Minnesota Renegade program added high energy to SlumpBuster Session 1

Part of the attraction and appeal of the Omaha SlumpBuster youth baseball tournament (powered by Triple Crown Sports) is the wide variety of club programs that dedicate time and resources to make the trip. It’s a coast-to-coast mix that essentially guarantees teams will play opponents they’d never see otherwise and probably won’t see again.

The Minnesota Renegade, located just outside Minneapolis, brought three 13u teams to Session 1 – here’s Part 2 of our closer look at what got the program off the ground and how it plans to tackle the future. We spoke with board president John Drevlow.

College Prep

Our goal is to get our players ready for College Baseball. We know that with hard work, commitment and mental fortitude any of our players can play at the High School level, so we tell them to aim higher. We look up recent college commits from our area and see what level they played at 11u-13u. Several of them were Single A or Double AA players who hustled and grinded to work their way up. We train our players on how to play the game but also how to mentally prepare to be successful in a game of failure. Many of these players are used to hitting over .600, striking out the side and scoring a bunch of runs but aren't ready for that success to diminish as they get more competitive. We see so many life lessons through the game that if we can help them prepare for College Baseball, we're setting them up for success in life in general. 

History with Slumpbuster 

I've personally been to SlumpBuster in the past where my older son's team took second place a few years ago. Several of our players went last year with their City Association Teams. Coming to SlumpBuster, where the combined energy of the tournament and the College World Series, is infectious and fosters our players love for the game. Being able to meet and play against players from all over the country is such a unique experience. We love the grind it takes to battle through the tournament while the pool and bracket structure allows for competitive games on the back half of the tournament. The anticipation of the tournament has been a highlight of our season.

SlumpBuster Planning

Our teams travel quite a bit all over the Midwest so a quick five-hour drive is pretty standard for us. We are a well-organized group with five board members who all do an amazing job on their respective roles. Each board member has specific responsibilities and takes the initiative to make sure our organization is prepared to give our players the best experience possible. They are passionate about our program, our players and our goals. Without them, being able to provide a great experience for our players and families would be a whole lot tougher!