7/5/08 - TCB is having success already in the 2008 season. Only a month into the season for the 15u - 18u teams and really a month into the heavy part of the season for the 14u - 14u teams, TCB teams are winning games not only in the Northeast but down South as well.

Starting Memorial Day Weekend, the TCB 13u Hartford and TCB 14u Hartford teams competed in the finals at the Memorial Day Weekend BCS. Both teams finished as the runner up. Angel Caballero of the 13u Hartford was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the 13u tournament and Justin Thomas was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the 14u tournament.

The following weekend, the 14u Hartford team earned TCB's first BCS Northeast Regional Championship. They won 3 games on the final day to earn the Championship in extra innings. Brett Madore was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.

The weekend of June 14th saw another BCS Runner Up finish by the 16u Hartford team and two Connecticut State Championships for TCB, one by the 13u Hartford and the other by the 15u South. In the BCS, Nick Fabrizio of TCB was named the tournament Most Valuable Pitcher. The TCB 13u Hartford defeated the Connecticut Bombers twice to earn the State Championship, the second year in a row that has happened. The 15u South team defeated the TCB Hartford and TCB Blaze to earn the win. TCB has won 33 Connecticut State Championships.

The TCB 18 Americans travelled to Long Island the following weekend to compete in the 32 team 18u BCS Northeast Regional. They dominated the competition at Baseball Heaven, outscoring their opponents 60 to 13 over the 6 games. They featured the deepest pitching staff in the tournament and combined to hit some 15 home runes in the event. Rocco Gondek was named the Most Valuable Player and Matt Barnes the Most Valuable Pitcher.

TCB's success in the Northeast in June carried over as they travelled to East Cobb, Georgia this past Sunday night. Both the 18 Nationals and the 18 Americans won their first round pools in the 186 team tournament. The Nationals were 4-0 and clinched a playoff berth before losing their 5th pool game and will face Chet Lemon's Juice on Sunday morning. The 18 Americans went 5-0 in the first round, earning the playoff berth in their 5th pool game this morning, having given up only 6 runs in their 5 games, including 3 shutouts. They will face the Connecticut Bombers on Sunday morning. For score updates, visit www.worldwoodbat.com.

TCB has been mentioned in the tournament blog by Perfect Game's David Rawnsley. The notes are below and can be followed at www.pgcrosschecker.com.

7/2/2008 - RHP Matt Barnes of Team Connecticut, a 2008 prospect from Bethel, Connecticut who has signed with UConn, threw a masterpiece against a strong Knoxville Yard team Wednesday winning 1-0. Barnes allowed only 1 hit, a 1 out single by LF Matt Scruggs in the bottom of the 7^th inning, and struck out 12 Yard hitters. Barnes pitched at 89-91 mph with a very good mid 70’s curveball.
 

7/4/2008 - Team Connecticut Blue Jays became the first team to clinch a place in the 32 team playoff bracket, defeating the East Cobb Patriots 7-0 Friday morning to run their record to 4-0.  Every other team in Pool H has at least two losses. 

The other Team Connecticut entry in the 18U field, simply named Team Connecticut Baseball, has a 3-0 record and sits alone atop Pool P.

7/4/2008 - Team Connecticut Baseball Baseball ran their record to 4-0 with a 5-0 shutout win over the Golden Triangle Yellow Jackets during the 2 pm time slot on Friday.

The game was noteworthy for another reason.  Team Connecticut RHP Devin Burke, a 2009 prospect from Darien HS in Darien, CT, threw a complete game, pitching in the 85-88 mph range with his fastball.  In addition to his pitching ability, Burke is an outstanding student, with SAT scores well to the north of 2,200.

Jacob Gardner, the Perfect Game scout running the field, reported that "it seemed like I was sitting in the middle of an Ivy League coaches convention during the game.  There were probably 6-7 Ivy League coaches there that I could identify watching the game."

They had to come away impressed.

7/5/2008 - Team Connecticut Baseball finished Pool P play with a perfect 5-0 record by defeating Desperados in a winner take all game, 6-4. The Team Connecticut organization put both their teams into the playoffs, as Team Connecticut Blue Jays clinched their pool after 4 games.