Baseball fever sweeps Central Florida as fans celebrate 2 championship teams

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Published  August 28, 2024 11:47pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando
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Cal Ripken World Series champions

Baseball fever is sweeping Central Florida, and Seminole County is at the heart of the excitement. Not only is the area celebrating the Lake Mary All-Stars, but a team from Altamonte Springs is also making headlines. The Altamonte Springs Baseball Academy’s 11U team is on top after winning the Cal Ripken World Series earlier this month.

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Baseball fever is sweeping Central Florida, and Seminole County is at the heart of the excitement. 

Not only is the area celebrating the Lake Mary All-Stars, but a team from Altamonte Springs is also making headlines. The Altamonte Springs Baseball Academy’s 11U team is on top after winning the Cal Ripken World Series earlier this month.

Seminole County is now home to two championship baseball teams. The Altamonte Springs Baseball Academy’s 11U team clinched the Cal Ripken World Series title after falling short in the past two years.

The third time was the charm for the 11U team, which made three straight appearances in the Cal Ripken World Series. They finally took home the championship after finishing as runners-up as 9-year-olds and taking third place last year.

"It felt great coming up short two years in a row to now winning it. It’s crazy," said Yhosiah Diaz, an ABA 11U player.

"All those hard days working out in the sun here in Florida. It was really hard. It was a really special moment for us," added Fernando Moncada, the World Series MVP.

Altamonte Springs beat Florence, Alabama, 8-3 in the title game. Head coach Ken Kelly said the team’s dominant performance was no surprise, describing them as a well-rounded group with few weaknesses. This is Altamonte Springs' first World Championship title in 40 years.

"I got a text from a good friend of mine — this is going to sound a little arrogant, but this is how I felt. He said, ‘Good luck.’ I said we don’t need luck if we just play the way we’re capable," said Kelly.

It has been a historic year for youth baseball in Seminole County. Altamonte Springs won its first World Championship title in 40 years, and the Lake Mary 12U All-Stars became the first Florida team to win the Little League World Series.

"I think it says that kids want to play baseball at a high level. They work really hard to accomplish that. I think what you see with both our team and the Lake Mary team is the result of that hard work," Kelly said.

As defending champions, the Altamonte Springs team earned an automatic berth to next year's Cal Ripken World Series.

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