The 2022 12U Rochester Rays team won the Cooperstown tournament last year, and the 2023 12U Rochester Rays came back to finish the job once more.
By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Rochester Post | Published September 20, 2023
ROCHESTER HILLS — Congratulations are in order for the 12U Rochester Rays travel baseball team for the second year in a row.
After the 12U team went into Cooperstown, New York, in 2022 and brought home a first-place championship trophy at the Cooperstown All-Star Village Baseball Tournament, this year’s squad showcased new names and faces, but held the same goal in mind.
On July 26, the Rays doubled down on their championship aspirations with a 13-8 win in the championship game.
“It was pretty incredible,” Rays coach Troy Bergman said. “You know, we’re just a local community team. You go to that tournament, and you’re playing teams from all over the country, so it’s cool to see that we can compete there and, obviously, more than just compete.”
Going 11-0 in the tournament and besting teams from California, Texas, Iowa, Florida and Michigan, the Rays tallied their fifth tournament championship this year, improving their overall record on the season to 49-10.
What’s a championship without a little adversity? The Rays faced plenty of it when they went down 8-0 in the semifinals.
Scoring nine unanswered runs, the Rays would advance to the championship game before reclaiming their spot at top.
The majority of the squad has stuck together since their 7-year-old playing days, and Bergman credits their chemistry for the team’s success in the tournament.
“The kids really got along well and pulled for each other and supported each other through the ups and downs of the season,” Bergman said. “I would then say each boy took an extra step in their development. Every single kid on the roster had an impact and helped us to win a game during that 11-0 stretch. It wasn’t the same kid every game that was stepping up.”
A rite of passage for visiting Cooperstown, the team also visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum during the tournament.
Rochester Rays players and their hometowns include: Evan Blanchard (Oakland), Bobby Culver (Rochester), Jackson McKay (Rochester), Max Ricketts (Rochester), Chase Terhlen (Lapeer), Easton Ross (Shelby Township), Jackson Bergman (Rochester Hills), Andrew Geottes (Oakland), Wally Rice (Oakland), Lucas Budrick (Oakland), and Cullen Adams (Troy).