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Thurmont Little League Shines in All-Star Tournaments

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Alisha Yocum

Each year, Thurmont Little League (TLL) selects some of its top players to represent the league in All-Star Tournaments. This time of year typically showcases some of the best youth baseball in the area, and this year was no exception. All tournaments follow a double-elimination format.

The 8-10 All-Star Team played in the Maryland Little League District 2 Tournament and was coached by Jacob Fisher, Justus Yocum, and Kevin Riffle, and included players Knox Axline, Rhett Axline, Jackson Boyer, Jace Fisher, William Fletcher, Logan Hoffman, Tanner Inocencio, Parker Ketterman, Maddox Miller, Devin Riffle, Chase Shoemaker, and Bryce Yocum. The team received a bye in the first round, but played against a well-hitting Brunswick Little League team who beat them in three innings. The team took their second loss to Montgomery County Little League – Upper.

The 9-11 All-Star Team also competed in the district tournament. Despite a valiant effort, they lost their opening game against Montgomery County Little League – Upper with a close score of 6-5. Moving into the elimination bracket, they played hard but were narrowly defeated by Montgomery County – Lower, with a score of 13-10 in Chevy Chase. The team, coached by Darryl Dextradeur, Nathan Fritz, Blaine Otto, and Dennis Smith, included Holden Beach, Brayden Constable, Nehemiah Dewees, Payton Fritz, James Hewitt, Brooks Ott, Dennis Smith, Matthew Smith, Julian Thompson, Garret Troxell, Benjamin Turner, and Luke Wiles.

The 10-12 All-Star Team, which had the opportunity to advance to the Little League World Series, delivered an exciting performance. Coached by Nathan Laird, Jimmy Holmes, Blaine Schildt, and Justus Yocum, the team featured players Levi Baker, Desean Brown, Max Burgee, James Clements, Kaiden Dewees, Parker Hahn, Holden Holmes, Evan Laird, Weston Tyler, Gavin Vaughn, Jeremy Veronie, and Eli Yocum. Thurmont’s own Cool Oldies 1450 followed the boys along their journey for spectators to listen from near and far. The team came out strong again against Valley All-Stars, which was made up of Frederick National, Brunswick and Mountain Valley Little Leagues, and advanced, beating Four County Little League in their second game before falling to Montgomery County Little League. TLL prevailed and worked their way back out of the elimination bracket with another win against Four County Little League. This sent the team to the championship game against Montgomery County Little League – Upper, where the teams faced a second time. Unfortunately, the well-hitting Montgomery County team once again came out on top.

The Minors All-Star Team represented TLL in the Emory Frye Tournament, which features teams from various counties vying for the championship. Coached by Justus Yocum, Jacob Fisher, and Casey Constable, the team included Knox Axline, Rhett Axline, Jackson Boyer, Jace Fisher, William Fletcher, Beaux Grimes, Parker Ketterman, Brantley Nuse, Logan Otto, Devin Riffle, and Bryce Yocum. The team showed grit and determination, progressing through the winner’s bracket by defeating Hagerstown National Little League and Upper Loudoun County Little League. After a loss to Montgomery County Little League – Lower, they faced Loudoun County Little League again, but fell just short with a 10-8 loss.

Congratulations to all the TLL All Star Teams! Registration is currently open for TLL’s Fall Ball season. Visit thurmontlittleleague.com for more details.

8-10 All-Star Team

9-11 All-Star Team

10-12 All-Star Team

Minors All-Star Team

Thurmont Little League Season Wraps Up with Thrilling Playoff and All-Star Games

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Alisha Yocum

The Thurmont Little League (TLL) season is winding down, and the playoff and In-House all-star games did not leave us disappointed. Some great youth baseball was played by all our players.

In the Minor League Division, the Minor Eagles, coached by Justus Yocum, faced off against the Minors Red Sox, led by Jacob Fisher. The game was a nail-biter, with the Eagles taking an early lead. The score remained tight until the fourth inning, when the Red Sox capitalized on walks to score what would become the winning run.

In the Majors Division, the Cougars, coached by Daryl Dextradeur, clinched first place, securing a spot in the Tournament of Champions, which featured teams from District 2 Little League and was hosted by TLL. The Nationals, coached by Jeff Kuhn, earned second place in the division, qualifying for the Dave Fogle Tournament. This tournament included all second-place teams in District 2, offering a chance to compete for a place in the Tournament of Champions bracket. The Nationals emerged victorious in the Dave Fogle Tournament.

Fate had both Thurmont teams facing each other in Game 1 of the Tournament of Champions. Fans were on the edge of their seats, as the lead changed several times. Ultimately, the Nationals triumphed over the Cougars, advancing to beat Montgomery County Little League before facing Brunswick Little League (BLL) in the Championship Game. Despite a strong effort, TLL fell to BLL, who claimed the banner with a 4-2 victory.

For our younger teams, In-House All-Star selections were made from Tee Ball, Coach Pitch, and Minors. Congratulations to the following players for their outstanding performance throughout the season:

Tee Ball: Clayton Orndorff, Everett Oxenford, Jaxton Hanson, Chance Grimes, Logan Staley, Salvatore Guido, Bodhy Eiker, Abel Creswell, Ford Creswell, Cannon Crummitt, Justin Droneburg, Garrett Linkins, Ryder Murray, Hudson Nash, Scarlett Kessler, Brenton Tull, Jason Green, Carter Rodas, Connor Wolfe, Marlaynna Inocencio, and Owen Koontz.

Coach Pitch: Jet Derr, Grayson Hoffman, Caleb Valentine, Mayson Grimes, Noah Beard, Emmett Kline, Carson Kint, Gabe Shankle, Adalyn Lovejoy, Quinn McMahan, Maddux Ketterman, Caleb Lynn, Harvey Schildt, Ethan Marsh, Garrett Souder, Wyatt Murray, Braden Wolfe, Samara Dixon, Lincoln Tankersley, Michael McGinnis, and Graham Pearl.

Minors: Knox Axline, Brayden Constable, Bryce Yocum, Aiden Koontz, Brantley Nuse, Jackson Kirkpatrick, Devin Riffle, Jace Fisher, Liam Ecker, Wyatt Breeden, Jackson Boyer, Logan Otto, Tripp Emert, Caleb Roberts, Joshua Tingler, Blake Duvall, Wade Wolf, Logan Tankersley, Beaux Grimes, and Parker Ketterman.

For the first time, TLL also held an exhibition game for all the 12 year olds who had played their last year of Little League baseball. In the relaxed atmosphere, players could be seen smiling and chatting it up with their friends throughout the game, many of whom have been playing together since they were four years old. Each player received a t-shirt with the number 24 on the back to commemorate their last year with Thurmont Little League. We wish the best of luck to all of these players as they move onto the next stages of their baseball careers. 

Congratulations to all on a great season!

The district all-star games for our 8-12 year olds will begin at the end of June. Follow the TLL Facebook page for updates.

The Thurmont Little League Red Sox won a close game to win the Minors League Championship.

The Thurmont Little League Nationals had an exciting post-season, making their way into the championship game of the Tournament of the Champions.

The Thurmont Little League held an exhibition game to recognize all the 12-year-old players who played their last season with the league.

The Thurmont Little League Tee Ball In-House All-Star Team.