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By RAY WILDE
Sports correspondent
BELLEFONTE -The Pennsylvania Babe Ruth 15-16-year-old tournament will be one of the strongest in the country.
Three of the toughest leagues in the state will vie for the top spot. The Altoona 15-year-olds have been to two World Series. Last year as 14-year-olds, Altoona finished in the national final four with a third-place finish.
Williamsport West End in 2022 as 13-year-olds also went to a World Series. West End won the first ever 15-16-year-old state title last summer and then came to the Armagh Memorial Field and also won the Mid-Atlantic Regionals and went to a World Series in Missouri.
And Broomall-Newtown is the defending state champion at the 14-year-old level.
As for Mifflin County the 15-year-olds have had two Pennsylvania final four finishes. As 13-year-olds in Kennett Square, Mifflin County was third and last year as 14-year-olds, Mifflin County was state runner-up to Broomall-Newtown in Bellefonte. The highlight of the tournament for Mifflin County was beating Altoona twice.
As for the Mifflin County 16-year-olds they too have had two final four finishes in the state tournament. As 13-year-olds (2022) in Altoona, they were third and the next year (2023) in Williamsport they also were third.
Last year when the two age groups combined, Mifflin County won only one game in the state tournament in Williamsport. But, they had a second chance to redeem themselves in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in Milroy and finished in a tie for third thanks to the pitching and hitting of
Thad Gerwick.
The manager of the team is Reedsville's Travis Parkes. Parkes has a two-year record of 15-23. Last summer Parkes was an assistant coach on the 15-16-year-old team that finished in the final four of the 15-16-year tourney in the Mid-Atlantic.
The Pennsylvania tournament this summer will be held in Bellefonte.
Teams in the tournament are Broomall-Newtown, West End, Pine Forge, Altoona and Drexel Hill along with Mifflin County. Mifflin County has only played in Bellefonte one time, last summer in the 14-year-old state tournament and has a 3-1 record.
Mifflin County opens play on Saturday, July 5, at 11 a.m. against Altoona. Then on Sunday, July 6, Mifflin County plays Pine Forge also at 11 a.m. From pool play will come a final four that will be played on Monday, July 7.
League champion McVeytown had four players named to the team, Bo Benny, Cullen Busch, Carson Cherry and Jake Knable. Milroy placed three players on the All-Star squad, Jaren Kenny, Thad Gerwick and Karl Shirey.
Reedsville also had three players on the team, Cam Kauffman, Wyatt Parkes and Jude Zook. Belleville had two players named to the team, Jaden King and Landon Rhodes. Rounding out the Mifflin County All-Stars are Liam Shaffer of Burnham and Luke Shawver from Belltown.
Cherry, Gerwick, Shirey and Parkes are four-time All-Stars and only seven players have accomplished that feat. Three-time All-Stars include Benny, Kenny, Shaffer, Shawver and Zook.
First-time All-Stars are Busch, Knable and King.
Helping Parkes will be Travis Zook from Reedsville and McVeytown's Dave Cherry and Dustin Benny.