“2021 was a great season, and taking a trip to Myrtle Beach was the best possible way to cap it off. We grew as a team throughout this season,” shared 15u coach Mike Carter. “We had our ups and downs that come with baseball, but player development was noticeable and we played really good baseball most of the season.”
To wrap up the 2021 season, Coach Carter and the parents picked a beach destination for the year’s final tournament. On July 20th, the team traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the 2021 Triple Crown Sports Summer Nationals, a premier summer event that typically draws teams from more than 25 states and internationally. Games are played on a state-of-the-art turf facility at Grand Park, as well as natural grass facilities and local high schools.
“The parents on this team are top-notch and encouraged each player to do their best,” continued Coach Carter. “I couldn’t ask for a different team of players and parents. Planning a 5-day trip to South Carolina can be stressful. This group made it easy and an absolute joy.”
The Summer Nationals is a national-level tournament with highly competitive baseball teams. The 15u Carter team played against teams from Illinois, New York, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. 15u Carter was solid in all aspects of the game, finishing with 7 wins and no losses. Over the course of the tournament, the team scored 58 runs while allowing only 21.
“Every single player contributed in one aspect or another. Overall, our pitching was really good. Each starter went into the 5th inning, and we even had a couple of complete games, including a 2-0 shut-out bracket-game victory against Diamon Elite (VA). That helped us play 7 games and still have good arms left,” Carter said.
Triple Crown wrote a great article that shares details about the championship game against Diamond Elite, including mentioning individual performances by Copper Hudson and Collin Dobson. Collin would go on to be named tournament MVP. After starting the championship game down 2-0, 15u Carter took advantage of an eight-run third inning to pull away for a 9-5 victory. Be sure to check it out!
Because this was a year-end tournament trip, the team also took time to enjoy Myrtle Beach. The host resort featured 4 different swimming pools and was within walking distance of the Myrtle Beach pier, giving the families plenty of fun activities outside of baseball.
“Coming home undefeated champions is the best possible way to wrap up an already great 2021 season. I’m ready for a break but also can’t wait to start the 2022 season. This has been a lifetime memorable experience,” said Coach Carter.
