Whitefish 12U All-Star takes state title in Belgrade
Back row, left to right: coaches Jason Schwaiger, Bill Kunz and Brad Ridgeway. Middle row, left to right: Luke Frampton, Fynn Ridgeway, Ty Schwaiger, Michael Glass, Jacob Polumbus and Stevyn Andrachick. Front row, left to right: Clayton Godsey, Henok Johnston, Israel Garcia, Fisher Fair, Andrew Smith and Logan Kunz.
Whitefish’s 12U All-Star baseball team dominated on the field this season.
The team earned a 6-3 win over the North Valley All Stars in the State Championship game on Sunday, July 9, in Belgrade. The group of players added to their 11U State Championship from 2016 and 10U State Championship from 2015.
While records are not clear, coaches from around the state agree this is a rare accomplishment. The State Championship game victory was the 26th consecutive win for this team.
“It really has started to feel like all this team does is win,” said Head Coach Jason Schwaiger.
The team’s winning streak dates back to June 9. The team is 42-7 over the course of the spring and summer.
The hallmark of this team seems to be an undeniable firepower thanks to an offensive approach based on quality at bats and aggressive base running that has netted 522 runs in 49 games. While their run generation is noteworthy, they are not short on power with 76 home runs to their credit — an average of just over 1.5 home runs per game.
The group has averaged nearly five runs scored for every one run given up.
Manager Brad Ridgeway said the team’s success over the years is due to commitment.
“From everyone involved including parents, players, coaches, sponsors,” Ridgeway said.“We are truly a family, we sacrifice for the big picture and it is a special thing to be a part of, but we are not done. I could feel it after the game on Sunday, these boys have their eyes set on a bigger prize.”
That prize is the chance to compete at the Cal Ripken Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament for a birth in the Cal Ripken World Series in Branson, Missouri. Whitefish hosted the Regional Tournament at Smith Fields July 19-23.
The World Series takes place Aug. 3-10.