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Michigan Bulls Win 16u AABC World Series

ALLEN PARK - The Michigan Bulls capped off a remarkable summer by winning the 16U American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series in Waterbury, Conn.

“Last year we were the Pastime national champions so our expectations were high for this season,” coach Bobby Marten said. “But the AABC is a different beast. Our goal at Connecticut was to finish in the top five. That was our goal going in … and we ended up winning it.”

After finishing second in pool play behind the Texas D-Bats, the Bulls went unbeaten in the six-team championship round capped off by a 19-9 domination of the Connecticut Overlook Blacksox for the Mickey Mantle World Series title, believed to be the first ever by a 16U team from Michigan.

“Every out you could just feel the kids were getting excited,” Marten reflected about the finale in which the Bulls pounded out 18 hits including three singles and a triple by Christian Williams (Northville), a triple, two doubles and a single by Nick Olsen (Livonia Stevenson) and a pair of singles and a double from Logan Danzeisen (Sylvania, Ohio, Southview). Drew Alsobrooks (Livonia Churchill), Jack Elkins (Walled Lake Northern) and Enrique Gutierrez (Detroit Western International) threw on the mound in the finals.

“I’m the type that’s nervous before the game but the kids are loose,” Marten said. “They’re out there dancing in the outfield and having fun before the game.”

The road to the 12-team World Series in Waterbury - which featured teams from Washington, Tennessee, New York, Texas, Connecticut, Colorado and Ohio - included seven consecutive wins in the Coldwater Regional that qualified the Bulls for the World Series.

Pool play in Waterbury began with two wins, highlighted by an Olsen home run - the only round-tripper by anyone at the World Series, to lock up a berth in bracket play. An 11-3 loss to the D-Bats sent the Bulls to the championship round as Pool 2 runners-up.

“The game didn’t really matter for us and it did for them,” Marten explained about the lone defeat in Connecticut. “We used a guy that hadn’t pitched in two years.”

It proved to be the last defeat of the season for the Bulls, which began bracket play with a 6-5 six-hour marathon win over the host Blacksox that included a two hour-plus rain delay. Jakob Marsee (Allen Park) had a single, double and triple to lead the Bulls.

A rematch with the D-Bats followed, with the Bulls prevailing 6-1 behind the pitching of Connor Hay (St. Joseph, Windsor, Ontario).

“That was one of our biggest wins ever,” Marten said. “We were going against a pitcher going to TCU that had dominated us in an earlier game.”

Marsee had a double and triple and Danzeisen a pair of hits for the Bulls, which followed that up with a 5-4 victory over Midland, Ohio.

“We were up 4-0 but we made some errors and they tied it,” Marten noted. “But we scored in the bottom of the sixth and held on in the seventh.”

Hay had two hits and drove in three runs, including a two-out single to left to drive in the fifth run. Danzeisen had a two-run single in the win while Olsen hit a double.

Gage DeLandy (Hartland) went 51/3 innings on the mound before being relieved by Gutierrez.

That triumph advanced the Bulls to the finals where the Blacksox proved no problemin the rematch of the bracket play opener.

“The moment after we beat the Blacksox the first time we met as a team,” Marten explained. “We won 6-5, but we were not playing up to our standard. We were just more than happy to be there. But the next day we got back to our standard of play.”

By the end of the tournament, the Bulls were World Series champions.

“Our kids thought they were the best team at the regionals but when we got to Connecticut it was kind of ‘I don’t know if we can win it,’ “ Marten said. “But this group traveled the country, we just had to play our game which is hustle, taking the extra base and not backing down. Do not be intimidated. Our motto is to play to our standard. If we do that, it’s tough to beat us.”

Marten pointed to a number of leaders that played key roles in the success.

“Brendan Lowry has been our leader since we were 12,” Marten said of the Livonia Churchill incoming junior. “He’s one of those kids that leads by example. He works hard and loves the game. He’s been our go-to guy since we were younger.

“Christian Williams is our catcher and he leads by example,” Marten continued. “This year we added Jakob Marsee and he plays the game like his hair is on fire. He loves playing the game and that’s contagious.

“Logan Danzeisen usually shows no emotion, but this week (at the World Series) had some big hits and was screaming and getting excited. That showed the other kids he’s really a competitor which was nice to see.”

One other leader for the Bulls is Logan Tobel of Hartland.

“He, in my opinion, epitomizes our team,” Marten said. “He’s a hard-nosed tough kid who always plays the game crazy hard.”

Joshua Muse (John Glenn), Kai St. Germaine (Plymouth), Logan VanEnkevort (Holt), Nick Ziegler (South Lyon East) and Austin Santure (Coldwater) round out a team that began to develop as 11-year-olds when Marten first coached these players.

“This is my sixth year with them,” Marten said. “Out of the 11 we had then, eight are still on the team.”

Camaraderie has played a big part in the group’s success along the way, which included winning a tournament in Cooperstown as 12-year-olds on a three-run homer from Lowry.

“Maybe we’re doing something right,” Marten said about keeping the team together. “We’ve improved a lot. When we started out we were a high AA team and now we’re a major league team that’s one of the best in the country.”

A 37-3 final record, with one loss to an 18U team, is proof of that for a squad that next year will be competing in the Stan Musial Connie Mack 18U division.

“I knew we’d be good, but maybe not to this point,” Marten said about the success this year. “We had a good core group and I thought we’d be good, but I didn’t know about this good.

“They just love to work. They practice three times a week in the winter and they don’t miss. It’s just a special group that works their butt off.”

A group that can call itself World Series champions.