Select Hornets Dominate BMB, Win League Title With 27-1 Record

By Colin Murphy

The 13U Green Hornets select baseball team completed a dominant Baltimore Metro Baseball (BMB) league season by winning their final two games in a double-header sweep of the HCYP Raiders at Kinder Park on June 18.

In a fitting end to an outright commanding season for Severna Park, Tyler Blohm threw a five-inning no-hitter in the opener to propel the Green Hornets to a 10-0 victory, and Severna Park completed the sweep with an 8-5 victory in the second game. Having already secured the league title a week prior, the victories over HCYP give Severna Park a staggering 27-1 record in league play and a 38-3 record overall.

“We’re having a good season,” understated Head Coach Dave Harding after a 10-6 defeat of Savage on June 15. “The task right now is to keep them focused and in shape and have a good end to the season at [the] Myrtle Beach [Tournament].”

Regardless of how the team’s end-of-season tournaments play out, it is difficult to downplay the success of the Green Hornets so far. In winning the state’s most competitive baseball league, the Green Hornets averaged more than 10 runs per game, outscoring their opponents by a margin of 290-83.

Despite Severna Park’s sheer dominance over the competition, the players nonetheless exude a measured confidence, never getting too high on themselves and always looking to improve. “We work together well, have a good relationship,” said catcher Carter Sears after the victory over Savage.

Asked about the perspective of the whole year, outfielder Billy Godrick reverted back to the club’s one blemish. “That one loss was kind of heartbreaking for us,” said Godrick, citing the team’s 11-9 loss to the Lake Shore Gray Sox on June 7. “We had a bad first inning, then played great the next three innings, then turned into LeBron in the last inning,” said Godrick, referring to the much-ballyhooed end-of-game struggles of the NBA superstar.

The Green Hornets, however, have looked less like LeBron and the maligned Miami Heat and more like Michael Jordan and the 1996 Chicago Bulls, who dominated the NBA that year en route to an all-time best 72-10 record.

“We wanted to stay undefeated,” said Harding in all seriousness, indicating just how confident his team has been throughout the season. Despite just how rare and remarkable it is for any team in any sport at any level to sit at 38-3 through 41 games, much less have a perfect 41-0 record, the Green Hornets have nonetheless accomplished their most important goals. “The primary goal is for all these kids to get better and get ready for high school baseball, and hopefully all make a high school team.”

The individual players are certainly on the right track, and the team has had lots of fun in what has been a tremendously successful season. “Overall it’s been a great year,” said Godrick.

Pitcher Drew Hunt agreed, noting the team’s progress throughout the season. “We work really hard and really well together, and I think we’ve definitely improved.”

The 13U Green Hornets finish out the season with tournaments in Rockville in late June and Myrtle Beach in July.