The Summit 13/14U squad shows off its championship rings after claiming an All-Ripken title.
By Rich Bevensee
Ben Barr may have been one of the most talented players who donned an All-Ripken jersey this week at Diamond Nation in Flemington, but his biggest concern was not showing off his skills or proving he belonged on a team of all-stars.
Admittedly an introvert, Barr’s biggest worry was if he would get along with his new teammates. After watching Barr perform this week, there can be no doubt his teammates appreciated him thoroughly for his laid-back demeanor as well as for his well-rounded baseball skills.
Barr batted .692 through five games with two doubles and four RBI, and he got to show off his speed by stealing 12 bases. Barr proved he is the complete package and his performance served as the impetus for his 13/14U Summit team which claimed the age group tournament championship at the All-Ripken Games on Thursday at ‘The Nation.’
“I was more nervous that I wouldn’t like anyone on the team because I’m not really a people person,” said Barr, a rising freshman at Oakcrest High in Mays Landing, N.J. “But I actually enjoyed every single teammate. They were a lot of fun. It’s always a fun time to meet new players. And the talent was everywhere. It was incredible.”
In the 13/14U title game, Barr went 1-for-3 with a run scored and he pitched 2⅓ solid innings of relief as Summit knocked off the Revolution, 12-9.
Barr surrendered one run over the final 2⅓ innings on two hits and two walks and he struck out one. Barr traveled this summer with the Atlantic County Outlaws club team out of nearby Galloway.
“This week was absolutely incredible,” Barr said. “I enjoyed every moment of it. I love playing on turf. That’s the most fun thing because I like to steal bases and sliding on it is always fun. This was a great environment. Everyone is happy to be here.”
Also in the final for Summit, Landon Damazo and Behr McCormick provided RBI singles. Mason Wade, Patrick O’Neil, Eric Andreo and Chris Phillips forced in runs with bases-loaded walks. Wade also had the team’s only extra base hit, slapping a double in the second inning.
Everett Hoffman, the 13/14U Home Run Derby champion, pitched the first three innings for Summit. McCormick threw two-thirds of an inning and Barr handled the final two frames.
Chase Dotta was the Revolution’s top hitter in the final, going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Teammate Liam Santrock registered the loudest hit of the game, doubling to the center field wall to drive in two runs.
Also for the Revolution, Anthony DiNatale drove in two runs with a single and a bases-loaded walk, and Hunter Kephart singled home a run.
Kephart pitched the first two innings for the Revolution, Matt Maher went two innings and DiNatale closed out the final frame.
The 13/14U final see-sawed through the game’s final innings. The Revolution scored seven runs across the third and fourth innings to take an 8-5 lead. Summit roared back in the bottom of the fourth by batting around and scoring seven runs on five hits, two walks and three errors to reclaim the lead at 12-8.
Will Macken, one of Barr’s coaches with Summit and a Diamond Nation employee, couldn’t say enough about watching Barr perform.
Ben Barr led his 13/14U Summit team by hitting .692 to earn All-Ripken tournament MVP honors.
“He did it all,” Macken said. “He pitched, he hit, and I think he got a hit every time in a big spot.”
Macken said he enjoyed the opportunity to coach an all-star team because it afforded him the chance to step back on the field after closing his baseball career with Immaculata in 2025.
“This week was super fun because I don’t get to play anymore,” said Macken, now a student at St. John’s University. “I see my old teammates from high school who still get to play, and now I got to somewhat be a part of it seeing these kids play. It’s fun to still be around it.”
The All-Ripken games were unique in the respect that once Ripken Baseball extended invitations to players, those players and their families were permitted to choose one of eight locations around the U.S. to take part in the Games.
This week at Diamond Nation, players came from as far away as Fairfax, Virginia, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Montreal, Canada.
Chris Hagan, Ripken Baseball event operations coordinator, recalled that last year the Ripken facility in Aberdeen, Maryland, welcomed a family from Australia.
“The fact that families come from all over means that we’re very welcoming, we want the kids to enjoy their time here, meet kids from all around the world, and obviously improve their skills,” Hagan said. “We compare this to a college experience. You come here and play with kids you don’t know and for coaches who have never seen you play, and try to build chemistry, build a family.”
Even with talented ballplayers arriving from several hundred miles away, Barr said he never once thought he needed to compare himself with his fellow all-stars.
“I didn’t worry about it, to be honest,” Barr said. “Doing that can actually bring you down. Last year I did that and I learned from it. This year I actually enjoyed seeing how good everyone was.”
In other All-Ripken championship news, Liberty completed a 5-0 week when it defeated Honor, 13-2, for the 9/10U title. Independence knocked off the previously undefeated Majors, 9-3, in the 11U finale. And in a very competitive 12U division, the Chargers rebounded from a 1-2 pool play showing and earned a wild 19-12 championship game victory over the Defenders.