Top Tier 17s claims another CABA World Series:
Top Tier 17s claims another CABA World Series
August 3, 2010By TAYLOR BECHTOLD tbechtold@pioneerlocal.com
Font Size Email Bookmark Black Text White TextBASEBALL -- The list seems to grow every time he steps onto the field.
Kyle Ruchim added yet another accolade to his already impressive baseball resume, when the Stevenson High School graduate earned MVP honors and helped the Top Tier 17-U Americans win the 2010 CABA World Series in Euclid, Ohio.
Top Tier also won the national championship last summer.
"Winning the national championship two years in a row kind of puts the program in unchartered territory," Fine said. "It's a huge accomplishment for our program."
It's been quite the season for Northwestern-bound Ruchim. In the spring, the standout infielder/pitcher picked up Chicago Sun-Times and Pioneer Press Lake Shore Player of the Year honors after leading the Patriots to third place at the IHSA Class 4A State Tournament.
He also earned all-tourney honors during Top Tier's run to the national crown at the World Series a year ago.
"It was as good as last year," Ruchim said. "This was my second year with the 17s because I'm a younger 17 (year old). The championship was good enough for me, but to get that MVP is just a great honor. I think that experience from last year really helped me."
The Americans (40-8), headquartered in Lake Forest and run out of Slammer's Baseball by head coach Todd Fine, finished their season in impressive fashion by winning 34 of their last 37 games en route to the crown.
They didn't just survive a grueling week of baseball -- they thrived and dominated with a perfect 12-0 record in the fiercely competitive national tourney.
"It's a tournament like no other," Ruchim said. "It's like 12 games in six or seven days, with sometimes three games in one day. So you have to manage your pitching staff well."
The Americans showcased a prolific offensive attack throughout the tournament. They led the tournament in runs scored (12 per game). They won seven games by the mercy rule and pounded the Stallions from downstate Illinois 9-1 in five innings in the championship.
Tim Barry (Oak Forest), the 2009 and '10 CABA Most Valuable Hitter, became the program's all-time leader in home runs with 21 dingers over the past two summers.
In addition to Ruchim and Barry, Ryan Koziol (Brother Rice), Paul Warble (Conant) and Chris Godinez (Lake Forest) also made the CABA All-Tournament team.
Other key contributors for the Americans included RICKY ALFONSO OF(BARRINGTON), Max Allen (Highland Park), Jordan Chudacoff (New Trier), Joey Eichmann (Libertyville), Jack Czeszewski (St. Viator), Charley Gould (Lake Forest), Cory Kay (St. Viator), Tyler Radke (Stevenson), Brian Rodemoyer (Lyons), Nick Milligan (Galesburg), Chris Massimilian (Hinsdale South), Michael Martin (Stevenson) and John Kravetz (Mt. Carmel).