New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon congratulated members of the Piedmont Baseball League 12-and-under team for advancing to the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Md. during their Thursday evening practice on the grounds of Piedmont in Hockessin.
The Piedmont Bulls earned the prestigious trip to by winning the Middle Atlantic Regional Tournament held in Wilton, N.Y.
County Executive Gordon told the Piedmont ballplayers that he was proud of the way they had represented New Castle County, Delaware thus far, and he wished them luck in the Cal Ripken World Series, scheduled to begin Friday night.
Gordon, with his Phillies cap on, asked the players how they felt about winning the Middle Atlantic Regional Tournament, where Piedmont went a perfect 6-0.
“It felt great,” first baseman Sean Regan said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we worked so hard. Now, we get to go to the Cal Ripken World Series, where they treat you like an MLB player.”
“It’s exciting to see something you’ve worked so hard for pay off,” catcher Marshall Autry said.
“It was one of the biggest accomplishments in my life,” pitcher/shortstop Brian Gilardi said.
Gordon asked who the Piedmont Bulls would play next. The ballplayers said they would play the Hickory Hornets at 8 p.m. Friday, under the lights.
“We’re going to be cheering for you here in Delaware,” Gordon said.
For more information about Piedmont, please visit http://www.piedmontbaseball.com.
The Piedmont Baseball 12-and-under Team Roster:
Jack Hansen
Seth Bialecki
Shane Lougheed
Jimmy Paoli
Brian Gilardi
Marshall Awtry
Max Gioffre
Reece Bolton
Zach McCloskey
Sean Regan
Michael Dellose
Brendan Balthis
Ryan DuPlessis
Manager: Chris Lougheed
Coaches: Chan Hansen, John Bialecki, George Gioffre