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There are the “boys of summer” and then there are the real boys of summer. Boys with hopes. Boys with dreams.
Not of the big leagues, but the big-time nonetheless — a shot at a college baseball team. So they keep their own seasons going to keep those dreams alive.
While these boys of summer, the Genoa Rampage, dream of a bigger spotlight someday, their immediate future seemingly came to a disappointing end with a 2-11 past season in the Toledo Amateur Baseball Federation. However, the team has struggled with age differences in competition all year, but did not let that affect their willingness to play.
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| Genoa Rampage shortstop Dominic Foust during his team's 8-2 victory over the Kent White Sox, champions of the Westchester Baseball League (New York), to finish College World Series pool play at Bowman Park. (Press photo by ScottGrau) |
The Rampage were asked fill an abandoned slot in the National Amateur Baseball Federation College World Series presented by the Buckeye Cable Sports Network. The CWS is hosted by Toledo Fed league, giving them access to fill the void.
Despite the size and depth disadvantage, the Rampage managed to find success.
“We were very mismatched and shell-shocked,” said Rampage coach Mickey McWatters, “Many of the kids we played were older, but we were able to learn a lot from the tournament.”
The Rampage was a last minute bid into the NABF after the Pittsburgh Pandas (Tri-State Baseball League) couldn’t make the trip to Toledo. In pool play, the Rampage routed the Kent White Sox (Westchester Baseball League champions, New York) 8-2, and lost a close game to the 2011 tournament runner-ups and 2009 champions, the Crystal Lake Cardinals (Metro Amateur Baseball of Illinois), and lost to the Toledo Gold Hawks, 12-3, finishing 1-2 in the pool play.
Regardless, the Rampage had an unexpected, yet satisfying, fan base.
“Even though we were the tremendous underdog, everyone was pulling for us,” told McWatters, “It was nice to see the support for the kids working to better their games.”
Bettering their games is just why Mickey McWatters is out coaching the Rampage. Alongside his father, Dan McWatters, the duo is working to create a path for the kids on the roster to fulfill their dreams.
“The Rampage is very much like a stepping stone, no one has signed or committed anywhere yet, but that’s why they’re spending the summer out of the field,” said McWatters “The dream for the kids would be to play at the next level [in college].”
Mickey McWatters is fulfilling his own dream, as well, coaching his younger brothers Seth, 18, and Bryce, 16. Seth, a recent graduate of Genoa High, pitches; whereas Bryce, going into his senior year at GHS, fills second base.
“It’s been great coaching my brothers, I’ve been doing it for years, I get a lot out of helping them learn the game,” said McWatters.
The McWatters brothers, however, are not the only brother-bond on the Genoa Rampage roster. Among them are the Genoa-bread Adkins brothers; Black Swamp Baseball Club members, Jordan and Josh Klophenstein; while the NABF official roster also included Dominic Foust, Beau Lamb, Austin Gunn, Grant Vidra, Garrett Scott, Paxon Miller, and Joel McGordy.
“With all my kids, none of them are flashy or ‘look-at-me’ type players. The kids I take on are always classy, are willing and able to learn, and they put team and family first,” said McWatters, “Many of them have become very close to me and my family. Dominic Foust, ‘Dom,’ is like an honorary brother of mine. We’ve become like a family.”
Mickey, a 2003 graduate of GHS, played one year of baseball under Coach Gary Nissen.
“Gary always thought I was going to be a coach, and it just so happened to work that way,” said McWatters, “I decided I’d be a better coach than baseball player, and I’ve gotten way more credit and honor from helping these boys fulfill their dreams and be successful. That’s why we, Genoa Rampage, are what we are.”
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