An Impressive Run for FNLL

At the gazebo at the Sherman Green in Fairfield

Fairfield National's Little League World Series run is over. 

While they did not win it all, they won in a lot of ways, both on and off the field. 

They won districts, sectionals, the State of Connecticut and the Metro Region to advance to the Little League World Series. In the LLWS, they advanced all the way to the United States Championship. In the Championship on Saturday, they fell to Nevada, representing the Mountain Region, 8-2. 

Fairfield defeated Aruba on Sunday in the "third place game" to finish as the third best team in the World. A tremendous accomplishment! 

Most importantly, the boys of FNLL, as well as the coaches, represented Fairfield and captivated the Town of Fairfield and the State of Connecticut in an amazing way. 

They created memories for themselves that will last a lifetime. 

Fairfield was so impressive to watch. This is a team that won by playing well in all facets of the game, Hitting, pitching, defense and smart baserunning. A roster that consisted of: 

Logan Gryga
Ben Herbst
Charlie McCullough
Luca Pellegrini
Dante Madera
Joe Sorrentino
Brian Palazzolo
SJ Taxiltaridis
Tommy D'Amura
Colin Curley
Jimmy Taxiltaridis
Boden Dunlap

Some standout performances were the pitching and defense of Pellegrini. The pitching and hitting of SJ Taxiltaridis. The defense and hitting and leadership behind the plate of Jimmy Taxiltaridis. The hitting and pitching of Tommy D'Amura. And the defense of Dante Madera in center field and Brian Palazzolo at third base. 

There are so many others I could have named. That is the issue with sometimes trying to give shoutouts. No offense intended to anyone not mentioned. It is a tremendous TEAM! 

Congrats to Manager Brian Palazzolo and Coaches Dave Gryga and Tom Curley as well 

They were the third Connecticut team to make the United States Championship, joining Trumbull in 1989, who won it all, and Westport in 2013. 

They were just the fourth team from Fairfield to make the Little League World Series. Fairfield American made it in 2010, 2012 and 2017. 

The Town of Fairfield will honor the team on Monday at the Sherman Green. Come out and show them your support! 

While I'm not going to say I really know anyone on the team that well, I know family and friends of the players and coaches and my passion for sports, and especially baseball, in this town make it a pleasure to watch and follow. 

It was great to see all fans who went down to Williamsport to support, those who attended watch parties at local establishments and those who supported in other ways. There was also a lot of support on social media and in other ways around town. This just goes to show what a great community this town is. It does not matter which side of town you live on, which little league you are a part of, or which schools you attend or attended, it's about being a part of "One Town." 

These kids are not only great players but seem like great young men who we are all excited to watch and see what they do in the future, in all sports and life. 

For now, congratulations and thank you, Fairfield National! 

Find Your Fun - A Day at The Ballpark

Rob Adams has been trying to get me to come to a Hudson Valley Renegades game since 2021. 

Well, today, he finally got me there. 

The Renegades have a slogan, "Find Your Fun." Well, this was definitely my fun. 

I met Rob (and Sean Adams) in Greenwich and went with them up to the Hudson Valley. 

On our way up, I got to see a few places that Rob has talked about, so it was good to see them in person. 

The Renegades were set to play the Aberdeen IronBirds 

When we got into the stadium, Rob took me on a tour.  I've been to minor league ballparks before, but it's cool seeing different parks. We walked the concourse, went into the gift shop and the lounge. I was tempted to buy a hat (or something else) but then decided not to.

Rob would be doing public address and Sean would be on the high-home camera. When we walked to the upper level where the suites and booths were, we passed the visiting radio booth (which is where Sean run the camera from, the home radio booth, the press box and then finally to the PA booth. 

Prior to, during and after the game, there were plenty of activities going on. That is a major part of minor league baseball. There was multiple first pitches, dances from a couple groups, between inning games and more. Following the game, kids were able to run the bases and there was a tennis ball toss game. 

During the game, I hung out in the PA booth with Rob and three others who were in there as the booth producer, stadium audio producer and graphic director for the scoreboard. I don't know if those are their actual roles and titles, but that is what they are doing. 

Different people came in and out of the booth throughout the game. From Renegades game personnel to some fans as well as a couple young PA announcers who did a half inning each. 

The game was a really great game by both teams. It was a scoreless game through the first five innings. 

The Renegades got on the board in the sixth on a Josh Moylan RBI single. That would be all the 'Gades pitchers would need as four pitchers combined on a one-hitter. 

Following the game, after wrapping up with the others in the booth, Rob, Sean and I walked to the field so Rob could catch up with Greg Jones, who was the on-field host. He is the one who Rob works with in-game and who handles the between inning game. It was fun to stand on the field for a few minutes and just take in the atmosphere as the tennis ball toss was finishing up. 

After that, it was time to go home. 

Thank you to Rob, Sean and everyone else for a fun time. 

A great day.  

Summer Ball 2025

Another summer of baseball has come to an end for me. 

It was different, a lot lighter than in summers past, but still enjoyable. 

There was no Trumbull Babe Ruth tournament, or any Babe Ruth tournament coverage that I joined Rob Adams for. 

Rob did do a lot of Cal Ripken baseball, both in Oxford and New Canaan. I did go hang out for one day of the Oxford tournament and listened to a lot of the rest of both tournaments. 

My baseball summer consisted of my role with the Bridgeport Barnums of the Connecticut College Baseball League once again. 

My role is basically scorekeeper, but I will do whatever. 

It's enjoyable to be a part of the staff and the team in whatever role. 

As I've said before whether it's coaching, broadcasting, scorekeeping, writing, etc, you are always part of a "team" in some capacity. Just not always part of THE team. This could (and may) be a separate blog post. 

As for the Barnums, they had another terrific season. 

They finished with an overall record of 23-4-2 winning the regular season CCBL championship. 

In the double-elimination playoffs, they won their first game, lost their second, won two straight before falling in what was called the elimination finals which was basically the semifinals. 

We saw some great performances on the mound from guys like Zach Broderick, Jimmy Mutherbaugh, Will Gregor and Hayden Lee. *

*It's always risky to shout out people, because you know you are going to accidentally forget people and it's hard to mention everyone. 

I enjoyed hanging with and helping out the coaches and players. Many players who I knew from either past Barnums seasons or from Ludlowe and Warde baseball. Then, there were players who I had just met this summer. 

It's a different role and relationship during the summer than it is when I am coaching at Ludlowe in the spring. I enjoyed getting to talk to and watch players like Kieran Scruggs (Ludlowe grad headed to Eastern Connecticut), Luke Stasko (Ludlowe grad headed to Virginia Wesleyan) and Meyer Stransky (Warde grad headed to Gettysburg), among others. 

Those are just a few of the Fairfield players that are a part of the Barnums. Besides the Fairfield players, it's guys from plenty of other surrounding areas including Trumbull, Easton and Bethel, to name a few. And obviously Bridgeport. 

It's a tremendous coaching staff led by Manager Chris Bugyi and Coaches Jim Chaves and Mark Keeney. The whole operation is led by General Manager Sars Ford. It's impressive what they have built in just a few short years in existence. 

It's also about the support staff of Blake Benway on social media and Jake Calabro on public address, among others. 

Then it's about the fans and the sponsors. 

Everyone plays a role. 

It's over as quick as it starts. 

But it was fun. 

2025 FCIAC Baseball Champions!

**Note: This blog post is from my perspective as a Ludlowe baseball assistant coach and has no affiliation with my job in the Fairfield Public Schools athletic departments. Additionally, while we may echo similar thoughts, this does not necessarily represent the thoughts and opinions of Ludlowe Baseball Head Coach Ken Geriak or anyone else on the baseball staff.  **

On Friday afternoon in Stamford, the Fairfield Ludlowe Falcons baseball team captured the 2025 FCIAC Championship. 

The Falcons defeated Norwalk 4-2 to win the title. It's the second FCIAC Championship for Ludlowe baseball, the previous one coming in 2010, when the Falcons defeated Greenwich. The Falcons lost to Staples in their only other appearance in 2019. 

Ludlowe came into the FCIAC tournament as the number seven seed. Norwalk was the top seed. 

In the quarterfinals, Ludlowe defeated cross-town rival Warde, 4-3. Ian Moore's two run single in the top of the seventh was the difference in that game. 

In the semifinals, the Falcons took down St. Joseph 3-0 behind a complete-game three hitter from Tyler Geriak. 

In the championship, Luke Stasko threw four scoreless innings, and Mason Holcomb got the win in relief with three innings allowing two runs. 

Kenny Luczaj had two hits, and a run scored. Dylan Davis and Ian Moore, who was named FCIAC Championship game MVP, each had a hit and run scored. 

All three teams that Ludlowe defeated in the FCIAC tournament were teams they lost to during the regular season, including losing to Warde twice. 

This was a total team effort. The players, first and foremost, and the coaching staff, as well as the support staff. It's also so much about the parents who help out and support their children. 

The players are the ones who perform on the field. So much of the credit goes to them and deservedly so. 

Those players include Jack Adwin, Ian Moore, Cristian Negron, Joe Calabro, Luke Stasko, Kenny Luczaj, Kieran Scruggs, Jackson Frame, Leo Hood, Aiden Goodson, Mason Holcomb, Jake Palladino, Eliot Kwan, Brennan Davis, Chris Wolf, Jackson Foldeak, Tyler Geriak, Cole Stotler, Dylan Davis, Ryan Frame, Mason Dennett, Ryan Love, Cooper Hein, Cam Colin and Hudson Kofoed (with a shout out to Mikey Clear and Trip Keyes who were a part of the bench crew for the semis and final.) 

It's also about the alum who have built the foundation. And so many others. 

Shout out to head coach Ken Geriak as the leader of the pack. 

So proud of everyone. 

There's so much coverage out there to read, watch and listen to, and you know I've been paying attention to it all. Head to the Ludlowe Baseball Instagram and Twitter accounts for links to most, if not all of it. 

One job done, now it's on to the state tournament beginning on Monday. 

Falcon Pride! 

Split Weekend of College Basketball

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

We've talked about my interesting sports interests before here. This weekend was a split decision weekend. 

On Saturday night, Duke men's basketball fell to Houston 70-67 in the Final Four. On Sunday, the UConn women's basketball team defeated South Carolina 82-59 to win the National Championship. 

Let's start with Duke on Saturday. The Blue Devils led for a majority of the game, approximately 35 of 40 minutes, including by as many as 14 as one point. 

They held a seven-point lead 64-57 with 1:27 to play and 67-61 with thirty-three seconds left. However, mistakes and strong Houston defense left them down three with three with one last chance. With 3.7 seconds left, the Blue Devils got the ball back and had a prayer to tie that was off the mark. 

It's an extremely disappointing loss, but credit to Houston. They made the plays down the stretch and Duke did not. 

Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer has done a great job in the first three years at his alma mater, taking over for the legendary Coach K. It's a bright future for the young coach. 

Cooper Flagg was a well deserving Player of the Year and Kon Knueppel hit some big shots during the run in the tournament. 

Tough ending to a great season. 

Best of luck to Houston and Florida, who defeated Auburn in the first semifinal, in the National Championship on Monday night. 

I'll be rooting for Florida as I know a number of Gator basketball fans, including but not limited to, Tyler Geriak, Trip Keyes, Cole Stotler, and Joe Bossio. I don't mean to leave anyone out, I just know those are who I have talked to about Florida during this NCAA tournament. 

As for my Duke fandom, I was a front runner when they had JJ Redick in the mid-to-late 2000's. Then, I stayed following them through the Scheyer and Kyle Singler years, where whey won a championship. I didn't follow them as much on a constant basis after that but there were still the Austin Rivers and Grayson Allen years to name a few. 

I know, unless you are a Duke fan, most of America hates Duke. 

As for Sunday's UConn game, the Huskies and South Carolina traded buckets early on before the two-seed UConn was able to get some breathing room on way to the victory over the number one seeded Gamecocks. 

UConn star Paige Bueckers struggled early on but Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, who had 24 points apiece, came up with big shots and Paige, who finished with 17, was able to come up clutch when it mattered. 

South Carolina is a great program, having won two championships in the past four years, but UConn was better on this day, and that's all that matters. 

It's the twelfth championship for Head Coach Geno Auriemma and the UConn women's basketball program, which is the most all-time for any program, men's or women's. 

The title is also the first for the Lady Huskies since 2016, which is an eternity for that program. For most teams, it's not that long, but we just get spoiled by how dominant the program has been. UConn has still had terrific years, just have not been able to finish the deal. 

There are people that don't like women's basketball or have an issue with UConn because of their dominance, and I don't get that. 

UConn just plays basketball the right way which makes them so much fun to watch. Without a professional sports team in the state of Connecticut, this is as close as it gets. And while the UConn men have had some great seasons, including the back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024, the women have been successful almost every year. 

The women's season is over. 

The men's season will be over on Monday night (or early Tuesday morning). 

Baseball (and hockey) will get the spotlight. 

----------------------------------------------------------

I saw a discussion on Twitter about the start time of the Women's National Championship game. 

The game on Sunday started at 3pm where the men's championship on Monday begins at 8:50pm. 

People complain that a lot of games start too late. However, the complaint here is that the women's game doesn't get the primetime slot like the men do. I actually thought the game was somewhat later than it was, like 6pm. 

The NCAA and the Networks, ESPN/ABC and CBS have their reasons based on ratings and conflicts that go up against one another. 

It also used to be up until a few years ago the women's championship was on the Tuesday after the men's championship on Monday. This got changed because the women's game was sort of forgotten about/overlooked after the men were done. The hope with moving it to Sunday is that there would be more viewers still in the college basketball mindset. 

Lots of things to think about from a media perspective with the championships. The less I say, the better. 

FCIAC Freshman All-Star Games

The FCIAC freshman boys' teams

The FCIAC Freshman All-Star games were held Friday night at Norwalk High School. 

There was a girls' game and a boys' game. 

There were one or two representatives per gender from each FCIAC school. They were split into East and West teams based on the school they play for. 

It's a terrific event as part of the culmination of the season. The event is created and led by Glen Colello and the local board referees. 

Great job by Glen and his team to organize and pull off the event year after year. 

Every year I say I'm going to go, and for one reason or another, I don't make it. 

This year, I decided to go down. 

I went as a supporter and fan. A paying fan. 

I could not only watch the players I know from Ludlowe and Warde, but I would be able to hang with Rob Adams and Chris Kaelin, who were broadcasting on the BirdeyeSports YouTube Channel (Ben Talbott) and Rob's outlet, Robcasting Radio

It's nice to have events like this broadcast. Not only to get these kids and programs the coverage, but it gives a big time feel. 

I know I'm bias as Rob is one of my closest friends, but that's what's so great about him. He will call anything, from youth, to high school, to college, minor league and the pros. Any sport or event. He cares about the athletes' families and coaches and wants to give them coverage. He's also terrific at what he does. Professional 

I also ended up talking to some coaches and parents who were their watching and supporting their athletes and children, respectively. 

I get to know these people through many avenues in life. From living in town, to covering games as a reporter and broadcaster, to coaching and working. And really just as a sports person, I am around so much and go to so many games. 

In terms of coaches, that's Dave Goldshore from Staples, Joel Geriak from Wilton, Rob Coloney from Ridgefield, and Buddy Bray from Trumbull, just to name some. 

It was good basketball to watch. Players who we are likely to see at the varsity level in the next few years, if we have not already. 

Freshman who we saw last night like Sofia Hardiman and Julia Fekete from Warde, Claire Holt from Ludlowe and Zuri Faison from Greenwich have already been a part of the varsity team as freshman. 

It was fun to watch the guys at Ludlowe who I have gotten to know from helping out the boys' basketball program in Hudson Kofoed and Brooks Fonseca. It was also great watching James Cavanagh and Kieran Coyne from Warde. That's not to say there wasn't a lot of good basketball from many around the league, because there was. 

On the girls' side, it was the aforementioned Hardiman, Fekete and Holt as well as Peyton Guth from Ludlowe. 

Just a lot of great play all around. 

There was also a DJ playing music and doing some public address. 

So much about this is about the play on the court. However, it's also about making it a big-time feel and making it fun. That's what sports are supposed to be. No matter how competitive or lack thereof, it should always be fun, in some way. 

It's about the kids, always.