By Sean Reilly
The Prevail-Maroon 12U from Bergen County has a lot to look forward to in late June, when they travel to Cooperstown, N.Y., to take part in the first-ever 12U Ripken National Championship Tournament at the All-Star Village complex.
Prevail earned that trip in April by winning all six games at a qualifier tournament held at the Ripken Experience in Aberdeen, Md.
They’ll be joined in Cooperstown by 11 other teams from throughout the country, including the FB Braves from Essex County, who won a qualifier at Diamond Nation in April.
Before any of that happens, Prevail-Maroon 12U has plenty of other business to take care of in what’s been a wildly successful 2026 season.
That included a trip to Diamond Nation over the weekend to take part in the Best Show On Turf tournament, which was comprised of one of the most talented 12U fields of the year to compete at the complex.
Prevail-Maroon capped off an unbeaten four-game trip with an 8-4 victory over the Morris County Cubs 12U Navy in the final.
Not only did the Ramsey-based team outscore the opposition by a combined 49-6, it also raised its overall record to 25-2. It has won 22 straight games dating back to a loss on March 15.
Cleanup man Cole Rothstein was selected the tournament Most Valuable Player after going 8-for-10 with four home runs, two doubles and a triple. He scored seven runs and totaled 11 RBI.
In the final, he was 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs.
“I got deep into the count a few times, and I was just trying to put the ball in play and hit it hard somewhere,” Rothstein said. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence, but also never underestimating our opponents. We’re focusing on our games and working hard, and not our achievements.”
Prevail also showed an ability to shake off a bit of adversity in the final. After Prevail allowed just two runs in the first three games of the tourney, the Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Henry Gildea singled with one out for the Cubs, and Everett Stalker walked. After the runners advanced a passed ball, Rhyan Mejias reached on an error that scored both.
Cole Rothstein of Prevail Maroon 12U was named 12U Best Show On Turf MVP.
Prevail scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first, and then twice more in the second for a 3-2 lead.
Evan Estrems led off the second with a double, and advanced on a ground out. Following a strike out, Anthony Mesopotanese was hit by a pitch.
Leadoff man Declan Gill, who scored in the first inning after reaching on an error, was at the plate when Estrems stole home. Gill followed with an RBI single that dropped beyond the reach of the diving left fielder
Prevail added to the lead with one run in the third. Rothstein hit a one-out triple to right, and the next batter, Christopher Poliandro, drove him in with a double to center.
The lead was extended to 8-2 in the fifth inning.
Jonas Victoria, who went 2-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch, led off with a home run to center field. Rothstein followed with a single to left, and he moved to third when Poliandro doubled to right. After a pitching change, Estrems hit a two-run double to left. He moved to third on a ground out and scored as Ryan Fearnside hit a sacrifice fly to center.
The Cubs got within four runs when Tyler Williams hit a two-run home run with two out in the sixth.
Estrems (four innings) and Mesopotanese (two innings) combined on a four-hitter for Prevail.
The Cubs weekend included a 14-0 win over the Diamond Jacks Super 12U in the semifinals, in which Lane Cook went 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI. He hit a leadoff double and two run single in a 10-run first inning that also included a two-run home run from Williams.