The CT Outlaws went 6-2 and made it all the way to the championship game of the 2016 Mickey Mantle World Series, where they lost to Knights Baseball 3-2 on Sunday.
Here’s the roster from the Mickey Mantle runner-up:
1 – Joel Guzman (Sacred Heart)
2 – Jaylen Kelley (Seymour)
3 – John Nolan (Amity Regional)
5 – Charlie Rhodes III (Notre Dame-West Haven)
6 – Jacob Shpur (Housatonic Valley Regional)
8 – Chad Closson (The Gilbert School)
9 – Jacob Rowland (Kingswood-Oxford)
11 – Bryson Cafaro (Ansonia)
14 – Jeremy Mercier (Southington)
15 – Adam Razza (Holy Cross)
16 – Jonathan Mikosz (Southington)
21 – Adam Willametz (Berlin)
23 – Michael Marella (Masuk)
24 – Adrian Velez Jr. (Waterbury Career Academy)
27 – Justin Guerrera (Watertown)
31 – Francis Phelan Jr. (Holy Cross)
33 – Benjamin Tauber (Kingswood-Oxford)
37 – William Boone (Avon)
39 – Patrick Palmer (Ansonia)
41 – Michael Sansone (Notre Dame-West Haven)
42 – John Jose (Coginchaug Regional)
And here’s how the Outlaws reached the final, game by game:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27
Game 1: CT Outlaws 2, FTB Arecibo (Puerto Rico) 1
At Municipal Stadium
Cafaro pitched the first six innings to pick up the win. He also had a single, RBI and a stolen base. Rowland scored the other run for the Outlaws, and Mikosz pitched the seventh inning for the save.
THURSDAY, JULY 28
Game 2: CT Outlaws 8, Watsonville Aggies (California) 6
At Holy Cross High School
Phelan tossed the first five innings to grab the victory. Velez Jr. was 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Razza singled and scored two runs. Nolan went 2-for-2 with three RBI and a run scored while Guerrera was 3-for-3 with a triple, a RBI and two runs scored. Cafaro had two hits and a RBI.
Game 3: CT Outlaws 8, Knights Baseball (Tennessee) 2
At Muzzy Field
Boone pitched six innings to pick up the victory. Nolan and Cafaro each had a triple, single and two RBI. Cafaro also scored two runs, and Closson added a double, single and RBI. Razza had a hit, RBI and run scored.
FRIDAY, JULY 29
Game 4: D-BAT Elite Gowins (Texas) 6, CT Outlaws 0
At Municipal Stadium
Mikosz and Mercier each singled, the only hits for the Outlaws. Tauber started the game and was the losing pitcher.
SATURDAY, JULY 30
Game 5: CT Outlaws 2, Midland Tribe (Ohio) 1
At Municipal Stadium
Playing in their first elimination game, the Outlaws trailed 1-0 entering the top of the seventh inning, but scored twice to win. Rhodes III walked and later scored on an error to tie the game. Guerrera singled, reached second on that same error, then came around to score on Nolan’s RBI double. Sansone finished the comeback, and his complete game, in the bottom of the seventh.
Game 6: CT Outlaws 10, D-BAT Elite Gowins 2 (mercy rule 6 innings)
At Municipal Stadium
The Outlaws were again in trouble, trailing 2-1 entering the top of the fifth inning. They proceeded to score four runs in the fifth inning for a 5-2 lead, then blew the game open with five more runs in the sixth. Velez Jr. had two hits, three runs scored and two walks while Razza added two hits and two runs scored. Nolan drove in three runs while Cafaro and Rowland had two RBI each. Guzman walked twice and scored a run. Mikosz pitched all six innings for the win.
SUNDAY, JULY 31
Game 7: CT Outlaws 6, D-BAT Elite Gowins 1
At Municipal Stadium
Phelan pitched a complete game and picked up the win. Rowland went 2-for-2 with a RBI. Guerrera, Rhodes III and Guzman each drove in a run. The Outlaws scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, thanks in large part to six errors by D-BAT.
Game 8: Knights Baseball 3, CT Outlaws 2
At Municipal Stadium
Mercier led the offense with two hits. Guerrera (single) and Nolan (bases loaded walk) each had a RBI in the top of the seventh inning in the final Outlaw rally of the World Series. Guzman came on as a pinch runner and scored the first run of the inning. Razza drew two walks in the game. Cafaro pitched the first five innings and took the loss. Sansone pitched the sixth inning for the Outlaws.
Game statistics compiled from the GameChanger account of the CT Outlaws.
