Submitted photo – The Steelheads 11Us celebrate their thrilling championship win in Arizona on Sunday.

It was a “Steelheads party” in Arizona over the weekend, as the local travel baseball club won three championships at the WCP Arizona Spring Training tournament.

The club’s 10Us, 11Us and 13Us all won their championship games on Sunday, and all three teams were on hand to cheer each other on during an exciting final day of tournament play.

“It was a Steelheads party in Arizona,” 11Us head coach Dusty McCullough said. 

McCullough’s players impressed as much as any on their way to their second championship in two tournaments this year.

The young Steelheads dropped their tournament opener at the 18-team event against a very tough Team Kado from Hawaii, but would respond to win six straight games, including avenging their only defeat with a 6-5 win over Kado in a thrilling final.

“I was so proud of the way the boys played in the championship win,” McCullough said. “It’s the best I’ve ever seen them play in 40 games together. That’s the best team we’ve ever played.

“If we had left one kid at home I don’t think we would have won it. It was the best win in my 18 years of coaching.”

There were several standouts in the final, including pitchers Steven Watson and Colton Hawkes, who combined to allow just five hits, while Watson, Hawkes, Layne McCullough, Ty Wade and Lucas Ball each had a base hit in the win.

“We were underdogs going into it, but our team played loose,” the coach said.

The Steelheads reached the final after a 10-2 victory over IBC in their semifinal.

Wade started on the hill in that game and threw three strong innings of two-hit ball before Ball relieved him and closed out the game, allowing just one hit in three innings.

It was the team bats that really set the tone in that game, with seven players combining for 12 hits, including three by Hawkes and two by Watson.

Layne McCullough, Chase Bachman, Lio Ramirez, Everett Johnson and Tanner Baxter each also had a base hit in the win.

“The kids being fearless at the plate continued from (our last tournament at) Medford to Arizona,” Dusty McCullough said.

Submitted photo

Rowdy Furber also had a big tournament and hit an inside-the-park home run in a 6-2 win over Mercer Island in pool play, while Asher Avelar also hit a key double on a 3-0 count in that game.

“Those were two big hits early in the tournament that kind of sparked our bats,” Dusty McCullough said.

Wade, Hawkes and Ball helped set the tone on the hill on all four days of tournament play and “threw a lot of strikes for us and kept us in every game,” according to the coach.

The championship game was particularly exciting.

“Honestly the baseball gods were on our side in that championship game,” the head coach added. “And the kids never gave up. It was back and forth and came down to the last out.”

Among the highlights in the final, Hawkes picked off a pair of runners at third base in the sixth inning, while Wade combined with Baxter to make a great play for an out on a steal attempt at home plate.

Baxter was particularly key while playing catcher in all seven games and Ball made two “great catches” for outs in right field.

Layne McCullough also made a pivotal inning-ending play on defense at first base with runners on second and third.

Bachman also impressed in a relief pitching role against Mercer Island.

With the win, the Steelheads improved to 10-1 on the year.

Mo details were immediately available for the 10Us and 13Us, but we’ll be happy to include them if coaches reach out with details.