The Gold Coast Prospects finally achieved their goal of winning a Diamond Nation title when they claimed the 12U Summer Bash championship.

By Rich Bevensee

Although the doubt was never verbalized, no one would have blamed the players and coaches who wear the navy blue-and-gold uniform of the Gold Coast Prospects 12u ballclub if they began to question their ability to leave Diamond Nation in Flemington with one of its prestigious tournament championship trophies.

The Trumbull, Connecticut-based squad arrived at ‘The Nation’ last summer and lost a heartbreaker to the host Diamond Jacks in an 11U final. 

Gold Coast returned to the scene of the crime three weeks ago, only to find the Diamond Jacks waiting for them in the 12U final. Once again Gold Coast went home without the title.

Last week Gold Coast revisited ‘The Nation’ and suffered another heartbreaker, as the Central Jersey Yellow Jackets came from behind in extra innings to claim a walk-off victory in the semifinals. 

Three visits, three really close calls. That’s enough for anyone to water the seeds of doubt, and maybe even call off the hunt.

The resolve of Gold Coast Prospects 12u was never in question when the team returned for a third straight weekend of Diamond Nation baseball. And this time, the bats of Calvin Carreras and his Gold Coast teammates could not be stopped from finally earning that crystal trophy.

Carreras swatted two doubles and drove in five runs while 10 of 11 Gold Coast players scored at least one run to propel the Connecticut powerhouse to a three-inning, 14-0 decision over the Keystone Aces and the 12U Summer Bash championship on Sunday at ‘The Nation.”

“Losing here definitely motivated us,” Carreras said. “We really wanted to win this week. Counting last year, it took us four weeks to win here, and that made us want it more.”

“For these guys, being able to come back after losing the last two weeks and take care of business the way we did was impressive,” Gold Coast coach Mike Buswell said. “And I think this week’s tournament was the deepest talent-wise that we saw in our three weeks here, so it made this week that much more satisfying.”

Gold Coast overpowered its four opponents by a combined score of 57-17. It defeated 802 Elite of Bennington, Vermont, 17-3, and the Malvern (Pa.) Mambas, 13-8, in pool play. In the semifinals, third-seeded Gold Coast eliminated the second-seeded Lehigh Valley Flash of Northampton, Pa., 13-6. 

Carreras, Gold Coast’s offensive leader, was not only on fire this week, but in all three weeks of Diamond Nation competition. 

Carreras, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, batted .692 (9-for-13) with three home runs, four doubles, 11 RBI and eight runs scored. In the championship game he went 2-for-3 with a three-run double in the second inning, and a two-run double in the third which allowed Gold Cast to walk off the win via the mercy rule. 

Not only did Carreras enjoy a sensational weekend of baseball in leading his team to an elusive title, it has become fairly clear that he is quite comfortable hitting on the turfed fields of Flemington.

In the last three weeks at ‘The Nation,’ a span of 12 games, Carreras batted .719 with 23 hits, eight homers, 24 RBI and 23 runs scored.

“He is one of the best 12U hitters I’ve seen in the last 25 years of coaching,” Buswell said. “He’s got balance, strength, he hits the offspeed and the fastball, he’s got a short compact swing, and has the ability to hit the ball where it’s pitched.”

Before the Gold Coast team was formed in early August, the players were at home competing for their respective Little League All-Star teams from Trumbull, Fairfield and Westport. Buswell coached against Carreras.

“He hit a two-run home run to tie the game against us,” Buswell said. “We came back to beat his team, but I have nightmares calling pitches against him, so whenever I can come down here with him on my roster I feel a lot better.”

Carreras attributed his offensive prowess to good old-fashioned hard work and to valuable instruction from his father, Eddie Carreras, and hitting coach Dan Fallacaro.

Calvin Carreras batted .692 with 11 RBI to lead Gold Coast and earn MVP honors.

“It comes down to time in the cage and just working really hard,” Carreras said. “Dad has motivated me to keep going, and every time something feels wrong I go to Coach and we fix it instantly. I know when something is fixed because it feels different but it works.”

An important factor in Gold Coast’s run to the Diamond Nation title was the pitching performance of brothers Connor (11) and Jack Besson (12). 

In the semifinals, younger brother Connor threw a five-inning, complete game five-hitter with five strikeouts and three walks against the Lehigh Valley Flash. 

Jack took his turn on the mound in the final and allowed the Keystone Aces just one hit and no walks in three shutout innings while striking out two. 

Top-seeded L&M of Rhode Island was knocked off by the fourth-seeded Aces in the other semi, 18-4. 

Gold Coast’s championship not only closed the summer season with a title, it was the final one to be earned on a 60-foot diamond. The Prospects will be making the jump to the 90-foot diamond when they regroup in the fall.

“I would definitely say losing at Diamond Nation made us want it more,” said Bryce Buswell, the coach’s son. “Since these are the last games we’ll play on the 12U field, everybody was really hungry and we wanted to leave Diamond Nation for the last time on the field with a W.”

Offensively for Gold Coast in the championship game, No. 11 hitter Charlie Almquist slapped a pair of two-run singles and scored twice. Jack Besson went 2-for-2 with two RBI, and Connor Besson had a two-run single.