Triple Crown Sports, the premier youth sports organization, is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated Triple Crown World Series is making its way to the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado. The world-class tournament will captivate the towns of Snowmass, Aspen, Basalt, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and El Jebel, bringing together top-tier youth baseball teams from around the nation for an unforgettable championship experience.

The Triple Crown World Series is renowned for its exceptional level of competition, attracting talented athletes and passionate baseball enthusiasts from all corners of the country. Taking place July 18-23, this thrilling event promises to showcase the very best talent in youth baseball, creating memories and fostering a true sense of camaraderie among players, coaches, families, and fans.

Teams and their families can look forward to an array of exciting activities and attractions throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. From the unparalleled vistas surrounding Snowmass and Aspen to the soothing hot springs of Glenwood Springs, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Carbondale, Basalt and El Jebel offer their own unique charm, with an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, local cuisine, and cultural experiences to discover.

"We are thrilled to bring the Triple Crown World Series to the Roaring Fork Valley for the third year," said Roland Rivera, Triple Crown World Series Director. "This region offers a perfect blend of natural beauty, vibrant communities, and top-notch facilities, creating an ideal environment for our young athletes to compete and create lasting memories. We are grateful for the warm welcome from the towns of Snowmass, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Basalt and El Jebel, and we are confident that this event will be an incredible success."

Local officials and organizations are equally excited to host the Triple Crown World Series, recognizing the tremendous economic impact it will have on the area. The tournament will showcase the Roaring Fork Valley's ability to host major sporting events and highlight the region as a premier destination for sports tourism.

By Kyle Koso
 
GYPSUM, Colo. – Amazingly, the Slammers Altitude Black 13u team scored 16 runs in one inning during the Vail Valley World Series.
 
Surprisingly, pitcher Brady Wright threw a four-inning perfect game for the Slammers earlier in the event.
 
And memorably, the squad emerged from the loser’s bracket Sunday with three wins, beating USA Prime Mann two times at the Eagle Sports Complex to win the 13uD1 World Series.
 
The Slammers (Lakewood, CO) started Sunday with a 14-4 win over Saddleback Cowboys Black, then forced the “if” game with a resounding 24-13 victory over USA Prime to set the table for a winning-take-all finale. Summoning the energy and focus not many teams can manage, the Slammers got six strong innings from starter Jackson Bernosky and a timely four-run rally in the fourth to top USA Prime, 6-2, to wrap up one of the signature events on the Triple Crown Sports calendar.
 
Chris Valerio hit a two-run single in the fourth to push the Slammers ahead, and he added an insurance run in the fifth with a two-out single. Gavin Marsh hit a useful solo home run in the sixth for the Slammers as USA Prime (Arvada, CO) rallied in the top of the seventh, plating a run and loading the bases with two outs before reliever Landon Holmes got the final out on a ground ball to second base.
 
The Slammers certainly entered the final game Sunday full of belief after the outburst of runs in the game before, with 16 runs coming across in the top of the third inning. And they had to love the sight of Bernosky going to work – he scattered four hits and notched eight strikeouts.
 
“I’m really just thinking batter to batter, going right at them and nothing else,” said Bernosky, who was in the middle of the key sequences of the game, striking out the side in the sixth after shortstop Travis Varela came up with an unassisted double play to end the fifth. “It shows we have a lot of joy, playing hard, giving the effort. I was feeling good with a lot of energy.”
 
“That double play, it’s the pitcher’s best friend. We get a hard-hit ball up the middle and Travis makes a good play, takes it himself and that was a great decision,” said Slammer coach Brad Marsh. “And that lets our pitcher go out there and just throw strikes, knowing he’s got the defense behind him. Late in the game, for him to get three strikeouts like that, it just shows you the hard work they put in all year.”
 
Valerio likened those two innings to getting a Christmas present, something that makes you grateful, and the same could be said for his key RBI moments in a game that was significantly closer than 24-13.
 
“It felt great to deliver those hits. Being in the 3-hole, they trust me to do my job and get people in,” Valerio said. “My approach is to see what he’s throwing, how he’s throwing, and if I see it again most likely I’ll try to go after that again. We came into this to kick some major butt and wouldn’t take no for an answer, no losing.”
 
“He’s our 3-hitter and a special human being,” coach Marsh said. “He’s never let adversity get in his way. He’s had some challenges with his health, and to come out here with those quality at-bats in tough times, whatever we ask, he did it.”
 
Friday, Wright guided the Slammers to a win with four perfect innings, 30 pitches and 25 strikes. In the 24-run outburst Sunday, Ben O’Connor had four hits and four RBI, and Gavin Marsh and Dalton Marsh each had three RBI. In that game for USA Prime, Jeremiah Lucero hit two three-run homers and was pitched to especially carefully in the final, walking three times and getting hit by a pitch.
 
10uD1 – The Colorado Prospects did the same thing Sunday, winning three times to come out of the loser’s bracket to claim the title. The Prospects (Parker, CO) first topped the OKC Niners, 11-9, then beat Crush Baseball-Gruner 11-10 to force the “if” game. In the finale, the Prospects prevailed, 13-7.

​By Kyle Koso
 
GYPSUM, Colo. – The USA Prime Mann squad spent most of Saturday trailing in its 13uD1 Vail Valley World Series game. But sailing into the championship game proved a more accurate description of their day.
 
At the Eagle Sports Complex against the Saddleback Cowboys Black, USA Prime scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to finally draw even before plating three more in the eighth inning, earning a 12-11 victory and a spot in Sunday’s tile game mix. In the double elimination format, USA Prime needs just one win in two chances to take home the trophy.
 
The sixth inning burst of production was really a slow trickle as USA Mann waited it out with four walks and a hit batter to prime the offense. A Kolt Smith single drew the team back to just one run down at 9-8, and Max Jones’ bases-loaded walk tied it at 9-all.
 
Saddleback (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) started extra innings with two singles – Colton Mossman drove in the runner who started on second via the tiebreaker rule, and Lance Stoll scored on an infield error.
 
USA Prime got a lift as pitcher Jack Sansone struck out the last two batters, and Smith started the bottom of the eighth with a loud double to the fence.
 
“I was just hoping to hit the ball, honestly; I haven’t been doing the best this weekend,” Smith said. “Make some contact, get that runner home for the team. Even though we were down, we were trying to get back up, stay hyped, not get down on ourselves because that just kills you.”
 
Jones tied the game at 11-11 with a single that brought in Smith, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. With one out, Jude Bachicha lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Nicholas Penfold with the winning run.
 
“I was feeling pretty confident. I was looking for my pitch at 2-2 and knew they had to come with a fastball to me,” Bachicha said. “I was right there. We play our best baseball, we will make it far.”
 
“That’s the way it’s been this whole year. We always seem to fall behind, and the guys just battle,” said coach Devin Reidle. “They’ve stayed in it. I have certain kids I depend on, and they came through in the end here, and really the entire game. When we needed hits, we got them.”
 
Brody Reidle and Isiah Sandoval homered in the third inning for USA Prime. Noah Darnell had a home run and two RBI for Saddleback.

​By Kyle Koso
 
GYPSUM, Colo. – An error in youth baseball can open the door for big trouble, so the Crush Baseball-Gruner squad had reason to be wary at the start of Saturday’s game in the Triple Crown 10uD1 World Series in Vail Valley.
 
An infield miscue allowed the leadoff hitter for the Colorado Prospects to reach first base, but starting pitcher Dale Baptista promptly picked off the runner to reset the mood at the Gypsum Sports Complex. That was about it for drama as the Crush went on to post a 13-3 run-rule victory to advance to Sunday’s title game, and with the double-elimination format the Crush have two chances to call up a championship effort.
 
Baptista allowed one run in his three innings of work, stranding a runner at third in his final two frames and looking not once bothered by any pressure in the moment.
 
“I was just trying to keep the hitters off balance, get outs and throw strikes,” said Baptista, who also had an RBI double and a run in the second inning. “After the error I was a little mad, but when I picked him off, I was a lot happier. It feels good to pick off somebody.”
 
“We tell the guys all the time, just get the out somewhere, and try to pick each other up,” said coach Dan Gruner. “Somebody makes an error, someone else can pick him up, and they’ve been doing that well.”
 
In the bottom of the first, the Crush jumped ahead, 2-0, on a home run from Lincoln Cauthron, and then the offense authored the big low with seven runs in the second. Cauthron had an RBI double in the mix, with other hits coming from Fernando Banda, Noah Vazquez, Aiden Ceo, Tyler Friberg, Eli Armenta and Baptista.
 
Fueled by four walks, the Crush added four runs in the third, with Cauthron getting one more RBI on a sacrifice fly.
 
“I’ve been early on a lot of (pitches), but I’ve been working on trying to sit back and in this tournament I’ve done that well,” he said. “(Baptista) did a good job; we really needed that today. In our warmups, we are not goofing off. We are trying to stay focused with the right mentality.
 
“We’ve had our fair share of rough patches, but right now the boys are very dialed in,” Gruner said. “They’ve been working hard, with a good mental approach on both sides of the ball, and that’s really helping. They are becoming smart baseball players.”
 
The title game is set for 10 a.m. tomorrow, with the if-necessary game coming immediately afterward.

By Kyle Koso
 
GYPSUM, Colo. – Losing track of the little things put the 13uD2 Next Level Baseball Club squad in a bit of trouble Sunday, threatening to sideswipe their plans to outright win the Triple Crown Vail Valley World Series as the Wichita Wolfpack looked to force a winner-take-all second game in the double-elimination bracket.
 
Some quality at-bats and determined defense got NLBC back in the groove at the Eagle Sports Complex, in just enough time to post an 8-7 victory and send the team back home to Corona, Calif., in a sky-high mood after their week in the Rocky Mountains.
 
With Evan Padilla capping a four-run fifth inning with a two-out single, NLBC responded to a 7-4 deficit with a parade of smart plate appearances in the frame, including three walks. Raymond Mejia sealed it with two innings of scoreless relief, with shortstop Gavin Carpenter sprinting into left field for a difficult catch to end the contest.
 
NLBC’s first-inning mistakes in this close one – letting a wild throw from the outfield bounce away to allow the Wolfpack’s first run, and a baserunner not tagging up on a scoring chance – would not prove to be the final word after all.
 
“It took a while for some of them to learn how to play the game, maybe just thinking about themselves. This tournament, they all played together,” said NLBC coach Francisco Rodriguez. “It was about slowing things down; they can get excited depending on the situation. Before the game started, you could feel the butterflies – you want to be sure everyone is ready to go and full of energy. After that first inning, you could just relax and play the game.”
 
NLBC took a 3-1 lead after the first inning, but the Wolfpack ignored the trend and kept fighting. Consecutive hits from Brody Clasen and Grady Myers pushed Wichita ahead, 5-4, in the fourth, and a two-out two-run homer from Hays Ensley extended the lead to 7-4.
 
Ben Rausch led off the fifth with a walk for NLBC; Carpenter, Joshua Leon and Danny De La Torre followed up with hits, and after a pitching change walks to Mejia and MJ Hernandez loaded the bases. Padilla, who came in as a pinch hitter in the fourth, then punched in with the go-ahead RBI single.
 
“I was kind of nervous at first, but we started hitting, and that’s when we started feeling better,” said Leon, who had four RBI on the day from the cleanup spot. “I try to not think about hitting home runs, just get on base or get the runners home.”
 
With runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, Mejia got a fielder’s choice grounder for the first out, putting runners on first and third. A tapper to the mound led to the second out; NLBC used an intentional walk to load the bases, and then Rausch made a dashing, diving catch in center field for the third out. Rausch made another remarkable catch for the second out in the seventh that capped a busy day – three runs scored and four innings pitched after he came to the mound to start the second inning.
 
“I was afraid those balls were going to drop in center, so I was running as fast as I could,” Rausch said. “I had a rush as soon as the ball was hit to me, especially because it was so crucial. It was a little tough pitching today, especially with the rain, and I was trying to keep the ball try, change the grip I had, but I was able to get the job done.”
 
11uD1 – The Utah Lumberkings (Spanish Fork, UT) came out of the loser’s bracket Sunday to win twice against the Houston Brewers, first an 8-3 win to force a final game and then a 10-2 victory to secure the title.
 
14u – Slammers Reign (Parker, CO) got past fellow club members Slammers Black in Sunday’s title game, 13-5. ​

DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON LEASH Sec. 7-124.

Dogs; running at large prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any owner, possessor or person who keeps a dog to permit the same to run at large within the Town. A dog shall be deemed to be running at large when it is off or away from the premise of the owner, possessor or keeper thereof or on any property accessible by the public and is not under the direct control of such owner, possessor or keeper by a leash no longer than ten (10) feet in length, or within a vehicle or other confinement.

DOG BITES MUST BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY. OWNER SHOULD STAY ON SCENE OR LEAVE THEIR INFORMATION Sec. 7-91.

Animal bites. (a) Reporting. Any person having knowledge of an animal who bites a person or other animal shall immediately report the incident to the Police Department or the Animal Control Officer. (b) Quarantine of animals. Any animal which has bitten a person shall be quarantined and observed for a period of ten (10) days from the date of the bite, at the expense of the owner. The procedure and place of quarantine and observation shall be designated by the Animal Control Officer. The owner of any animal that has been reported as having inflicted a bite on any person shall, on demand, produce the animal for quarantine. Refusal to produce the animal for quarantine constitutes a violation of this Section, and each day of such refusal shall constitute a separate and distinct violation.

DOGS SHOULD NOT BE TIED AND LEFT UNATTENDED IN PUBLIC PLACES Sec. 7-88.

Unattended animals. No owner shall tether an animal in a public place and then leave the same unattended.

DOGS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT IN VEHICLES WITHOUT ADEQUATE VENTILATION AND WATER Sec. 7-85.

Cruelty to animals prohibited. (c) No owner or person shall confine any animal within a parked vehicle without adequate ventilation or water. The Animal Control Officer may remove the animal from the vehicle if the Animal Control Officer reasonably determines that probable cause exists that the animal is subject to a hazard to its health.