The Texas Rangers Youth Academy hosted its third annual 12U Wood Bat Classic last weekend, March 2-3, with Down East claiming its second consecutive championship title.

Dozens of the Academy’s top 12-and-under ballplayers comprised three Rangers teams, all named for the club’s Minor League affiliates, with team Mercy Street rounding out the field of competition.

The two-day tournament began with pool play to identify two top-seeded teams to face off in Sunday’s championship.

On the opening day of pool play, the Crawdads and Down East jumped out as early frontrunners, with the Express going an even 2-2 on the weekend and Mercy Street finishing without a win.

The Crawdads left pool play unscathed, earning the home team honors in the championship game after holding their opponents to just one run across three games.

Down East, who fell to the Crawdads in their opening pool play game, battled back in a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Express and a 6-3 win over Mercy Street to punch its ticket to the title game.

In a high-scoring affair, Down East, led by coaches Dash Johnson and Josh Marcellus, claimed the 10-5 win and its second consecutive 12U Wood Bat Classic Championship.

Notable Performances:

Crawdads – Two-way player Maddox Fore was instrumental in leading the Crawdads to a runner-up finish after hitting the tournament’s lone home run and posting nine strikeouts across four innings in their pool play win over Down East. Complimenting Fore on both sides of the ball were fellow top performers Carter Washington, Jaxon Seawood, Pedro Diaz and Xavier Pettigrew.

Down East – Lefty pitcher Xantana Guzman’s six-inning complete game shutout over the Express, Jose Manuel’s three doubles across the weekend, Braxton Dorsey's defensive MVP efforts and Dyson Wood’s two doubles and four RBI in the championship game were all key factors in Down East’s repeat championship.

Final Scores: