(Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of stories about the Babe Ruth state champions that the Mifflin County Babe Ruth League has produced.)
The 2000s was the best decade that the Mifflin County Babe Ruth League has ever had with 10 state champions. Here's a look back:
2002
The 2002 state tournament was held in Gettysburg. Mifflin County lost the first game in the state tournament to Gettysburg, 6-2 then came back and won seven in a row.
The streak began with a victory over South Wayne County, 5-2. Next came wins over Franklin Township, 17-5, West End of Williamsport, 6-1 and Broomall-Newtown, 3-2.
After the Broomall win there were only three teams left. In the next three games, Mifflin County only gave up one run. Nate Burkey shutout Drexel Hill, 8-0, and Matt Wright followed with a 3-1 win over Gettysburg. It was Gettysburg's first loss of the tournament.
The Broomall game was played on a Friday night. It rained on Saturday and then Mifflin County came back on Sunday in the doubleheader and put the team into the final game against Gettysburg. Burkey came back on just 24 hours rest and pitched a shutout, 5-0, to win the state title.
Mifflin County then went on to win the Mid-Atlantic Regionals in four-straight games all in extra innings. At the World Series, Mifflin County finished in a tie for fifth in the country. Scott Reigle was the manager.
2003
If you thought 2002 was big, wait until you read what happened in 2003. All three All-Star teams won a state title, with all three championship games being played in the Philadelphia area. The 13-year-old and the 15-year-old finals were played on a Sunday.
The 13-year-old state tournament was in Wrightstown (Bucks County) with Mifflin County playing the host team, Tri-Township, for the state title. It looked as if Mifflin County had the game won in the bottom of the seventh as Steve Foose had won the game with a two run double. But an umpire's ruling kept the score at 7-7. Zach Williams kept the inning going with a walk and then Tyler Umbenhour won the game with a base hit. The manager of the team was Bill Corbin.
On the other side of Philadelphia the 15-year-old state tournament was being played at Broomall. To win the state title, Mifflin County had to beat Drexel Hill twice. In the first game, Ben Yoder tossed a four-hitter as Mifflin County won, 7-3.
Mifflin County had to go extra-innings to win the title. Ben Allen came in relief in the third inning to help Mifflin County pull off the win. Greg Barber led off the eighth with a walk and Yoder and Allen each had singles. Then Chad Snook delivered a base hit to win the state championship. Bernie Howard was the manager..
A week later, the 14-year-olds tried to make it a clean sweep. The state tournament was in Phoenixville. Mifflin County won a big game in the semi-finals as it beat Levittown, the defending national champion, 8-3. Chris Tressler was the star on-the-mound. Matt Mazzoni and Kevin Ryan each had two hits.
In the championship game against State College, Ed Deans got the start and went six strong innings. Kyle Heane came in and got the save with a 1-2-3 inning. Mifflin County won 7-5. Matt Gregg and Josh Yoder each had two hits. The 14-year-olds, under the direction of Fred Zook, had a great run in the regionals finishing second.
Since 1998 when Babe Ruth went to three age groups, it was the only time a league has swept all three state titles in one year.
2004
The Mifflin County 13-year-olds, playing at home at the Armagh Memorial Field, went 5-0 with wins in the state tournament over Wayne County North, Perry-Juniata, Tri-Township and State College two times.
In the state finals, Mifflin County beat State College, 5-2. Nate Saltzer was the star on the mound in the championship game and Casey Zimmerman had an inside the park home run.
Mifflin County had an outstanding run in the regional losing in the finals to the host team, Hamilton, N.J. Bernie Howard, the manager, won his second straight state championship.
2005
It was much the same for the Mifflin County 14-year-olds in 2005. Howard was again the manager and the state tournament was again in Milroy.
Saltzer was again the winning pitcher and he became the first pitcher to win two state titles on the mound. Mifflin County won five games in a row as it beat Whitpain, 4-1; Brookhaven, 9-5; and then ran off three straight shutouts, Hazleton, 11-0; Pennsbury, 8-0 and State College, 3-0, for the state title. In the state finals, the game ended when State College tried to steal third and Nick Eversole, the Mifflin County catcher, threw the runner out at third.
Saltzer headed a pitching staff that featured Ryan Keefer and Brian Billett. Mifflin County got great offensive production from Hunter Thompson, Jesse Yoder, Brody Blessing and Casey Zimmerman.
It marked the third straight state title under the direction of Howard, which is still a Mifflin County record.
2007
Twenty years ago, 1987, Bill Corbin and Fred Zook managed their teams to state championships. In 2007 the two managers did it again.
The 15-year-olds were home. Mifflin County opened the tournament with a 10-4 win over Wayne County. Colton Spade had a four hit performance against State College in a 13-1 win. Next up was Franklin Township and Chris Baker tossed a three-hitter in a 4-1 victory. Mifflin County remained undefeated in pool play with an 11-8 win over Gettysburg. Kody Stein had three hits for Mifflin County.
That put MIfflin County into the final four. Connor Muir shut down Drexel Hill, 2-0 before Mother Nature stepped in. The favorite going into the state tournament was Middletown Township (Bucks County).
But Franklin Township (Leighton) upset Middletown in a storm.
In the state finals, it was all Nolan Schaaf, the Mifflin County pitcher,as he tossed a two-hitter and struck out 12. Mifflin County won 5-2 as Stein had three hits and Schaaf and Jake Schaffer each had two.
Meanwhile in Williamsport, the 13-year-olds were in a battle with Broomall-Newtown for the state title.
Broomall led 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs and no one on base. Jeremy Koller started the winning rally as he got on first by an error. Alex Hughes walked and Josh Rosefsky was sent into pinch run. Tyson Searer singled home the first run and then Zane McNitt hit a two run triple. MItch Welham drew a walk and then his twin brother Cole knocked in the fourth run with a base hit.
Searer worked the sixth and seventh and picked up the win on the mound.
2008
For two years, the Mifflin County 13 and 14-year-olds finished second in the state. The state tournament was held in State College and this time MifflinCounty made sure the title was going back to MC.
The opponent in the state finals was West End of Williamsport. In the championship game, Mifflin County pounded out 14 hits in an 11-3 win. Ben Wilt and Cameron Rhoades each hit a home run.
The winning pitcher was Cody Heane. Heane is the all-time winningest pitcher with13 wins in All-Stars and he also leads in strikeouts with 123.
Mifflin County won two key games during the state tournament. MC beat Broomall-Newtown, 1-0, on a two hitter from AJ Scheffel and Heane. The winning run came home when Nate Walters was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Mifflin County also beat the host team, State College, 4-2. State College was one of the pre-tournament favorites. Scott Reigle was the manager.
2009
It took eight innings for Mifflin County to win its 19th state title. Mifflin County was home and in the state finals was one of its long time nemesis, Broomall-Newtown.
Mifflin County had to go eight innings to win the title. Down, 5-4, Mifflin County had to score three times in the top of the eighth to win, 7-5.
Josh Rosefsky opened the rally with a double. Ted Wilson got the first run home on a fielder's choice. Wilson later scored on a fielder's choice and had to use every inch of dirt around home plate to get on the scoreboard. Cole Welham singled and later scored on a perfect bunt from Levi North.
Travis Fisher closed out the win with one inning of relief. The team won 14 games in a row, which still is a Mifflin County record. Its only loss, a heartbreaker, came in the Mid-Atlantic Regional final. The manager was Butch Bender.