Baker Little League Junior All-Stars advance to state after dominating Division 3 tournament
By Joe Hathaway on Wednesday, June 26th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — The Baker Little League Junior All-Stars are gearing up for the state tournament in Madras after an impressive victory over Wallowa in the Division 3 tournament.
Head Coach Brandon Reid attributes his team’s success this past weekend to a steady offense and strong pitching.
“We have a solid team this year,” Reid said. “We were pretty relentless on the scoring. We scored a lot of runs, which was a key to our success this weekend.”
The team played four games in the tournament, winning all of them to clinch the championship. Their offensive prowess was evident as they scored a total of 52 runs, outscoring their opponents by 32 runs.
“We were hot on the bats,” said Reid. “Pitching and defense also played crucial roles.”
The Bulldogs now head to the state tournament in Madras this week The state tournament features six teams and follows a double-elimination format, culminating in a winner-takes-all championship game on Sunday, June 30.
Reid is optimistic about his team’s chances. “I think they feel good. They’re confident. We’ve rested most of our pitchers,” he said.
The team consists of 13 and 14-year-old players, primarily in the 7th and 8th grades. If they win the state tournament, they will advance to the West Coast Regional, which is being held in Bend this year, with the potential to move on to the Little League World Series for juniors.
Before heading out to Madras, Coach Reid expressed his gratitude for the community’s support.
“I want to thank everybody for the huge support, going through districts and all the donations that were given to help us make it to where we are and then hopefully go and perform well at the state tournament,” he said.
