teams in New England, they kicked things off with 13-1 and 5-2 victories over two teams from Massachusetts. Up next was a match against pre-tournament favorite and defending Regional Champions, the Manchester (NH) All Stars. The Manchester team had played together for 4 years, losing only 5 games over that period, but Greenwich was more than up to the task, securing an 8-3 victory in the final pool play game & winning again, 8-1, in the Regional semi-finals. In the championship game, Greenwich overcame an early 3-0 deficit to Fairhaven / Acushnet (MA) by scoring runs in each of the 3rd & 4th innings to narrow the gap to 3-2, then plating two in the bottom of the 6th to walk off with an exciting and dramatic 4-3 victory & the championship.

That picture perfect win punched their ticket to the Cal Ripken Majors/70 World Series.

“The team is thrilled to be heading to Branson, MO this August to compete for a National Championship,” Coach Mini said. “The competition promises to be high but our boys will be prepared.”

This experience is a dream come true for the team who will be representing our town at the highest level of the nationally organized Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth baseball program. Win or lose – they promise to give their all in Branson and make Greenwich, the state of Connecticut and the New England Region proud.

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