Danville Hoots Baseball Club

The HOOTS Connie Mack team head to the West Regional Championship in Southern California with a 6-1 win vs the EDH Vipers at the North State Championship.  Both teams secured a berth in the West Regionals which will feature the 10 best Connie Mack teams in the Western United States.  The HOOTS won the regional tournament last year to advance to the World Series in Farmington, New Mexico for the second time in 3 years.  The pitching staff of Conor Neuman, Sam Nathan, Eric Crispell and Tyler Nevins only permitted one run by the Vipers.  The HOOTS offense took an early 2-0 lead on key hits by Tanner Pinkston, Shawn Vincent and Daniel Jackson while the young HOOTS defense played errorless baseball. "I am really proud of this group of players.  We are young but everyone on this team can play. I have been very fortunate to have good teams and great players come thru the HOOTS program.  Our future is bright, but this team is, has and will make its own footprints in our history." Coach Johns.

The HOOTS Connie Mack team defeated Bercovich 12-1 in the Connie Mack North State Championship to advance to the Championship game on Sunday at 12:00 at Chabot College. The victory also secured a berth for the HOOTS at West Regionals next week in Southern California.  AJ Puckett took the mound for the HOOTS and was strong thru five innings against a good Bercovich offense, but it was the HOOTS offense led by Tanner Pinkston, Dylan Isquirdo and David Elzig that gave them a commanding lead early in the game with positive at bats and execution.  The offense had seven doubles and a solo home run by Elzig to put the game out of reach for Bercovich.

With the win, the HOOTS will advance as do the EDH Vipers to represent Northern California in the West Regional Tournament for the opportunity to go to the Connie Mack World Series in Farminton, New Mexico. The West Regional tournament will feature the top 10 Connie Mack teams from the west region.  The HOOTS won the Regional Tournament and a trip to the World Series in 2009 and again in 2011 to become the first team from Northern California in over 20 years to claim that achievement. This will be the seventh straight appearance by the HOOTS at the Connie Mack West Regional dating back to 2007.

Four teams remain in the Connie Mack North State Tournament with 2 teams facing elimination after the game results on Friday.  The HOOTS lost a difficult game to the EDH Vipers from Sacramento 3-2 with both teams sending to the mound their top pitchers.  James Carter from the HOOTS threw a 3 hitter in the loss as the HOOTS could not execute twice during the game with runners in scoring position, and in the sixth inning could not score with bases loaded and no outs.  EJ Sports will play in an elimination game against EDH at 11:00AM and the HOOTS will face off against Bercovich at 2:00PM.  All games are held at Chabot College and will conclude on Sunday July 22 with the winner advancing to the Connie Mack West Regional Tournament in Southern California.

The HOOTS Connie Mack team advanced to the 3rd round at the Connie Mack North State Championship with a 3-2 walk off win in the bottom of the eighth inning against NorCal at Chabot College.  Catcher Dylan Isquirdo hit a run scoring game winning single with runners on second and third with the HOOTS trailing NorCal 2-1 entering the bottom frame of the extra inning game.  Pitcher Domenic Mazza pitched 7 strong innings and was relieved by James Carter in the top half of eight inning with runners in scoring position for NorCal and the game tied 1-1, which later scored the go ahead run on a sacrifice fly.  The HOOTS rallied in the bottom frame of the eight inning and was able to secure a win with Isquirdo's 2 run RBI single.

The HOOTS play on Friday July 20 at 5:00PM against the undefeated EDH Vipers from Sacramento.