Published: July 25, 2008 12:07 am            

Tigers 11U team advances to Super Series championship

The Tigers 11U baseball team could be returning to Texas as national champions.

After a 14-4 win over the Benton (Ark.) Cubs in the semifinals of the Super Series National Championships in Little Rock, Ark. Thursday, the Tigers have advanced to the championship game.

“It has been a lot of fun,” Tigers coach Billy Harlan said. “We have had a combination of good pitching and the guys just killing the ball with their bats.

“We haven’t seen all these Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana teams before, so it says a lot that they have continued to play this well against them.”

Preston Hill sealed the win for the Tigers with a strong pitching performance on the mound.

Going to work early, the Tigers scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning, with Hill holding the Cubs offense to a minimum while the Tigers continued to drive in runs.

The Tigers finished as one of the final six teams in last years tournament held in Oklahoma.

With his team on a hot streak, Harlan said he thinks his club has a good possibility of coming away champions this year.

“Our chances are really good,” he said. “We have been averaging about 10 runs a game.

“All the kids are really fired up and have been playing incredible.”

The Tigers will play either the Fort Smith Titans, Benton Cubs, Texas Raiders, NTx Tigers or the SwingAway Knights (Ark.) today at 11 a.m. in the championship game.

        

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