Babe Ruth teams ready for Williamsport | News, Sports, Jobs

WILLIAMSPORT — For the first time since 1998, there will be something new on the Babe Ruth tournament trail.

In 1998, the 14-year-old program was started. Mifflin County didn’t field a team until 1999. This year, the senior All-Star team will feature 16-year-olds.

The 16-year-olds have had a storied career in Babe Ruth. As 13-year-olds, they won a state title and finished second at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals. At 14, they finished second in the state, but won the regionals and went to the World Series in Williston, North Dakota, where they tied for fifth in the nation. As 15-year-olds last summer, they tied for third at regionals. They have an overall record of 22-10.

The 15-year-olds have achieved two third-place finishes in the last four Pennsylvania events.

Mifflin County opens play Saturday at 2 p.m. against Broomall-Newtown in Williamsport. Mifflin County’s second game of the tournament is Sunday at 8 p.m. against Media. Other teams in the tournament are Altoona, Ridley, Scranton and host West End of Williamsport.

All seven teams play two games and then one team is eliminated. The other six go to single elimination play. The state championship game is played on Tuesday.

Whatever happens, Mifflin County gets to come home and compete in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals from July 18-21.

The team manager is Denny Yetter of McVeytown. Yetter is assisted by Dave Cherry, also of McVeytown; Travis Parkes of Reedsville and Mike Arnold of Strodes Mills.

Yetter’s record in McVeytown after four years is 40-41. As an All-Star manager in 2021, he led the Mifflin County 13-year-old All-Stars to a state title and a runner-up finish at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals. Mifflin County’s only loss that year came to Atlantic Shore (Atlantic City, New Jersey) in the regional finals. Atlantic Shore went on to win the national title. Mifflin County’s record is 9-1 and Yetter’s overall record is 49-42

Five players (all 16 years old) from the 2021 team are still playing: Elliott Yetter and Nazae Traxler of McVeytown; Chase Leister and Jayden Smith of Burnham; and Reese Christine of Belltown.

Mifflin County has a total of nine players who are 16 years old. Other 16-year-olds include Braxton Smith and Noah Wert of Beaver Springs; Lincoln Ruble, Burnham and Parker Crownover of Belleville.

The roster is completed by six 15-year-olds: Thad Gerwick, Blaze Shreffler and Karl Shrey of Milroy; Carson Cherry of McVeytown; Wyatt Parkes of Reedsville and Kyle Shupp of Beaver Springs.

There are eight three-time All-Stars: Traxler, Cherry, Parkes, Braxton Smith,

Shupp, Gerwick, Shirey and Shreffler. Three players are in their first year as All-Stars, Ruble, Crownover and Wert.

There have now been 284 triple All-Stars in total. Parkes is the 44th of

Reedsville and that franchise now have the most, as it is one ahead of Belleville.

Four players, Yetter, Leister, Christine and Jayden Smith, joined an exclusive club. These four players will be members of the four-time All-Star group. The other three four-time All-Stars were AJ Scheffel, Lewistown, 2005-2008; Thomas Walters, Yeagertown, 2004-2007 and Ben Wilt, Reedsville, 2005-2008.

When Mifflin County takes the field against Media, it will be the first time a Mifflin County team has played Media. This is the 141st different league, state or region to play against Mifflin County. It is the 104th different league in Pennsylvania.

Mifflin County’s record at Williamsport is 47-32.