The Gilroy Xtreme baseball team is off to hot, dry Arkansas this
week to compete in the Super Series Baseball of America
Tournament.
The Gilroy Xtreme baseball team is off to hot, dry Arkansas this week to compete in the Super Series Baseball of America Tournament.
The 11 and under ballplayers earned their bid to Nationals on April 27 when they won the Super Series Tournament in Fremont.
“We set a goal to win it (the tournament) so we could go to Arkansas,” 11-year old Taylor Chris said. “I’m really excited. It’s going to be fun.”
The Arkansas tournament is set to take place July 25-Aug. 1. The Extreme will be up against the top 64 teams from all the United States.
Gilroy will be at a bit of a disadvantage because they will be going into the tournament with only 10 players.
Head coach Warren Gaspar isn’t concerned because his players are going well rested.
The team has set a goal for the weekend tournament. They want to come back champions and add one more trophy to their already full collection.
“Our goal is to bring some iron back and to finish at least in the top four,” Araiza Jr. said. “We feel we can do it. We know what we can do. We know our potential.”
To prepare for the tournament, the team has worked extra hard. At the Silicon Valley Tournament on July 12, which they took second place in, the team rotated every position.
Coaches wanted the players to be able to play any position at any time. During their two practices this week, the players did extra drills and ran extra laps.
With a strong pitching staff and good defense, Gaspar feels confident that his team can bring back a championship.
“Everybody’s got a shot. It’s just a matter of whose going to execute the best,” Gaspar said. ” I think we’ve got a good chance. I just tell them to play good baseball and most of all, to have fun.”
