12U Team Combat, a local 12-year-old baseball team recently clinched a berth to the prestigious National Youth Baseball Championships to be held in Long Island, New York in late July 2017 (to be televised on CBS-Sports).
The National Youth Baseball Championships is the Country’s premier travel ball champions for ages 9U-14U. The National Youth Baseball Championships is the Country’s premier travel ball champions for ages 9U-14U.
This team is comprised of players from the Antioch, Oakley, and Brentwood areas, excluding two players who reside in Alamo and Woodland. The majority of the players currently attend Dallas Ranch, Bristow, Delta Vista, O’Hara Park, Garin, Antioch Charter and Edna Hill schools in the East Bay.
12U Team Combat, who is the back-to-back-to-back All-World Reno champions (2014-2016) have set their sights higher this year by opting not to defend their All-World Reno championship and instead, fly to New York to take on the best in the nation.
The 12U Team Combat team has won nearly all tournaments they have entered in 2017 and plays in the ‘Majors’ division of travel baseball, which is the highest level of youth baseball in the nation. Currently they are ranked 9th in the Nation (by USSSA Power Rankings). Since 2013, this team has posted an impressive record of 213-54-4 facing some of the best competition the west coast can offer.
Chris Bodishbaugh, the teams head coach, is eager to take this team to the National Championships in New York. Chris grew up in Brentwood and played for Freedom High School in 2003 where he was all league in football, baseball and basketball and is a current inductee into the Freedom High School Hall of Fame. Chris ultimately signed with the Florida Marlins to start his professional baseball career. When all was said and done Chris pitched 8 seasons professionally with the Marlins, White Sox and various Independent League Teams across 3 countries before retiring in 2015. Being a coach who grew up in the same area as the players he is now coaching makes this Majors level team extra special.
12U Team Combat is currently seeking the communities help in raising the necessary funds to send the players and coaches to the National Championships in NY in late July 2017.
The team also has a go-fund me page “Team Combat – heading to the NYBC”. Finally, the team is holding a fundraiser golf tournament on July 15th at the Shadow Lakes Golf Course in Brentwood Ca.
If you would like to donate or sponsor the team, please contact Nils Olson at [email protected] or Debbi Galvan at [email protected]
