 COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – While temperatures spiked up and didn’t much relent at the 2022 SlumpBuster, you could have taken the pulse of the Canes Arizona 13u Gold squad and not found cooler customers out of the hundreds of other teams at the event.
First, the Canes (from Scottsdale) fought through various moments of stress and strain in the DI Gold semifinals, holding off Hawks 13’s by a 5-4 margin in extra innings. And as an encore, the Canes prevailed in a good, old-fashioned defensive nail-biter, moving past the Placentia (CA) Mustangs in the title game, 3-2. Braden Harmon threw five standout innings for the Canes in the championship matchup, allowing one first-inning run and notching four strikeouts, with one huge K ending the third inning with the bases loaded. Reliever Hawk Licari gave up a run in the sixth to make it 3-2 and saw the Mustangs load the bases in the seventh on a hit and two walks. But he got the Mustangs to hit an easy-to-handle grounder to shortstop; with the out made a second base, the Canes could celebrate even if the heat might have sapped a few inches off their vertical jumps. “It’s a great one to win, and anytime you win your last game everything feels good, whatever bracket it is,” said Canes coach Greg Halvorson. “The kids played great. You control what you can – these kids really play hard and grind, and they’ve been together a long time. They know how to win at the end of the game, and that’s what they did here in these last two. “The kids always make it interesting, but (late-inning drama) is part of the game. They played hard, we played hard, and we were able to get it done.” Christian Rojas walked to lead off the game for the Mustangs; he scored on a groundout by Jaxson Lang. The Canes responded with singles by Harmon and Sean Campbell and a two-run double from Jacoby Noble. Campbell came through with a triple to lead off the third, and he came home on a groundout by Chris Sinacori. Campbell added a double with one out in the fifth, but he was stranded when a line drive from Noble was tracked down by the Mustangs defense. “I was very confident up at the plate and usually a pretty good hitter,” Campbell said. “I started the day off not that good, but it came around and we were able to win the championship. We were pretty positive – Hawk is a very good pitcher and did a great job in the end.” Harmon allowed just four hits and moved through his assignment with confidence. The Canes defense only had a couple of errors, and the one that came in the fifth was solved when Harmon got the final out of the frame on a pop fly to first base. “As soon as I got in my comfort zone, I started to feel a bit better about everything,” Harmon said. “I was able to settle down. This was exciting at the end and great to come out on top. We were hoping for some more runs, but we know we have good pitching, guys who will pump strikes and finish it strong.”  Name: Riley Mincic
Job title: IT Support Specialist Family: Son of Vincent and Sherry Mincic. I have one brother Wesley Mincic. My sister-in-law is Brittany Mincic, and I have two nephews and a niece named Kohen, Kaide and Ella. Hometown: Greeley, CO Colleges attended: Pacific University (OR), University of Colorado-Boulder and Red Rocks Community College (currently enrolled) Sports background: I have played baseball my whole life; my last year playing was my freshman year in college when I attended Pacific University. Other sports I played while I grew up and in high school include basketball, golf and tennis. Proudest moment and humbling defeat: One of my most proud moments was winning the Legion State championship with my high school summer team at Greeley West High School. A loss that always sticks out is my first year playing tennis – I was one win away with my doubles partner from getting to the state playoffs my junior year of high school. Made me hungrier to get better to make that push for a state playoff spot. Hobbies/Outside interests: There are many things that I like to call my hobbies, including playing and watching sports. Something that I love to do is go skiing as much as possible. Favorite trip: One I'll never forget was a childhood trip I took with my parents and brother to Hawaii. There are so many memories that I have from that trip, good and bad. I can recount going out into the ocean and going hundreds of feet out and the water only going up to my waist until suddenly I walked into a trench and almost drowned but was able to get my feet back under me. Not a great memory but something I will never forget. How did you connect with Triple Crown?: I first became associated with Triple Crown from a very young age. I played baseball with TCA at the time with the Greeley Gold. Our first year together as a team we won the Triple Crown Colorado State Championship. After playing I got into contact with Triple Crown for the IT position through baseball director Joel De La Rosa, who referred me for the job opening. What intrigues you about Triple Crown?: Primarily, being a part of an organization that I know does good things for the sport I love the most, baseball. Being able to work with like-minded people who also care about the sport makes for a great environment.  FORT COLLINS, CO – United in their collective concern for the shortage of sports officials and the mission to improve how officials are treated, Triple Crown Sports and Officially Human have announced a partnership through the TCS event seasons of 2022 and 2023 to better highlight how players, parents and coaches can assist in fortifying this essential aspect of competitive sport.
Officially Human will be provided multiple platforms at TCS events to share the message about the crisis already affecting youth and college sports in terms of fielding enough officials to play the games. Triple Crown will soon be formalizing its own “no tolerance” policy regarding treatment of officials at TCS events, and Officially Human will assist in spreading the word about what is ideally a new era in appropriate behavior in the stands, on the sidelines and in the field of play. Triple Crown will welcome Officially Human to its top events, including the Colorado 4th of July softball event in Colorado that will feature nearly 1,100 teams in 2022. Other events include the Omaha SlumpBuster baseball tournament (650 teams) and the 2023 TC Volleyball NIT, arguably the nation’s most competitive club tournament that will have about 550 teams in action at the Kansas City Convention Center. Points of emphasis for the partnership include, but are not limited to, encouraging all involved to remember that officials are invested in what they do. Many officials have regular, full-time jobs, and they are sacrificing time away from their families. Empathy is critical -- how long would you continue to go to your job knowing that at any time you could be subject to verbal abuse or threatening behavior? Better treatment of sports officials is the best way to ensure these key members of our sports ecosystem work in an environment where they feel comfortable and safe. Officially Human was founded by Brenda Hilton, a current employee in Division I college athletics who has spent most of her over 20 years working in low/mid/high major collegiate officiating, collaborating most closely with the assignors and the officials at the highest level of Division I men’s basketball. ”We are pleased to join Triple Crown Sports in addressing the officiating crisis affecting TCS, and frankly, all of youth sports,” said Brenda Hilton, Founder and CEO of Officially Human. “The entire TCS organization is first class, and their willingness to address these issues head on shows TCS continued leadership in youth sports. OH appreciates the ability to spread our message far and wide as part of the large and growing TCS event platform.” “No one wants to imagine a situation where sports teams are sent home and seasons are cancelled because there are no officials to work the games, but it’s hardly impossible with the shrinking pool of willing officials around the country,” said Keri King, CEO of Triple Crown Sports. “We are steadfast in confronting the problem of how officials are treated, and Officially Human is the ideal messenger for this moment. It’s time to demand an end to the terrible behavior we sometimes see in competition – we cannot in good conscience sit back and assume the trends of disrespect and abuse are just going to stop on their own.” About Officially Human Based in Lombard, IL., Officially Human was founded to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sport officials through increased education and communication to all stakeholders (administrators, coaches, athletes, and fans.) Founded in 2019, OH is the leader in addressing the growing crisis in officiating that touches every sport, official, and level of competition. OH offers tailored solutions to athletic host organizations of all sizes that improve the stakeholder experience at each of their sporting competitions. The comprehensive OH solutions package includes digital education, awareness building, event host communication strategies, and organizational support in addressing poor fan behavior. About Triple Crown Sports Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for 40 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. Triple Crown’s PV College Challenge features 8-10 of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. TC fastpitch tournaments (including the 1,000-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 650-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 550 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.  FORT COLLINS, CO – Triple Crown Sports and DICK’S Sporting Goods have announced the two companies have formed an official partnership, with DICK’S set to have a large profile at many of Triple Crown’s premier events.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with DICK’S Sporting Goods and have such an excellent brand attend many of our high-profile events,” said Chief Marketing Officer Andy Hansen. “Triple Crown shares many of the same values and dedication to youth sports that DICK’S Sporting Goods does making it a perfect opportunity to form a partnership.” DICK’S Sporting Goods will be featured prominently on site at selected 2022 events such as the Colorado 4th of July and the Omaha SlumpBuster. Coaches, players and parents can expect to receive communication on special offers and key product offerings from DICK’S Sporting Goods throughout the year. “At DICK’S Sporting Goods we understand the importance of sports and are proud to partner with Triple Crown to provide support for their youth programs,” said Aimee Watters, Senior Director Sports Matter and Community Marketing, DICK’S Sporting Goods. About Triple Crown Sports Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for 40 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. Triple Crown’s PV College Challenge features 8-10 of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. TC fastpitch tournaments (including the 1,000-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 600-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 550 teams compete in Kansas City, MO. About DICK'S Sporting Goods DICK’S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) creates confidence and excitement by personally equipping all athletes to achieve their dreams. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, the leading omnichannel retailer serves athletes and outdoor enthusiasts in more than 850 DICK’S Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Field & Stream, Public Lands, Going Going Gone! and Warehouse Sale stores, online, and through the DICK’S mobile app. DICK’S also owns and operates DICK’S House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app for scheduling, communications, live scorekeeping and video streaming. Driven by its belief that sports make people better, DICK’S has been a longtime champion for youth sports and, together with its Foundation, has donated millions of dollars to support under-resourced teams and athletes through the Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about DICK’S business, corporate giving, sustainability efforts and employment opportunities can be found on dicks.com, investors.dicks.com, sportsmatter.org, dickssportinggoods.jobs and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Fort Collins, CO (February 25, 2022) – Triple Crown Sports (TCS) announced today that it has reached an agreement with BASE Sports Group (BASE) for the company to manage its sponsorship rights. BASE will have the exclusive rights to manage and sell sponsorship for the event operator and its portfolio of premier amateur sporting events around the United States.
“TCS is excited about the value that BASE Sports Group brings our organization,” said Andy Hansen, Chief Marketing Officer of Triple Crown Sports. “They’re providing a true end-to-end service that will enable us to measure how our sponsors are impacting our bottom line and help us build a better experience for our players, parents and coaches.” BASE provides a 360-degree service negotiating, managing and activating partnership rights for sports facilities and amateur sporting events. BASE carefully considers the activation support necessary to deliver incomparable brand experiences, integrating its staff into support for activation, marketing and any other operational execution. BASE takes an analytical approach to determine the success of each property and partnership, using industry-leading measurement techniques. “Triple Crown Sports has a tradition of building strong and engaged communities around their events,” said BASE Co-Founder, Mark Dvoroznak. “BASE is facilitating access for brands to directly integrate into the strong community that TCS has built. They create unique and valuable experiences for not just the athletes, but parents, coaches, and all attendees.” TCS showcases over 100 annual events in sports such as volleyball, fastpitch softball, baseball, basketball and lacrosse, hosted in major markets from coast to coast. The organization welcomed 550 girls’ volleyball clubs in Kansas City, MO at the 2022 Triple Crown NIT, hosting over 20,000 visitors at the Kansas City Convention Center during President’s Day weekend. Other notable events in TCS’s portfolio include the Colorado 4th of July, a fastpitch showcase that brings in over 1,000 participating teams; the Omaha Slumpbuster, which hosts over 600 club baseball teams; and the Cancun Challenge, an annual men’s and women’s college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving week. About Triple Crown Sports Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for 40 years. TCS runs both the preseason and postseason WNIT basketball events and produces the men’s and women’s DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering “WNIT” concept events in D-I softball (NISC) and volleyball (NIVC), with those two events debuting in 2017. Triple Crown’s PV College Challenge features 8-10 of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. TC fastpitch tournaments (including the 1,000-team Sparkler/Fireworks event) draw the nation’s finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 650-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 550 teams compete in Kansas City, MO. Web: https://triplecrownsports.com Instagram: @tcsports Twitter: @triplecrownspts About BASE Sports Group: BASE brings a sophisticated and measured approach to brand engagement in amateur sports. The amateur sports industry has seen intense consolidation in the last two years, making it easier and more impactful for brands to engage this valuable market. BASE’s leadership team touts nearly 50 years of experience in the sports industry. This experience includes sponsorship strategy and sales from amateur, collegiate, and professional sports. Through partnerships with rightsholders of various sizes, scope, and sports, BASE’s portfolio of facilities and events offers brands access to the most diverse and valuable demographic. BASE’s national reach exceeds 12 million unique individuals and offers brands customizable and cutting-edge activations to deliver leading consumer engagement experiences. Additional Information Web: www.basesportsgroup.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/base-sports-group Twitter: @BaseSportsGroup  Name: Joshua Gottesman
Job Title: Series Director Email: joshua@triplecrownsports.com Hometown: Fort Collins, CO Family: My parents live in Auburn, AL; both work at Auburn University. My dad is the Executive Director of Institutional Compliance & Privacy, and my mother is a retired Academic Advisor, currently working in the University Medical Clinic. My father, as a passion project, works the clock at Auburn basketball games and does live stats at the football games. He worked the clock in the 1996 Olympics. I have one older sister who lives in Madison, AL where she teaches dance and tumbling. Sports Background: I played baseball growing up but fell in love with umpiring somewhere along the way. I would end up quitting baseball to take umpiring more seriously, calling 7A varsity baseball while still in high school. By the time I graduated high school, I was calling college baseball. Hobbies/Outside Interests: I enjoy playing chess, listening to NPR and debating why Barry Bonds should be in the Hall of Fame. Favorite trip: As an adult, my first time visiting Colorado before I moved. I fell in love with Fort Collins and the Rocky Mountains and that feeling hasn't wavered for the entire time I've been here. How did you become associated with Triple Crown?: When I first visited Fort Collins, I got in touch with a local umpire association. They assigned me to the TC Baseball Memorial Day Classic. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tournament and people I met throughout it. I would go on to work two more TC events during the summer and became a fan of the company. What intrigues you the most about Triple Crown?: Their desire to put on the absolute best events. Nobody tolerates mediocrity, and ideas flow freely from everyone. I’m excited to be able to help Triple Crown grow and become something even more prestigious.  Name: Bobby Holland
Job Title: East Coast Baseball Director Email: bobby@triplecrownsports.com Family: Proud father to three children – Hannah (18), Grayson (15) and Brooks (8). Hometown: Richmond, VA College Attended/Year Graduated: Old Dominion University/1999 Sports Background: My proudest moment and most humbling moment both came as a pitcher at Old Dominion University. As a freshman I was the winning pitcher of the Conference Tournament championship game (1996). It was the third consecutive conference championship for the Monarchs. The victory put ODU in the Atlantic Regional at Clemson. The most humbling defeat I had was my junior year at Old Dominion. One of my coaches had suggested that I raise my arm slot a bit from submarine position. The goal was to pick up about 5 mph on my fastball and get me drafted. After setting school records in appearances and leading the team in earned run average two years in a row, the new slot did not take. I only pitched 19 innings in 19 or so games my junior year. I remember giving up a home run versus James Madison that probably still hasn't landed yet. I knew then my career was over! Hobbies/Outside Interests: I enjoy reading, live music, hiking, spending time with my family, coaching, fishing, crabbing and playing guitar. Favorite trip: Taking my daughter to the Wide World of Sports at Disney for a cheerleading tournament. Our team did not make the finals and we planned to stay an extra day or two after the tournament ended. I'll never forget my daughter’s comment after the loss, "at least we can go to the park all day tomorrow!" The truth comes out! The tournament seemed so important and they trained so hard but when they lost she was so excited to just have fun with her Dad. How did you become associated with Triple Crown?: I worked for 13 years for Ripken Baseball at The Ripken Experience-Myrtle Beach. I became familiar with Triple Crown as we used to bid for additional field space in municipal facilities. There were always a few weeks that we could not get additional field space as Triple Crown had the rights to them. I had heard of John Casale through the local area leaders, and they had a great deal of respect in the market. What intrigues you the most about Triple Crown?: I think the thing that stands out to me is the family-first philosophy. I have worked in other environments where that was not the case. I feel proud to work for a company that stands by such strong family and customer service and quality related pillars.  Name: Jason McCoy
Job Title: Event Director Email: Jason@triplecrownsports.com Family: I have been married for 13 years; my wife’s name is Maritza. We have one child, Tanner, who is 12 years old. Tanner is in the 7th grade and attends University Middle School in Greeley. My wife is an elementary school teacher at University School as well. Maritza was born in Mexico and I was born in California. My parents live in Michigan and my wife's parents live in Greeley. Hometown: Greeley College Attended/Year Graduated: Saginaw Valley State University, graduated in 1996. Sports Background: I played flag football, basketball and baseball as a youth. In high school, I only played baseball. I went on to college and played. My proudest moment was when I made my first college start while the team was in Florida. My most humbling defeat was when I got picked off at first base in the district championships. Hobbies/Outside Interests: Hiking, biking, water skiing, snow skiing, collecting Star Wars Legos sets, watching my son's sports and activities and working on cars. Favorite trip: Disney World with my family in 2012. When I was a child, I always enjoyed the family trips to California. How did you become associated with Triple Crown?: I was a temp employee at EnviroTech, and the CFO (Kevin) knew Dave King and Sean Hardy. Kevin asked me to send him my resume. A few weeks later, he asked me to give Patty Harsch a call. We spoke over the phone, and I went through the interview process with Sean and Bill Pilcher. I never heard of Triple Crown prior to Patty's phone call. I sort of fell into it. What intrigues you the most about Triple Crown?: What intrigues me is that you are really in charge of your territory. You can build & create anything for our customers. Your passion can take you as far as you want to go.  Scouts from Don Reynolds Baseball Group to provide MLB-based perspective.
After using the 2021 baseball season to introduce the program, Top Prospects will give 14u and 15u players multiple chances to gather personalized scouting insight and analytic data thanks to nine camps that will run alongside Triple Crown and Pathway Baseball events in 2022. Scouts from the Don Reynolds Baseball Group, who have extensive background in MLB settings and/or coaching histories, will be on hand to share their perspective on player strengths and weaknesses. Our partners at College Sports Evaluation will handle the hard-data collection, allowing athletes to proceed with a real command of where they are and how to advance in the game. Here’s the Top Prospects Camp schedule for 2022 Feb. 19-21: Spring Training Instructional, Panama City, FL. March 5: Texas Season Opener, Dallas Metroplex March 18: Arizona Spring Championships, Scottsdale June 4: Virginia State Championships, Hampton Roads June 17: Omaha SlumpBuster #1 June 18: Top Prospects Arizona, Scottsdale June 24: Omaha SlumpBuster #2 July 6: Summer Nationals (15u), Myrtle Beach, SC July 21: Summer Nationals (14u), Myrtle Beach, SC View Details On 2022 Top Prospects Camps Selected 14u and 15u players get a chance at college exposure and challenging competition at the 2022 Pathway Arizona event in September. View Details CONTACT: John Casale (970) 672-0583 john@triplecrownsports.com https://www.tctopprospects.com/  Name: Adam Kline
Job Title: Senior Accountant Email: adam@triplecrownsports.com Family: My wife, Vikki, and I moved to Fort Collins in 2015 and shortly after had our son, Dominic. My parents, Dominic and Gail, and siblings all currently live in Michigan. I have one older sister and two younger sisters, along with three brothers-in-law and two nieces and two nephews. Hometown: Detroit, MI College Attended/Year Graduated: Madonna University 2006 B.S. Sports Management; Wayne State University 2008 M.A. Sports Administration Sports Background: Growing up, basketball and baseball were my primary sports. While in high school, I played two years of basketball and four years of baseball. I was fortunate enough to play in two state championship games in high school. My junior year our team was 38-1 and ranked in the top 15 nationally. I went on to pitch for four years (2-year closer and 2-year starter) at Madonna University in Livonia, MI. After my collegiate career was complete, I coached at the high school level before moving to Tennessee to work for a Minor League Baseball team. Hobbies/Outside Interests: Golf, Friday night bonfires, coaching, spending time with friends and family, and I love watching my son participate in all of his activities. Favorite trip: Family trip to Disneyland for my son's first birthday. How did you become associated with Triple Crown? When working on my Master's degree I had to complete an internship, and I connected with the TCS Midwest franchise owner to complete my internship hours with him and learn more about the inter-workings of Triple Crown. What intrigues you the most about Triple Crown?: The values that Triple Crown stands by are like that of no other organization that I have ever worked for. The staff here is tremendous with a common goal to create lasting memories. |
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