Ryan Tokar, Thurmont Little League

There has been absolutely no let-up at Thurmont Little League (TLL), with a flurry of activity continuing to keep our players, coaches, and parents busy throughout these hot, sticky summer months.

Our three travel All-Star teams have been in action battling some of the top teams from across the district. We have had lots of great baseball and other activities going on to keep our complex full of people.

The summer travel schedule kicked off with our 9-11 All-Stars traveling to Germantown to take on MCLL Upper. They started things off in an impressive fashion with a 7-5 victory to begin the tournament. Next, they returned home and lost against an extremely tough MCLL Lower team, 13-2. Not to be deterred, the team rattled off two straight comeback victories: first, a walk-off against Frederick National, and then an exciting come-from-behind victory against Brunswick. Down 7-2 in the top of the 6th, their bats heated up and they stormed back to win by a final of 9-7. This put them back against MCLL Lower in a showdown for the championship, where they, unfortunately, fell to a well-rested MCLL team. This team showed a lot of grit and determination. They could never be counted out and battled all the way until the end. TLL was extremely proud to see them finish as the runner-up in the tournament.

Our 11-12 All-Stars were next up, kicking off their district tournament with a tough opening round match-up against Brunswick. After rain delayed the game for over 24 hours, the team came out fighting. The game was neck and neck until the very end, but the Railroaders pulled away in the end to win by a score of 9-4. There was no let up in the schedule, with their bracket sending them to Bethesda to play MCLL Lower the very next day. Once again, this resilient group battled, but would ultimately be defeated. Despite the outcome of the games, this team had nothing to hang their heads about. Unfortunately, they drew the two top teams in their first two games, who ended up playing for the district championship. Brunswick would eventually defeat MCLL Lower to become this year’s champion.

In late July, our Minors All-Stars began play in the Emory Frye Tournament, hosted by Brunswick Little League. In their first contest, they soundly defeated South County by a score of 11-1. These young ballers looked very impressive, and at the time of this writing, they were still alive in tournament play. Additional updates on the results will be provided in the next edition.

It hasn’t just been games keeping TLL busy this summer. A plethora of other activities has been ongoing around the complex and in the surrounding community. First up, was the annual Guardian Hose Company Parade. After a two-year absence due to COVID, TLL was excited to be back in the parade with three truckloads of players, coaches, and family members waving and throwing candy to the crowd. Also, in late June, the annual participation in the “World’s Largest Game of Catch” was held. This event is sponsored by Jeff Potter of The Potter Baseball Tour. Thurmont was one of over 100 virtual locations attempting to break the world record for most people playing catch at one time. TLL had over 75 people playing catch and raised $200 for CureSearch to help with pediatric cancer awareness.

Speaking of Coach Potter, his baseball tour rolled into town in late July as they have done for the past several years, to help with community action projects. In the past, they have done a charity kickball game alongside Fuse Teen Center, painted the Thurmont Food Bank, and done exterior work on the Thurmont Senior Center. This year, they joined up with TLL to hold a “morning at the ballpark” event at the Thurmont Regional Library. They also pulled weeds and did other cleanup along the Thurmont Trolley Trail, as well as some exterior painting on the pavilions at the Thurmont Town Park.

Jeff was joined by some extra helpers this year, as members of the Potter Pirates-Black baseball team (that will be traveling to Cooperstown, New York, August 3-9) assisted his tour group with its projects. These team members are all current or former TLL players, who will be getting a chance to play in the Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament. It’s always great to see Coach Potter, as his love of baseball and community is infectious.

Registration is now open for Fall Ball! This is for baseball and softball, ages 4-13. Divisions of play include: T-ball, Coach Pitch, Minors, Majors, and Intermediate. Please visit www.Thurmont LittleLeague.com to sign up. The deadline to register is August 14. We can’t wait to see everyone else back on the fields soon!

Thurmont Little League 9-11 All-Stars

Thurmont Little League 11-12 All-Stars