Maryland Monarchs win Amateur Baseball Federation World Series
Members of the Maryland Monarchs pose with injured teammate Rob Koski's jersey after winning the National Amateur Baseball Federation High School World Series on Sunday. (Submitted photo)
The Maryland Monarchs of the Eddie Brooks 19-and-Under Collegiate Wood Bat League took their sticks to Knoxville, Tenn., last weekend and won the National Amateur Baseball Federation High School World Series.
Comprised of 18 high school rising seniors and two rising juniors, the Monarchs went 6-0 in the single elimination event at the University of Tennessee, which concluded Sunday and featured 20 teams from across the country.
"I knew we could pitch and play defense," Monarchs coach Steve Miller said. "And we hit enough. We had timely hitting and we've had that all season."
The Maryland team beat Allen Baseball of Houston 6-0 in the championship game on Sunday.
But Miller couldn't say everything went smoothly.
In the Monarchs' opening game of the tournament, pitcher Rob Koski (Calvert Hall) hit an opposing batter from Jackson, Miss., with a pitch, and the batter rushed the mound.
Koski suffered a fractured C-5 vertebra in the ensuing scuffle. Miller said the pitcher is doing well, but is in a neck brace and will be sidelined about six weeks. Miller said Koski will be fully recovered long before the start of the high school baseball season.
"Rob was injured when he was tackled and fell to the ground," Miller said. "Alex Barkley (Spalding) was trying to get his thumb out of a kid's mouth, who was like a biting dog, when someone noticed him hitting back. And Jamal Clarke (Spalding) was seen doing something, I don't know what.
"They were all suspended for the rest of the tournament, and the guy who initiated the incident was thrown out too. It left us with a short bench."
The Maryland team played the rest of the four day tournament with a 12-man roster.
Monarch shortstop Sean Miller was named the tournament's most valuable player, and right fielder Tom Labriola (Huntingtown) was the batting champion (.470, going 8 of 17). They joined Austin Clark, Joe Benitez (Spalding), Matt Golczewski (Patterson Mill), Lee Lipinski (Calvert Hall), Derek Wells (Spalding) and Michael Labriola (Huntingtown) on the all-tournament team.
"It was good competition," Steve Miller said. "And it was fun playing with the wood bats. It brings a lot more guys into play. Playing with wood means there is more emphasis on fielding, arm strength and speed. . . .There's a premium on pitching, catching and middle infield defense, and defenders who can run. It means relying on kids who can do a variety of things besides hit three-run home runs."
Miller, a former varsity head coach at Archbishop Spalding, owns an indoor baseball facility in Bowie called Extra Innings, where former pros and college players work out and instruct young players who come for lessons. Miller also works part time as a scout for the Kansas City Royals.
