During this time of year, baseball fans often think about the MLB and its famous home run derby competition. In Taylor, Texas, the Taylor 6u Ducks decided to hold their own competition to raise funds for their upcoming trip to the Pony World Series in Youngsville, LA.
Team mom Katelyn Schwarz came up with the idea of a hit-a-thon, where players would compete to see who could hit the ball the farthest. For every foot hit, attendees would pledge to donate 50 cents or more to help the team make it to the World Series. The event was well-attended by the local community, who cheered on the young players and their walk-out songs.
The competition was fierce, with each player trying to hit the ball as far as possible. The longest hit of the night was made by Zeek Hargis, who smashed the ball an impressive 188 feet. The walk-out songs for the kids were played and it turned into a friendly competition. Bryson Anderson was the first up, hitting the ball 132 feet with “Old Town Road” playing. Hudson Jahn walked out to “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC and smashed the ball 154 feet. Brooks Hilton followed with “Red Kingdom” by Tech Nine, hitting the ball 155 feet. Calan Washington walked out to “I Won’t Back Down” by Disturbed and hit the ball 162 feet. Joey Lichtor was up next with “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay playing. Gavin Martinez came up to the plate with “I Will Never Surrender” by Shangril LA and hit the ball 167 feet. Ayden Kolb walked up with “Astronaut in the Ocean” by Masked Wolf playing and hit the ball 172 feet. After that, Zane Schwarz walked out to “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys and hit the ball 162 feet. Cameron Ness connects with the ball 165 feet with “El Baila Sola” by Peso Pluma playing. Hargis had “Big League” by Yo Gotti playing when he smashed the ball to 188 feet. Kane Lopez walked out to “Right Foot Creep” and hit the ball 178 feet.
Overall, the boys had a fun time turning the fundraiser into a friendly competition. They wanted to see who was going to hit the furthest. It ended up being team leader Hargis who put on a show out there. Coach Louie Jahn has great pride in all of his athletes. He acknowledged their hard work and dedication, recognizing the effort they put in to reach their current level of performance. He commended each individual athlete for pushing themselves beyond their limits, as evidenced by their impressive performance on the field tonight.
“I am so proud of all of my athletes,” Jahn said. “They have worked so hard and put in so much effort to get to where they are today. Each and every one of them has pushed themselves to their limits and beyond, and it shows in the way they performed on the field tonight.”
