Houston, Texas, July 22, 2017 (Newswire.com) - 109 runs scored, two tournament MVPs, and two championship titles. Those numbers summarize hard-fought and well-earned championship victories for Hustle 11U Premier and 8U in June and July, respectively, proving how Hustle Baseball is among the best youth baseball clubs in the Houston area and surrounding region.
After losing their first game, Hustle 8U ignited an eight game hot streak on their way to capturing the crown, including a signature win against Diamondbacks Black, the third best team in Texas.
"Each and every player has grown tremendously. I will never forget this moment, y'all."
Nolan Davis, 8U Head Coach
Two 8U players received recognition for their on-field prowess. Alex Hernández and Hunter Shanks earned top honors for Tournament MVP and Offensive Tournament MVP, respectively. As a result of their dominating overall performance, Hustle 8U finished in the top three in average runs scored (9.1) and a tournament best average runs allowed (3.6).
The team batted an average of .402 with special mention to Chris Gonzalez (nine hits and seven RBIs), Daaniyal Badar, and Gabe Rahimi’s (nine hits and five RBIs each). Mekhi Madkins and Blake Jones both came in clutch for the later games, hitting 7 RBIs over the course of the tournament.
Badar, a 6U player playing for an 8U team, along with Gonzalez and Alex Hernandez led the defense with the highest putouts on the team, while Rahimi, Sammy Lara, Liam Madkins, and Mekhi Madkins provided spectacular defensive play in the outfield. Caden Thomas, the team’s stud first baseman, showcased his top-notch base running skills by accumulating 10 runs over the weekend.
8U Head Coach Nolan Davis said this is the perfect ending for a team that has grown so much this year.
“We started this five months ago as a select team, moved to Elite, and played this World Series tournament like a Premier team,” he said. “Each and every player has grown tremendously. I will never forget this moment, y’all.”
The tournament caps an outstanding season for 8U, who finished with an overall record of 16-12. Offensive and defensive statistics are particularly revealing. During the season, Hustle 8U averaged seven runs per game, totaling 202 runs scored and an average of six runs allowed each game.
In addition to the USSSA World Series crown, 8U completed the season with two other major victories, including Easter Sunday One Day Shootout Champions and HSBT Spring Sling Champions.
Over in Marietta, Georgia, Hustle 11U Premier aimed to back up their 2016 World Series Championship win and strengthen their argument for being the best 11U baseball club in the country. Five games, 47 runs, and several weather delays later, Hustle 11U found themselves once again victorious, going undefeated during series play.
Hustle 11U allowed an average three runs per game while scoring a hefty nine per game, establishing themselves as an offensive juggernaut, with six of 10 position players batting .400 and for the series and .414 team batting average. Jayden Martinez’s .727 batting average and Payton Young’s nine RBIs led the team’s offensive production.
The domination also extended to the mound. After pitching only four innings between them, the team’s starting rotation took a seat to relax, swing the bats and play stellar defense while relievers finished off each win in convincing fashion.
Hustle 11U finished the stellar 2017 season with typical Hustle excellence, as they went 56-14-1 and accumulated 559 runs while only allowing an average of three per game. Charles Broussard, 8U Athletic Director and 11U Coach, sums up both teams’ wins as a rousing success, in line with what he imagined at the start.
All together, 11U racked up five significant championships, including South Texas Fall Super NIT Champions, Double Header Sunday Fall League Champions, Global World Series Qualifier Winners. Travel Ball Select World Series Champions, and WILL Battle at the Beach Champions.
“This experience is what I had envisioned for these teams when we started,” Broussard said. “This is what I wanted for our boys, and I hope (parents) don’t mind me saying that they are ours. I thank you parents for sharing your sons with me.”
The Hustle baseball program stems from ZT Wealth's Chairman and CEO Taseer Badar’s dream of developing young talent as part of a stronger future. Badar, whose son Daaniyal plays for the 8U squad, sees the teams as a natural extension of ZT Wealth and Altus Foundation values and community mission.
“One opportunity, one shot at it, and the boys rode the wave of emotion,” he said. “Failure was not an option for our boys and their parents.”
Source: Hustle Premier Baseball
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