Cranston's Rays Win NEAAU Championship

The first time was the charm for the Rhode Island Rays 9U team.

The team, the first-ever 9U team the RI Rays Baseball Club assembled to play in the New England Amateur Athletic Union Regional Championship, took home the trophy after some solid play over the weekend.

Here's more information from Al Travieso of CLCF Baseball:

After finishing of the regular season with a record of 8 wins and 4 losses in their division, the NEW Rhode Island Rays Baseball Club: 9U TEAM Win 2013 NEAAU Regional Championship!  This is the first year that the RI Rays baseball organization has put together a NEAAU 9U team..

The team won three games on Sunday, June 9, 2013 to advance beating the Mass Hurricanes 9-0 in game 1, the Canton, MA Dirt Dawgs 8-1 in game 2, and coming back from being down 2-0 in the last inning with three outs left to send them home to come back to win 5-2 over the Ocean State Outlaws to advance to the final four on Sunday, June 16, 2013 at Warwick American Little League in Warwick, RI.

On Sunday, June 16, 2013 the RI Rays 9U team played the undefeated Connecticut Mustang and came back from losing 5-2 to winning 6-5 and advancing to the NEAAU Regional Championship game.  The Rays came out to play game two strong to represent Rhode Island to beat the Massachusetts North Red Hawks 7-2 in the final to win the 2013 NEAAU 9U Regional Championship.

The boys received a team trophy, a ribbon medal and a championship ring.  Coach Ken Garcia presented the championship trophy to team player Iain Loverink’s father, who is in the military and being sent to Italy with his family at the end of the month as a going away present.  For all the father’s of this team, it was a great father’s day present.  The parents got the team fired up by cheering, what has been known as the team cheer, “What time is it?  Game Time!  What are we going to do?  WIN!”

Seven of the team players play for teams on Cranston’s League For Cranston’s Future (CLCF) Cal Ripken Baseball and all seven are on this year’s CLCF 9U Tournament team Playing for the RI State Cal Ripken Championship this July.

In the photo:

Back row: Head Coach Ken Garcia, Second row: 10 Domenic Conte, Providence, RI,

1 Robert Fatorma, CLCF, RI, 34 Troy Marsh, Cumberland, RI, Asst Coach Jack Mellor,

Front row: 9 Evan Dacey, CLCF, RI, 13 Tyler DiNezza, CLCF, RI, 4 Andrew Travieso, CLCF, RI, 3 Matthew Barbarino, CLCF, RI, 23 Brennan Mellor, CWLL, RI, 11 Ruben Fernandez, CLCF, RI, 2 Owen Smith, CLCF, RI, 25 Iain Loverink, Jamestown, RI, 7 Shaun McCaghren, CNLL, RI, 33 Devante Viveiros, CLCF, RI, Missing from Photo Asst Coach Mike Giard.

The team:

Head Coach Ken Garcia

Asst Coach Jack Mellor

Asst Coach Mike Giard

Players

23 Brennan Mellor, CWLL, RI

13 Tyler DiNezza, CLCF, RI

25 Iain Loverink, Jamestown, RI

9 Evan Dacey, CLCF, RI

4 Andrew Travieso, CLCF, RI

11 Ruben Fernandez, CLCF, RI

2 Owen Smith, CLCF, RI

1 Robert Fatorma, CLCF, RI

33 Devante Viveiros, CLCF, RI

10 Domenic Conte, Providence, RI

34 Troy Marsh, Cumberland, RI

3 Matthew Barbarino, CLCF, RI

7 Shaun McCaghren, CNLL, RI