Cougars' Tyler Arista wins Cooperstown Home Run Derby

For many of its twenty-four years a twelve and under (12U) Cougars Baseball Club team has made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown New York to play at the famous Cooperstown Dreams Park. Each summer the Dreams Park holds weekly tournaments for over a hundred elite travel teams from across America and Canada. Opening day at the Cooperstown Dreams Park is highlighted by the pageantry of an opening ceremony, and more importantly, baseball skills competitions such as Around the Horn Plus, The Golden Arm, Roadrunner, and the coveted King of Swat. As it name implies, the King of Swat competition is named in honor of Yankees #3 Babe Ruth, and it is a home run hitting competition.

During the 2015 Week 3 tournament, which began on June 20, 2015, a Cougar ball player by the name of Tyler Arista won the King of Swat Home Run Derby Competition. The derby began with 104 boys in the competition, any boy hitting two home runs was qualified to move to the finals. In the finals group, Tyler qualified 10th out of a field of 12 boys. The home run count stood at six when Tyler came to the plate. Tyler opened his finals hitting four dingers in a row; a few fell short; and he followed up with three shots in a row to take the crown. The walls at Cooperstown Dreams Park at two hundred feet all around; however, each of Tyler’s seven home runs traveled two hundred and fifty feet through the New York state sky.

You can get your chance to compete like Tyler Arista in Cooperstown Dreams Park too. Tryouts for 2016 Cougars Baseball Club teams will be held on August 1st, 2015 at Plunkett Park in Elmhurst. Make the 12U team and you are guaranteed a trip to Cooperstown with the Cougars grandfather certificate to Cooperstown Dreams Park. Visit www.CougarsBaseballSoftball.com to learn about the Cougar Baseball and Softball Club and to register for tryouts.