Heartland Nationals gear up for Babe Ruth World Series

After dismantling the fields in the state and regional tournaments in July, the Heartland Nationals 12-and-under softball team will attempt to extend its dominance to the national level when the Babe Ruth Softball World Series begins Friday in Varina, Va.

Coach Jeff Reinagel knows it likely will be a different story for his Missouri state champions on youth softball's biggest stage, however.

Although the Nationals, an all-star team made up of players from New Hamburg, Kelso and Oran, have a perfect 8-0 record in the postseason, the slate is wiped clean at the 10-team national tournament, which concludes Aug. 18.

"From what I've heard, it's quite competitive," said Reinagel, who's been on the baseball and softball coaching scene for 15 years. "If you make it through pool play, it's quite an accomplishment."

According to Reinagel, at least the last two under-12 Heartland squads have reached the World Series, but neither has advanced to the double-elimination portion.

"Our No. 1 goal at this point is to make it through pool play," he said. "Of course, to win the tournament then would be our ultimate goal. We'd have to win two or three games in pool play to go on."

Each team will play four games over a four-day span in pool play, and the top three teams from both five-team pools move to the double-elimination tournament, scheduled to begin Tuesday.

The Nationals, representing the Midwest Plains region, will take on Lodi, Calif., the Pacific Southwest champ, to open pool play at 11 a.m. Friday.

After cruising through the state competition, the team had no problem claiming its eight-team region in the tournament at Greensburg, Kan., in late July. In the winners bracket final, the Nationals pounded the Colorado state champion Parker Hawks 21-5 before drubbing them again 11-3 in the championship.

The Colorado crew was playing its 84th game of the season, compared to the Nationals' eighth.

"They had been together all year," Reinagel said, "but we pretty well dominated them."

Now the Heartland team will see where it stacks up with the nation's finest squads.

The Babe Ruth organization pays for players and coaches to fly to and from Varina. Upon arrival at the tournament, the players will be scattered around the area to stay with different host families. No more than two teammates stay with the same family. Teammates and coaches reunite for games and other group activities.

Reinagel, who is assisted by Bill Anderson and Shawn Glastetter, said he believes his team can continue its winning ways in the next week, but the squad will have to keep up its hot offense and accurate pitching.

"We have a very solid, fundamentally sound team," he said. "We have a lot of great athletes.

"The guys that coach these girls during the season have done a great job developing the players. Those coaches deserve a lot of credit.

"We're hitting the ball pretty well," Reinagel added. "We were hitting at about a .330 average at the regional. We have a short game, and then we have a few girls that show a lot of power also. We have a quick team, and that always helps."

Reinagel said the biggest problem he's run into so far, though, is choosing which few players will be the core of the pitching staff.

"The blessing I have is that out of 12 players, I have nine pitchers," he said. "Getting it down to a three- to four-person pitching staff has been extremely tough. It's difficult to decide which five of those are not going to pitch because everybody was an above-average pitcher.

"Overall, we're not a real power-pitching team, but we have great pitchers and great control. The hitters we'll face will be quite a bit better than what we've seen so far."

Above all else, defense will be a critical factor in the Nationals' bid for a national crown.

"There's definitely a possibility we can win," Reinagel said. "Defense is key. I have confidence we'll have good pitching, and if we pitch and hit like we're capable of, we'll be all right."