Another Tournament Title for the Mudcats!

Front row (l-r): Joe Toporek, Easton Edwards, Jason Caine, Kyle Genord, Elijah Forbush & Keagan Titmuss. Back row: Assistant Coach Pete Scribner, Jack Scribner, Tim Hayden, Austin Johnson, Brian Caine, Andrew Morningstar & Head Coach Joe Caine.

The 17u Michigan Mudcats of Grand Blanc won the championship of the FAAST Select Summer Classic this past weekend (July 15-16) at Concordia University in Ann Arbor. The Mudcats won two games in pool play on Saturday to clinch a berth in the tournament semifinals. There they defeated the Macomb Outlaws 8-4, followed by an 11-1 mercy-rule victory over the St. Clair Shores Mariners. Recent Grand Blanc High School graduate Jason Caine recorded the walk-off RBI in the championship game, which was played on his 18^th birthday.

Strong pitching throughout the tournament helped carry the Mudcats. Keegan Titmuss won two games (including the title game), allowing only one run in eight innings pitched, and Brian Caine pitched a seven inning complete game, allowing only two runs for another victory. Austin Johnson was the winning pitcher contributing 5 1/3 strong innings in the semifinal, and the Mudcat bullpen of Tim Hayden and Jack Scribner did not allow a run throughout the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Mudcats averaged over seven runs a game with their bats. Joe Toporek led the way, going 8 for 12 with 9 RBIs, while Andrew Morningstar, Elijah Forbush, Easton Edwards, Titmuss (6 RBIs) and Scribner (.714 OBP) all hit over .400 for the weekend, and Kyle Genord registered an on base percentage of .571. As a team, the Mudcats hit .385 with a .477 on base percentage in the tournament.

Birthday Boy and Elder Statesman Jason Caine Drives Home the Clinching Run

Mudcats Batting Statistics for the FAAST Select Summer Classic

Special thanks to Kim Eaton of Z10 Sports Photos for the pictures!