The Tucson Tigerz Baseball 13U team has just earned the title of Babe Ruth League Arizona State Champions! The journey for the Tigerz began in March when they entered the Kino Baseball Babe Ruth 90 Division league. The season was played through May, culminating in a double elimination tournament to crown the league champion. The Tigerz went undefeated in that tournament, won the division title, and earned an opportunity to compete for the State Title in Surprise, Arizona.
To prepare, the 13U Tigerz played in the junior varsity high school Kino League, competing against teams comprised of older high school boys. The preparation paid off! The Tigerz swept through the Babe Ruth State Tournament held June 7-9, winning tournament games with scores of 23-0, 17-6 and the championship game 18-2.
The next hurdle for the Tigerz is the Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament in Vernal, Utah from July 23-28. The Tigerz will be representing the state of Arizona and will compete against Hawaii, Northern Utah, Southern Utah, Vernal, Utah (host team), Nevada, Southern California, Central California, and Northern California to earn a spot in the Babe Ruth National Tournament held in Arkansas.

Nick Didier on the roster is not pictured in the photos. He is part of the team but could not attend the tournament this past weekend due to injury. “Tigerz team photo.jpg” provided by Riley Puglia.
The Tucson Tigerz 13U organization is comprised of the following coaches and athletes:
Frank Duarte – Manager and President
Antonio Mejia – Coach
Paul Cruz – Coach
Joe Puglia – Coach
Sammy Bass #10 – Cienega High School
Paul Cruz #21 – Andrada High School
Nick Didier #23 – Vail, AZ
Adian Duarte #9 – Desert Sky Middle School
Jordan Hansen # 6 – Emily Gray Middle School
Kolton Kujawa #5 – Emily Gray Middle School
Kasen Lomax #27 – Old Vail Middle School
Angel Lopez #13 – Old Vail Middle School
Antonio Mejia #8 – Old Vail Middle School
Garrett Montgomery #16 – Rincon Vista Middle School
Andrew Palakovich #1 – Old Vail Middle School
Danny Palmer #3 – Desert Sky Middle School
Zack Puglia #34 – Old Vail Middle School