LIT Academy Prospects got some clutch pitching to earn the 15U Super World Series title.
By Rich Bevensee
Joe Litterio is not afraid to insert his ballplayers into tough situations, especially those that mirror prior games when the player may have failed.
The 15U Super World Series Powered by Victus championship game on Friday afternoon at Diamond Nation in Flemington was one of those learning situations.
Litterio’s LIT Academy Prospects held a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth and final inning, the game clock had expired and top-seeded CT Mets Blue had the tying runs in scoring position with one out.
Litterio tapped right-hander Ethan Wuelfing to finish the game. Just a few weeks ago, Wuelfing was in the same situation in a Perfect Game final when his throwing error allowed the opposition to walk off with the winning runs.
This time, Wuelfing did not fold. He gave up a sacrifice fly and got the final out on a comebacker to clinch third-seeded LIT Academy’s 2-1 victory and the 15U title.
“Sure, there’s a little bit of butterflies but I love doing it,” said Wuelfing, a rising sophomore at Marlboro. “It’s a little bit nerve-racking but that one out meant a lot to me because I just had to prevent that other guy from scoring.”
Litterio, drawing from his 18-year experience as a college head coach, a career which includes six seasons at the Rutgers helm, said game experience is the best way to teach young ballplayers. And that meant placing Wuelfing in an identical situation.
“Believe it or not, in our last PG final we were winning in the last inning and they hit it to Ethan and he threw it into right field and they won,” Litterio said. “I’m a big believer, even at this age, to keep putting them in those tough spots and learn how to compete. You’re either gonna learn how to compete in this game or find a different sport, at this age especially. I try not to dumb it down. I treat these guys the way I treat a college team. They probably get the worst of me but they’re in those situations because I believe in them and they have to believe in themselves.”
All three of Litterio’s pitchers were terrific in handling big game pressure.
Starting righty Cameron Kelemen, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, pitched 4⅓ shutout innings, just two days after throwing 27 pitches over three shutout innings against the Jersey Boyz in pool play. The day before the final, Litterio told Kelemen he may pitch in the final if LIT Academy won its semifinal against CT Mets Orange, which it did by a 13-3 count.
LIT Academy’s Cameron Kelemen pitched 4.1 shutout innings in the final to earn MVP honors.
Keleman, a rising junior at Princeton Day, allowed just two hits and two walks and struck out four in the championship game. He was riding a two-hit shutout when he was pulled for righty Dario Rodriguez with one out in the fifth.
“I found out five minutes after Game 1 that I was definitely pitching,” Kelemen said. “I was good physically. I’m ready for games like these. I’m pretty vocal so I would tell Coach if I didn’t have it mentally or physically. That’s my style. It was definitely a bummer to come out of the game but I trust my teammates and I trust my defense, so I’m glad we got the win.”
Rodriguez walked the tightrope a couple times in his one inning of work.
In the bottom of the fifth with one out, he walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases, which meant the Mets had the winning run aboard. But Rodriguez got a strikeout for the second out and a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
That fielder’s choice was perhaps the biggest play of the game, at least defensively. Batting with the bases loaded, the Mets’ Al Simon hit a sharp grounder up the middle where LIT Academy shortstop Jacob Butkus was screened by Nate Ramos leaving second base and perhaps the field umpire as well.
Butkus managed to pick the grounder on a short hop from his knees, then dove at second base with his glove hand to get the force out on Jack Simon running from first.
“Bases loaded, two out so it’s a big spot,” said Butkus, a rising sophomore at Wall. “I got screened by the kid on second so it was tough to see but at least I got in front of it and made the play. I thought I would have gotten there much quicker by diving. You have to come up big in big spots. That’s what great players do.”
“He’s an athlete. He just kind of wants the ball,” Litterio said. “You want that kind of energy at shortstop. To me, when I’m watching, it’s, “Okay get the job done,’ but to people watching, it’s a great play in that pressure situation.”
Rodriguez came back out for the sixth and walked the first two batters. Again, the Mets had the tying runs on base. The Mets’ Dan Hynes laid down a bunt which Rodriguez fielded in front of the mound, but not before he slipped and landed on his backside. While facing the plate and still seated, he made the throw across his body to get Hynes for the first out.
From there, Rodriguez handed off to Wuelfing who took care of the rest. He gave up a sacrifice fly to Hayden Pugliese which scored Nick Capuzzi while Jaco Planeta remained at second representing the tying run. Wuelfing then fielded a high bouncer back to the mound and tagged Talin Patel for the final out.
“In that situation, the mindset stays the same,” Wuelfing said. “With the pitches, I’m trying to gas them up and change up what they’ve seen. Changing speeds really throws them off a little bit.”
LIT Academy jumped on Mets starter Marcello Suraci for two runs in the second inning. Tristan SanFilippo singled, advanced to second on a Rodriguez walk, moved to third on a double play and scored on a M.J. Oldershaw single to left. Butkus drove in Oldershaw with a two-out, grounds rule double.
For LIT Academy, Joey Litterio and Lorenzo Sciurba both doubled in the final. Litterio went 7-for-14 with three doubles and eight RBI in six games this week.
A.J. Parillo was exceptional in relief duty for the Mets, pitching three shutout innings on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Suraci went one inning and allowed one run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts. Patel followed Suraci and threw two innings, yielding a run on three hits with one strikeout.
LIT Academy went 5-1 in the Series. They beat Diamond Jacks Gold, 3-1, lost to CT Mets Orange, 4-1, then knocked off the Jersey Boyz, 15-0 and Diamond Jacks White, 10-8, to reach the semifinals. In that game, LIT Academy got revenge on the Mets Orange with a 13-3 decision.
CT Mets Blue was undefeated before the championship game. They thumped CT Whalers Blue, 10-0, Route 2 Blue Sox 2029s, 6-4, Elite Showcase, 8-0, and the Delaware Fury, 8-2, in pool play. In the semifinals the Mets ousted Diamond Jacks White, 4-0.