Eight teams have now won their way to the quarterfinal round of the 16U National Team Championships in Arizona. With lots of exciting action in the Round of 16 at Surprise and Peoria, Arizona, let’s go through all the highlights.
Click here to view scores, schedule updates, and more from throughout bracket play and click here to view scores from each and every game of the tournament.
Surprise, Arizona
Stacked National pulled off an impressive win over Trosky/Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team to start the late morning’s slate of baseball in Surprise. Trosky had trounced opponents in pool play and even put on multiple shutouts. However, Stacked gave Trosky a taste of its own medicine, shutting out and no-hitting its opponents in a stunning, 4-0 victory at the Texas Rangers’ spring training complex.
Next to Stacked and Trosky, Ghost National and the Long Beach Bears were locked in a back-and-forth battle in the Round of 16. The Bears struck first, plating three in the second, but Ghost National had a four-run response just a half-inning later. The two sides proceeded to trade runs until Ghost got the last laugh in the top of the seventh, scoring two go-ahead runs for a 7-5 victory.
CCB Prime also pulled off a come-from-behind win, beating Texas Twelve Red Sox 3-2 after a close game at the Kansas City Royals’ spring training facilities. Texas drew first blood in the second, and the two teams traded blows until — like the Bears — CCB struck with the deciding two runs in the top of the seventh. Warding off Texas for just another half inning, CCB Prime’s comeback win earned it a spot in the quarters.
The last game in Surprise featured GBG Vegas’ big win over 5 Star Mafia West. GBG put on a dominant offensive effort, scoring a run in each and every of its six innings against 5 Star. While the Mafia scored runs late, GBG’s lead was too much to overcome, earning it a spot in the next round with its 10-4 Round of 16 win.
Peoria, Arizona
Prime Red started things in Peoria at the Seattle Mariners’ spring training facility by romping Next Level Baseball in the Round of 16. Prime Red started out with a 2-0 deficit, but plated five each in the first and second innings, eventually run-ruling Next Level Baseball to advance to the quarterfinals.
Baum Bat NW also scored double-digit runs in its lopsided win over Team Cal Warriors. Like Prime, Baum faced a small deficit, but thanks to its seven-run fifth frame, Baum Bat NW slugged its way to a quarterfinal berth in its 10-3 win at the Mariners’ quad. Additionally, seven players recorded RBIs in Baum’s round of 16 win.
The Scottsdale Dirtbags continued Peoria’s streak of blowouts with a dominant, 10-0 shutout over TB SoCal Evoshield. Offensively, the Dirtbags put up runs early and often, plating two in the first and seven in the second while tacking on one more run for good measure in the third. Thanks to some expert pitching, Scottsdale only allowed two hits as its offense worked and quickly run-ruled TB SoCal in just four innings of action at the San Diego Padres’ spring training facilities.
FS21 Stars finished Peoria’s group of Round of 16 with yet another lopsided result. The Stars trounced Canes West 8-2 after six innings. Like other teams in the group, FS21 found itself down early, but the Stars scored three in the fourth and four in the sixth and final inning to end Canes West’s hopes of advancing in the bracket to the quarterfinals.
