SSBC "Seadogs" take Bronze in AAU Nationals

"Seadogs" Celebrate At The Jake

Three selected to All-America team

The South Shore Baseball Club's 16-and-under Seadogs team captured a Bronze Medal in the recent Junior Olympics/AAU National Championships at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Seadogs won nine of 10 games in the tournament, including a 6-3 victory against the New Jersey Riptide in the Bronze Medal game, for the highest finish ever by a New England team in the 16-and-under division at The Nationals.

"There were a total of 53 teams in this national tournament and I'm proud that we finished third," Seadogs manager Rick DelVecchio said. "This group of kids have a lot of talent. Usually, teams like this have a few talented players, and the rest are good. We have talented players at every position. When coaches set out to create a team, they look for power, speed, pitching and defense. We don't lack any of those components. They do any one of things to win, which is extremely rare for a team from this area."

Raynham shortstop Craig Audette, Weymouth pitcher/shortstop Ryan Morgan and Scituate centerfielder Mike Conroy were selected to the 1999 All-America Team.

More than half of the players that comprise the 16-and under roster were on last year's 15-and-under squad that captured the AAU Invitational Tournament in Tennessee. "As 16-year olds, DelVecchio noted, "we recruited to fill in places we needed from last year's team. We got players that we needed to make the jump up to winning a medal in a national tournament this year. At this level, once they've been to a major tournament, it no longer effects them. These kids have confidence to win against teams from anywhere in the country because they've been there."

In addition to the All Americans, the roster included thirdbaseman Jason Delaney from Hanson, catchers Josh Topp from Andover and Anthony Bissanti from Braintree, leftfielder Drew Locke from Weymouth, designated hitter Deke Hebb from Middleboro, firstbaseman/pitcher Mark Rosen from Randolph, outfielder Bobby Scott from Barnstable, pitcher Kevin Gilroy from Newton, outfielder/pitcher Dave Merritt from East Bridgewater, infielder Chris Doherty from North Quincy, pitcher Corey Nadler from Brookline, thirdbaseman/pitcher J.D. Stone from North Adams and pitcher Matt Rodovick from Stamford, VT.

Rounding out the coaching staff were Steve Cushing from Revere and Len DelVecchio from Braintree.

16-and-under Junior Olympic/National AAU Championship Results

Wisconsin Knights 9- 2W

Franklin (TN) Force 9-3 W

Houston 7-1 W

Ozone Park (NY) Dukes 12- 5 W

Michigan Indians 11-1 W

West Texas Baseball Club 11-2 W

Springfield (IL) Statesmen 6-2 W

Waco (TX) 18-4 W

East Cobb (GA) Astros 10-0 L

New Jersey Riptide 6- 3 W