By Sean Reilly
The Out Of The Park Cyclones 14U Prospects may have an extraordinary record at Diamond Nation, but there’s an aspect which goes beyond the sheer numbers.
It’s not just that the Cyclones win games at an extraordinary clip. It’s also the way that they do it.
The latest example came over the weekend at the Independence Weekend Firecracker tournament.
The Green Brook-based OOTP Cyclones won another championship at ‘The Nation’ by defeating the NXT Titans from Connecticut, 9-3, in the final on Monday afternoon, to complete a 5-0 holiday weekend.
The Cyclones, who are now 44-5 overall in 2025, improved their Diamond Nation record to 61-1 since moving up to the large field as a 13U team for the 2023 Fall season.
The Cyclones win in all sorts of ways. This tournament, for instance, included two nailbiters in pool play action: a 3-2 win over Slim’s Chance Bulldogs Black on Saturday which required a two-run rally in the seventh inning, and a 1-0 victory over Double Major 14U Black on Sunday in which the run was scored in the third.
In the win over the NXT Titans, the Cyclones overcame three errors (matching their second-highest total of the year), which all came in a second inning that resulted in two runs that wiped out a 2-0 lead.
Character, it seems, is just as important as anything the team accomplishes through skill.
“There were definitely really close games, but we fought back and never let go,” said Andrew Schmieder, who earned his second career MVP award at a Diamond Nation tournament. “We had a good amount of errors in this game that were costly to get the game close, but it all worked out in the end.”
The Cyclones, who ended the tournament with a 40-6 run differential, began the final with Chris Haines pitching a 1-2-3 top of the first.
Andrew Schmieder of the OOTP Cyclones was named the 14U Firecracker MVP.
In the bottom of the inning, Gianni Cenicola led off by reaching on an error. Lucas Funk walked with one out, and the runners moved to second and third on a double steal. Following a strikeout, Nick Yacykewych hit a two-run double to left field.
The NXT Titans, who went 5-1 in the tournament, took advantage of the rare defensive lapses to tie in the second inning. Mario Brito-Trinidad scored on a two-out, bases-loaded passed ball and Frankie Posillico followed him home when the throw from the backstop to the plate was off line.
After that, the OOTP Cyclones regained their lead, starting with two runs in the third inning.
Cole Webster led off by reaching on an error, and he moved to third when Cenicola dunked a single into right field. Schmieder walked to load the bases and Funk walked on a full count to score Webster with the go-ahead run. Vincent Donofrio then hit a grounder to second that forced out Funk at second but scored Cenicola for a 4-2 lead.
Another run came in the fourth. Dylan Boehm was safe on a fielder’s choice which resulted in the second out. He stole second and scored on Webster’s single to left field.
The Cyclones put the game out of reach with a four-run fifth inning.
Funk and Donofrio began the inning with singles, both to left field. Yacykewych was then safe on an error which loaded the bases.
Cody Alicea followed with a sacrifice fly to center, and Lucas Bolton was safe on an error that scored a run. A throwing error by the catcher scored another run with Dylan Pudlak at the plate. Pudlak ended his at-bat with an RBI single to right for a 9-2 lead.
Haines pitched the first five innings for the Cyclones, allowing one hit with six strikeouts and two walks.
Ronnie Wood led off the sixth inning with a triple to right field for the NXT Titans, and he scored when Emilio Mazal grounded out to shortstop.
Cenicola (error, single, two walks) reached in all four plate appearances for the Cyclones. Funk had two walks and a single in three trips, and Yacykewych had the double, a walk and was safe-on-error in his three at-bats.