Hometown stars shine bright at Veterans Park

Charles D. Owen Babe Ruth League hosts Cal Ripken All-Star State Championship Tournament

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 25, 2023

The bleachers at Veterans Park were rocking, June 23 - 25, as the Charles D. Owen Babe Ruth League hosted teams from around the state in the Cal Ripken All-Star 8U and 11U WNC State Championship Tournaments.

It was a busy weekend for the Owen 8U All-Star team, which finished as runner-up in front of a home crowd.

Representing the four 8U teams within the local Babe Ruth League, the 8U all-stars earned a No. 3 seed in pool play, before opening the tournament with a loss. Led by head coach and league vice president Corey Hudgins and his coaching staff of Trey Riddle, Bill Millwood and Tyler Atkins, Owen finished 1-1 in a pair of Friday contests, falling, 5-0, in a first-round matchup against No. 2 seed East Lincoln.

The Warhorses fell to to the Matthews Athletic & Recreation Association club to open the tournament, but a 1-0 victory over East Lincoln in the Saturday semi-finals clinched an appearance in the championships round.

Owen jumped out to an early 2-0 lead to open the title game, but Matthews, which finished the tournament 5-0, scored 3 runs in the bottom of the first inning. The game ended in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Matthews established a 15-5 lead.

Owen, however, did not leave the tournament empty-handed, as each 8U all-star received a medal, while the team was awarded a commemorative bat. Hudgins and his staff praised their team’s performance after the game.

“I’m proud of them,” Hudgins said. “We were the only team in our district who finished as a runner-up in the state all-star tournament, and that’s something I want these players to be proud of.”

The young athletes were excited to play for a state championship at their home field, the coach continued.

“We played this team yesterday, so we knew they were a solid team,” Hudgins said. “But, our kids came out ready to play, and they played hard until the end. This was a fun weekend.”

The 8U squad was one of two Owen teams representing the league in Black Mountain this weekend, as the 11U all stars faced a tough competition in their bracket. Owen fell, 7-3, to Hominy Valley in the opening round of the tournament, following a pair of Friday losses.

Photos of the Charles D. Owen 8U and 11U All-Stars can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.