Macon's showing at '24 Nike RBI World Series makes 'big statement'

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- At the 2024 Nike RBI World Series, hosted at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, teams from all over the country, and world, competed for the ultimate prize. Both senior and junior division baseball teams battled it out across multiple rounds of pool games and elimination rounds.

Throughout these games, one team stood out as proudly “scrappy.” It didn't matter who they faced, the game would be tough and hard-fought, on both sides. That team was Macon Nike RBI, located about ​​85 miles southeast of Atlanta.

This year, the Macon Nike RBI team made its first-ever Nike RBI World Series appearance, an understandingly big deal, given it hails from an area where the poverty level sits at 21 percent.

Macon first baseman Chris Frazier knew their definitive entrance to this group -- earned from a win over last year's runner-up, the Dodgers Dreamteam -- would be noticed by the other teams.

“You know, we were like, really underdogs … they weren't expecting us to come out and play like this,” said Frazier. “We made a really big statement.”

And for all players present at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex, “The Robinson Way” is constantly being reinforced, both as a guiding principle and an overall motto.

“It's inspiring, really inspiring … first of all, his mindset,” Frazier said of Robinson, the player who permanently broke the Major League color barrier. “He really didn't care about all the backlash he had about it. He just wanted to play.”

And play they did. The Nike RBI World Series provides an opportunity every year for young players and teams to showcase the talents their communities have to offer and possibly even take home the coveted championship.

Macon Nike RBI coach Rodney Mangham is a former pro with Minor League experience, having spent his playing days in the Astros' organization. He is familiar with the circumstances and backgrounds young Macon players come from, and how they’ve thrived as ballplayers.

Mangham also praised the Nike RBI program, which works throughout the year to ensure RBI events, tournaments and the World Series are all executed and properly delivered within their respective communities.

“A lot of times, they never get a chance to play on a turf field,” said Mangham. “The hierarchy of RBI is just doing everything they need to do for us … additional opportunities … we get the chance to see us play.

“An hour from Atlanta, a lot of kids, the city is great, they support the kids, they support us with a brand new field -- it's wonderful."

No one is more familiar with the difficult times the Macon RBI program has endured than its unofficial founder, Jeff Battcher. A native of Macon, Battcher attended the University of Utah, lettering in football and baseball, and eventually returning to play a role in founding Macon Nike RBI.

“This is our ninth year of having this program, and [when] the program started, we didn't have a lot of players, we didn't have actually a place to play,” said Battcher. “And when we were going to the southeastern tournament, we were getting beat 15-0, 18-0.”

But with enough dedication from all program participants and organizers, things started to turn around for the team, eventually culminating in them traveling to and competing at the 2024 Nike RBI World Series.

And Macon put forth an impressive showing throughout, even during their 6-5 loss to Durham in the quarterfinals.

“This year, in our ninth year, we went 5-0,” Battcher said prior to the start of the tournament. “To qualify for this tournament is such a remarkable thing for this program, to come where we started, and come all the way to be here, the Nike RBI World Series is phenomenal.”

For pitcher and third baseman Jeremiah Reiss, there’s an understanding of what something as simple as usable baseball fields, the ones that are a joy to play on, do for young players. He has firsthand knowledge, having enjoyed the advantages of playing on a refurbished playing surface at the home field in Macon.

“For the community, it's good because it helps kids escape,” he said. “Like, if they're in a bad situation, it helps them escape, using sports, so them using that field is very inspirational for other kids.”

This inspiration doesn’t stop within the city limits of Macon but also seeps into the feelings and emotions of brotherhood and camaraderie the World Series-bound team builds, an experience that is second to none.

“We can put each other on our backs when one is down and we can trust each other in a close game situation, like just now,” said Reiss.