The Eau Claire A’s 17U Blue team had a stellar season last summer with seven Blue team members signing to play college baseball at the Div. II, Div. III or JUCO level.
That meant, though, that only five Blue team members returned for this season- Only five Blue team members returned for this season- and there were no returning pitchers. Before the season began, someone told Coach Chad Gorman that this year’s 17U Blue team couldn’t be as good as last year’s team. Gorman was quick to take the bet; he was sure the 2024 Blue team could meet or even beat last year’s record of 17-9-3.
He was right.
This season the 17U Blue team tallied a record of 22 wins, nine losses, and one tie.
“Last year’s team proved that we were a talented ball club. That reputation put us in better brackets at the tournaments this year,” explained Gorman. “Our pitching might not have been what it was last year, but we were batting about 50 points higher all summer.”
The 2024 17U Blue team finished this season with a .334 team batting average; 11 players were batting over .300.
Shortstop Ben Mettler tops the stats with a .529 season average; in 34 at-bats, he had 18 hits including 2 triples. He also led the A’s with 37.2 innings pitched and won all 8 games that he started.
Ty Barrows, Cole Perlberg, Hunter Sandberg and Jack Gorman each had 70-plus at-bats this summer.
Barrows, the A’s speedy lead-off batter, averaged .384 and had the most hits on the team at 28. His speed was on display in the outfield as well; whether in left or center field, he played errorless defense.
Cole Perlberg was arguably the A’s strongest bat this season. He crushed four doubles, three triples and two homeruns, and finished the season with a .380 batting average and 30 RBI.
Hunter Sandberg is a sure bat in any part of the lineup. He hit .356 this season with four doubles, two triples and a home run. He stole 12 bases, was never caught stealing and was hit by the pitch seven times. He played third base, second base, right field and even pitched a couple innings over the course of the summer.
Catcher Jack Gorman hit the most extra base hits for A’s with ten- eight doubles and two triples. He batted .347 this season, drove in 25 RBI and stole 13 bases.
Aiden Pankratz had the team’s only other home run this season. Pankratz came through with some clutch hits in big moments. He batted .351 with four doubles, one triple, one home run, 24 runs scored and 19 RBI.
Watch out for Zach Shipman next season. The 16-yr old batted .375 this year with two doubles and five triples, and he led the Blue team with 15 stolen bases.
Gavin Thompson, Paxton Bush, Owen Welch, and Kam Diermeier round out the 11 players batting over .300. Welch hit seven doubles and two triples this season. Diermeier, known for his good at-bats and stellar defense, stole 10 bases this summer.
Thompson and Bush were significant contributors on the mound for the A’s as well as strong bats.
Keegan Catt was a great addition to the team as a catcher. His bat was really getting hot toward the end of the season.
Cam Buchman, the youngest and strongest arm on the team, might have faced tougher competition than he’d ever seen before. He kept composure and command on the mound to finish the season with a team-best 2.366 ERA.
Caleb Moss was matched against the all toughest competition this summer and yet still recorded the most strikeouts on staff this season with 33. He has three good pitches with a lot of movement, and put the A’s in a position to win several tough games.
Aaron Gust and Blake Bugher provided reliable relief on the mound. Both are great teammates who have vast baseball knowledge; they will only get better as they continue to grow in size and strength.
The A’s pitching staff combined for a team ERA of 3.3
Eau Claire A’s 17U Blue team won one tournament championship this summer. The team could have continued to play in easier tournaments where they’d have a better chance to win, bring home a trophy and pad their individual stats, but they chose to play the very best competition instead.
These tournaments are tough. Nothing comes easy. Every out, every hit, every base is a battle. The experience speaks to the preparedness of these boys. They now have some idea of the level of talent in college baseball and the amount of hard work that it takes to play at a higher level. Hopefully, this season will propel them toward their goal of playing college baseball.
Local News
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