12 Year-Olds on Rawlings Tigers Baseball Team Break Records in Las Vegas
Wonder what champions look like? Take a look at the 12u Rawlings Tigers of Las Vegas. This past weekend, they went 6-0 and beat the 12u LV Rebels in the championship game of the MLK USSSA Dreams Classic Tournament (Pictured: Rawlings Tigers Las Vegas 12u Team).
Rawlings Tigers 12u Las Vegas Travel Ball Team with Coaches Kody Gorden and Kaz Smith
The Rawlings Tigers is a national organization founded by Aaron Jaworowski, which originated in the St. Louis area in the fall of 2010. Heading into 2020, Rawlings Tigers are positioned as a premier baseball club in the United States. The program has grown to 150+ teams in over 24 states and 36 cities with Las Vegas being one of their newest additions.
Dane Keener, Eddie Peterson, Hudson Inouye, Stone Amsden, Cash Pignatello, Chase Wilk with coaches Kody Gorden and Kaz Smith
Rawlings Tigers 12u team had an incredible record-breaking weekend consisting of 20 home runs, 73 hits, and 65 RBI in only six games. It was an incredible team effort and six of those kids contributed to those 20 home runs.
Rawlings Tigers Las Vegas 12u Power Hitter Dane Keener
Dane Keener was a superstar player during the tournament, going 13 for 14 at the plate, with 11 home runs bringing in 22 RBI, breaking both a team and personal record. Dane also took the win on the mound for Rawlings Tigers 12u, surrendering six runs on nine hits over six innings, striking out three and walking zero.
Rawlings Tigers Las Vegas 12u Team supporting Dane Keener after Hitting Homerun
Chase Wilk slammed 3 home runs throughout the tournament- one of them being a long ball in the fourth inning of the championship game. With runners on first and third, Wilk made the game-saving snag, doubling-up the runner at first to end the championship game.
Rawlings Tigers Las Vegas 12u Power Hitter Chase Wilk
Cash Pignatello and Eddie Peterson both came up big with 2 home runs each, breaking their own personal best records. Stone Amsden went deep with a home run as well, and Hudson Inouye also pulled through with an inside-the-park home run, hitting it to the fence and displaying his speed. The remainder of the team (Beckham Butler, Noah Knudson, JoJo Rouvas, and Luke Stringer) came through both offensively and defensively to help create a team synergy that had the Tigers going 6-0 for the weekend. Missing from the roster was Rookie Shepard and Luke Leonard.
Regional Director, Kody Gorden, heads the Las Vegas Rawlings Tigers organization and also coaches the 12u Rawlings Tigers with coach Kaz Smith. These outstanding coaches both have incredible knowledge of the game that they effortlessly pass off to the kids they train. Coach Kody Gorden played as a 1st team all-scenic west pitcher at Western Nevada, and helped University of Nevada (Reno) advance to the 2012 WAC championship. Afterwards, Gorden went on to play professionally in the Frontier and Pecos baseball leagues. Coach Kaz Smith played baseball with Bryce Harper at College of Southern Nevada, ultimately making it to the Jr. College World Series 2010. Kaz finished his career professionally with the Roadrunners in the United League Baseball. These two baseball veterans are passionate about high performance instruction, and value the traits of teamwork, discipline, integrity, sportsmanship, and honesty. Their dedication to the players is apparent through the team’s accomplishments as well as the success of the organization.
Rawlings Tigers Baseball Organization
The Rawlings Tigers Organization goes back at it this weekend at yet another tournament in Las Vegas. It will be exciting to see if these same young athletes can hit the ball out of the park once again!
Go Tigers Go!