Marble Falls youth softball team is World Series-bound
The 2019 Marble Falls 8-and-under softball all-star team includes Addie Martin (front row, left), Abigail Suarez, Kaydee Smith, Adyson Floyd, Reese Massey; Kiley Siegmund (middle row, left), Emma Martin, Layla Marteney, Callie Phillips, Vivienne Mykolaitis, Juliana Biagini; assistant coaches Joey Martin (back row, left) and Billie Smith, head coach Nick Biagini, and assistant coach Mike Biagini. Not pictured are assistant coach Kristen Jennings, dugout mom Amanda Jennings, and player Hannah Graham. Courtesy photo
The Marble Falls 8-and-under all-star softball team is headed to the World Series in Youngsville, Louisiana, July 16-20 thanks to finishing high enough in the regional tournament. The Mustangs received the call from tournament organizers after a qualifying team dropped out of the competition.
Marble Falls was seventh at the PONY Austin/San Antonio regional tournament June 28-29. The Mustangs began the tournament with an 8-6 loss to Round Rock Fury June 28 before rattling off three wins in a row June 29. Marble Falls defeated Oak Hill 8-6, Southwest 7-3, and Taylor 1-0. The Marble Falls tournament ended with a 1-0 loss to G-Town Pride June 29. The Mustangs played in back-to-back games with only 20 minutes of rest in between.
“We’ve had a really good team this year,” head coach Nick Biagini said. “We’ve seen so much talent in these girls. We were staying positive working with the girls. It’s about their future and playing more and more and building a team and their skills.”
Assistant coach Kristen Jennings agreed.
“These girls are amazing,” she said. “They’ve overcome injuries; one of our assistant coaches had a heart attack. I want the girls to know they have community support.”
To help pay for expenses, the team is selling raffle tickets for a Yeti cooler at the Marble Falls Walmart Supercenter, 2700 U.S. 281 South, from 9 AM-7 PM Friday, July 5 and 12, and Sunday, July 7.
Tickets are $5 each.
Fans can also go to Facebook to make a donation.
To buy raffle tickets or sponsor the team, contact team treasurer Staci Langley at (979) 229-3190.
In addition to travel expenses, the team is raising money for home-and-away uniform sets and pins to trade with members of other teams during opening ceremonies, which is a World Series tradition.
“It’s going to be a big event,” Biagini said. “We’re trying to make it as big of an event as we can for the girls cause you never know when you can do it again. I mean it’s big.”
Coaches said it takes a community to ensure players get to experience something they might not ever do again. And they couldn’t thank the players, families, and fans enough for helping them.
“This whole line of support we’ve had all year that has enabled this team to keep moving forward like they have because it’s a hard thing to keep going,” Biagini said. “It has a lot of costs involved with it. To keep these girls going and to be able to do it, we need support of the entire team. And we’ve had that. I’ve never had a group of parents who have supported a team like this, positive all the way.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com