Napa, CA, meet Cooperstown, NY. Cooperstown, NY meet Napa,
CA.
More specifically, the Napa Valley Nationals, which is a youth travelling
baseball team based in Napa, will venture to Cooperstown from June
13-19. Cooperstown is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum.
The Nationals will compete in a 61-team tournament at All-Star Village.
Nationals assistant coach Andrew Hall indicated that if time allows, the team
will visit the Hall of Fame but many players and their families will be
attending a game at Fenway Park in Boston before the tournament to watch
the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
“The boys and the coaches have been planning this trip for over a year and
we cannot wait until June so we can get back there,” said Hall, who is also
a Vintage High assistant football coach. “Knowing that we are the first team
from Napa to ever participate in this tournament is special, especially since
we had to apply to partake in the tournament. We’re excited to be able to
play great teams from all over the country in seven days.”
Though there is a commonly uttered narrative that current youth is not as
universally in-tuned with baseball and its history as past generations, Hall
added such is not the case with these Nationals.
“Many of our players are very familiar with the past and present players of
baseball,” Hall said. “So many of our players know so much about the game
and how it has evolved into the sport that it is today. They all have their
favorite team that they follow and definitely their favorite players. It is fun
to watch the boys try to replicate their favorite players' swing or how they
pitch during practice.”
The roster is comprised of 13 players: Teddy Eichner, Sawyer Carmichael,
Riley Marek, Blake Porter, Braden Butler, Travis Larson, Peter Trovich,
Sam Mautner, Collin Taylor, Kayen West, John Bullock, Chase Padowan
and Bo Lode.
Steve Porter doubles as the head coach and manager. The assistant coaches
are Hall, Jeff Wright, Kelly Lode, and Scott Carmichael.
The Nationals are part of the 680 Diablo League, which is 21 games
followed by an end of the season tournament at Twin Creeks Sports Complex
in Sunnyvale. After the 680 league season, the team will play in six
tournaments including the aforementioned one in Cooperstown. The Nationals
get their season, which runs from February-June, underway on Saturday when
they visit the Moraga Mavericks. Home games are played at Silverado Middle
School.
School.
For the 680 Diablo League, road games are at Moraga, Pleasant Hill, Orinda,
Walnut Creek, Fairfield, and Danville. For tournaments, the team will travel
to Woodland, Arcadia, Sunnyvale, North Lake Tahoe and Cooperstown,
NY.
Hall added that all 13 players are multiple sport athletes ranging from playing
youth football (Napa Saints), basketball (either middle school or CYO) soccer
(Napa United) and swimming (WAVES Aquatics).
“We wanted to provide a travel ball experience that focused on the
development and safety of the player,” Hall said. “Secondly, we wanted to
create an organization that works for each individual with a family-like
relationship that would remain in their corner after high school. Next, we
wanted to provide young people with opportunities that they may not receive
otherwise. Lastly, we wanted to create a system that emphasized chemistry,
work ethic, and being a great citizen off the field. We have been fortunate
enough to work with first-class kids.”
development and safety of the player,” Hall said. “Secondly, we wanted to
create an organization that works for each individual with a family-like
relationship that would remain in their corner after high school. Next, we
wanted to provide young people with opportunities that they may not receive
otherwise. Lastly, we wanted to create a system that emphasized chemistry,
work ethic, and being a great citizen off the field. We have been fortunate
enough to work with first-class kids.”
The terms “travel team” and “playing year around” are often viewed as similar
ideas. They are both similar, Hall added, because they are a club travel team,
had a tryout and travel to play teams outside of Napa. However, the terms are
not necessarily universal.
“Up until the spring of 2019, we would have been considered a year round
team,” Hall said. “We would play (Napa) Little League, which would last
from February until the beginning of July and then we would join together
as the Nationals and play until the end of October. This would limit our boys
from playing multiple sports until last year, when we decided to not do Little
League anymore and just be the Nationals.”
In 2019, the Nationals started their season in February and it ended in the
middle of July. As a result, youngsters in the program were able to go play
other sports in the fall and winter.
The 2020 season will mark the fifth for the Nationals with this being the
second that does not involve Napa Little League. In that five year span, the
Nationals have compiled a record of 67-30 with nine of the 13 players being
together since 2016.
second that does not involve Napa Little League. In that five year span, the
Nationals have compiled a record of 67-30 with nine of the 13 players being
together since 2016.
“Our organization could not take place, without the help of our local business
and their support,” Hall said.
The Nationals can be followed in three different ways. The games are streamed
live on the team’s Facebook and Instagram (@NVNationals) page. You can
also watch live scoring updates on Game Changer (@Napa Valley Nationals).
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