LAFAYETTE, La. — Five days of youth baseball wrapped up in Lafayette as the fifth annual USSSA National State Championship brought teams from across the country to Acadiana for its championship round.
National Program Director Frank Griffin said the scale of the event required a collaborative effort from parks, facilities, coaches, players, umpires and staff.
"We couldn't ask for better from the parks, from the facilities, and from the teams," Griffin said. "It's culminating in our championship games today. We have to credit that to the coaches, the players, the umpires, and the staff. It was a collaborative effort, and it's been an outstanding event so far."
Griffin said hosting in Lafayette provided opportunities that extended beyond the field. While he has organized tournaments in major markets nationwide, he said Lafayette offered a distinct community connection.
"The thing I take away from this is we can put a really good event on in this state," Griffin said. "By bringing all these people from all over the country, we were able to bring a lot of contacts to local people, put people together, and allow them a chance to network."
For Damien "Papa Boom" Magalianis, a parent traveling with the Hawaii 12U squad, the trip to Louisiana felt welcoming from the start.
"It's been great," Magalianes said. "We are well welcomed here, having fun, and it's a nice battle out here. We brought a little bit of 'mana' here the culture for the mainland people, so I pass it on to them."
For Louisiana Marlborough 13U, playing in their home state added another layer to the experience. Jacob Ourso a catcher and pitcher on the team said the tournament has brought the team closer together.
"It's really great. It's a great experience for making a team bond, and overall, it's a great place to play baseball as a team," Ourso said. "It's great to be here in our home state playing against plenty of other states."
The squad has reached the championship stage in each of the past two years. Entering championship day, the message from the dugout was straightforward.
"Really, we just need to hit, pitch, and field the baseball," Ourso said. "We haven't been hitting very good, but we just need to hit. We've been telling them: swing a hot barrel, and flock down."
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