The Katy Raiders, a 12 and under select team, received an invitation to play at Cooperstown Dreams Park, spending a week in the Baseball Village clubhouses beginning June 3. A tournament of 104 teams begins June 4 with six pool play games and extends into a single-elimination bracket June 7-8.
The team will take 12 players to Cooperstown, a trip they were awarded by the Lone Star Pride in Bellville, who played at the Dreams Park tournament last year. Selected teams receive “grandfather” bids to offer to another team that has registered for the tournament.
The majority of the Raiders are from Katy, but the team also has three players from Houston, two from Bellville and one from the Sugar Land area. The core group has played together for four years.
Team members include David Carrillo, Daniel Villarreal, Simon Massi, Jhonnatan Ferrebus, Eli Stewart, Harrison Acquaro, Cam Kaminsky, Brett Dolejsi, Cole Neumann, Parker Booth, Nathan Fan and Blake Linseisen. The Raiders are coached by Ty Stuckey, Len Jones and Miguel Stewart. Peter Acquaro is the general manager.
Stuckey was quoted as saying his focus is on developing the players for middle school and high school baseball. He is a former Klein Collins and University of Houston standout. A left-handed pitcher and outfielder, Stuckey was drafted from UH by Cincinnati Reds in the 26th round in 2010 before playing professionally in the independent Pecos League.
The Raiders are one of 10 teams from Texas in the tournament, along with the Bellaire Baseball Club, Dynasty Black, Timbergrove Thunder, West University Wranglers and three Houston Post Oak squads among those representing the Houston area.
In addition to competing against teams from around the country, members of the Katy Raiders will be enshrined in the prestigious American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame and had the opportunity to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Team members had a chance to participate in the “King of Swat,” “Road Runner”, “Golden Arm”, and “Around the Horn Plus” skills competition.
Competing in Triple A in USSSA and as a 12U Premier team in Nations Baseball, the Raiders have held their own against quality competition. They won the 2016 USSSA Global World Series in Destin, Florida.
