SALINAS VALLEY — A once-in-a-lifetime experience took place in Cooperstown, N.Y., as the South County Titans travel baseball team participated in the 12 and under division tournament from June 18-24.
The Titans made the most of the trip as they won nine out of 10 games and placed third out of 95 teams in the division. The Titans went 6-0 in pool play and were ranked fourth overall, and averaged 15.6 runs per game.
“We made the final four and played the So Cal Bombers,” said Titans head coach Anthony Mena. “In that final game, we lost by a 15-14 score. Overall it was a great experience for the players and coaches. We had a lot of support to make the trip from our parents and sponsors.”
The time at Cooperstown was truly a team-building experience as the coaches and players all stayed in bunkhouse-style housing.
Local standouts for the Titans included Salomon Zuniga of Greenfield at catcher and pitcher, who hit three home runs in the tournament. Mario Perez of Watsonville led the team with 10 home runs and played third base.
Daniel Zavala of Greenfield and Andrew Lujan of Gonzales (10 homeruns), played well in the outfield. Charlie Gilbride was also a standout player for the Titans.
Assisting Mena at Cooperstown were assistant coaches Andrew Lujan and Jerry Zavala.
