The City of Altamonte Springs is thrilled to announce a historic achievement for the Altamonte Baseball Academy (ABA). For the first time since its inception in 2015, the ABA has claimed the 2024 Cal Ripken 11/70 World Series Championship held in Florence, Alabama.
The ABA 11U All-Star team, which was playing in its third consecutive Cal Ripken World Series and coming off a Third Place Finish in the 10U World Series last year, showcased exceptional talent and determination throughout their remarkable journey in securing the District, Florida State and Southeast Regional Championships, which had already earned them an invitation to play in the Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series next year. By the time the team reached the Cal Ripken World Series, it held an impressive 14-0 record, having outscored its opponents 149-13 with eight shutouts.
The road to the championship was not without its challenges. Despite a tough 5-4 loss to the host Florence Navy team on Opening Day of Pool Play, ABA showed incredible resilience, winning a nailbiter, 1-0, over Hendersonville (Tennessee) Civitan, before winning twice on the final day _ 13-1 over Marlboro (New Jersey) and 8-1 over West Raleigh (North Carolina), to finish Pool Play at 3-1, good enough for the No. 3 seed.
Altamonte opened Bracket Play with a resounding 6-4 win in a rematch with West Raleigh in the quarterfinals and then followed that with an 11-1 victory over Hendersonville Civitan in another rematch in the semifinals.
In a thrilling championship rematch, the ABA 11U All-Stars triumphed 8-3 against the top-seeded Florence Navy team that had handed the locals their only loss of the postseason, cementing their status as World Champions!
In addition to the team’s triumph, several players were recognized for their exceptional performances during the World Series:
* Fernando Moncada was honored as the World Series MVP.
* Levi Merritt and Colten Rollett were named to the All-Defensive Team.
* Graham Camara and Liam Rustand were named to the All-World Series Team.
The Altamonte Baseball Academy 11U All-Stars were managed by Ken Kelly, with Kevin Stephenson and Justin Harris serving as Coaches.
Making up the roster were _ Adrian Arcano, Graham Camara, Easton Climo, Yhosiah Diaz, Cooper Harris, Chase Lewis, Levi Merritt, Junior Miller, Fernando Moncada, Colten Rollett, Liam Rustand, Luke Stephenson and Messiah Washington.
This historic win marks Altamonte Springs’ first world championship title in 40 years, when former Major League Baseball star Jason Varitek led his squad to the World Title in 1984. Overall, the 2024 11U All-Stars concluded their season with a remarkable 20-1 record, outscoring their opponents 194-28 on their way to becoming World Champions.
Overall, the 2024 Altamonte Springs Babe Ruth All-Star program began with 12 teams competing at the district level, where the Altamonte Fastpitch Academy (AFA) 6U and 10U; and the ABA 11U, 13U and 14U teams emerged as District Champions. At the state level, the ABA 11U team won the state championship, while the 13U and 14U teams finished as runners-up, all qualifying for the Southeast Regional tournaments. The ABA 11U and 13U teams won the regional tournament, both qualifying for the World Series. The ABA 11U team are World Champions and the AFA 10U participated in the World Series finishing second.
The ABA 13U team has advanced to the 13U World Series in Glen Allen, VA where they are currently 1-1 in pool play. They secured a decisive 18-0 win over Williston Moose, North Dakota, but came up just short in a thrilling extra inning game, losing 11-12 to Oahu, Hawaii. The 13U team was back in action on Tuesday. Follow their quest for another championship by visiting _ https://baberuthworldseries.org/ _ the Babe Ruth World Series website.
Congratulations to the players, coaches and supporters of the ABA and AFA All-Stars. This achievement is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Altamonte Springs youth sports.
Here are the results:
2024 Cal Ripken 11/70 World Series
At Florence, Alabama
POOL PLAY
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Florence (Alabama) Navy 5, Altamonte 4.
Monday, August 5, 2024
Altamonte 1, Hendersonville (Tennessee) Civitan 0.
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Altamonte 13, Marlboro (New Jersey) 1.
Altamonte 8, West Raleigh (North Carolina) 1.
WORLD SERIES BRACKET
Quarterfinals
Thursday, August 8, 2024
(5) Manoa (Hawaii) 12, (4) Florence (Alabama) Red 3.
(1) Florence Navy 13, (8) Fairhope (Alabama) 0.
(3) Altamonte 6, (7) West Raleigh 4.
(6) Hendersonville Civitan 7, (2) Jacksonville Beach (Florida) 4.
Semifinals
Friday, August 9, 2024
(1) Florence Navy 6, (5) Manoa 2.
(3) Altamonte 11, (6) Hendersonville Civitan 1.
Championship
Saturday, August 10, 2024
(3) Altamonte 8, (1) Florence Navy 3.
