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Comets play inspired baseball at USSSA state tournament

Press photo provided The Charles City Comets 12U travel baseball team recently finished ninth out of 58 teams at the USSSA State Tournament held June 30-July 2 in Des Moines.
Press photo provided
The Charles City Comets 12U travel baseball team recently finished ninth out of 58 teams at the USSSA State Tournament held June 30-July 2 in Des Moines.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

Kyle Schwarber now has 20 home runs and is hitting above .200.

A nice rebound for the Cubs’ slugger who had a sluggish start to the season and was sent down to the Iowa Cubs to get his swing together.

He may have gotten the inspiration he needed from a team of local youth players who just so happened to be in the Des Moines area to catch a Triple A game.

“They were yelling ‘Dinger! … Dinger!’ whenever he came to bat,” Ammie Joslin said of the Charles City Comets 12U travel baseball team cheering section at what would be Schwarber’s final minor league game before getting called back up.

“He hit two homers that game,” said Ammie’s husband, Jimmy Joslin. “It was nice to see, and it was a great time.”

Before inspiring Schwarber, the Comets played some inspiring baseball at the USSSA State Tournament held in Des Moines, June 30 through July 2. The team had qualified for the tournament by way of its placings and participation at previous USSSA tourneys.

Out of a field of 58 teams, the Comets placed ninth.

“I was just glad we won a game,” said Jimmy Joslin, the head coach. “I was probably more nervous than the players.”

Like Schwarber moving back up to the “show”, Joslin decided his Comets needed to move up to the next level after the team’s inaugural 10U season.

“We did well our first year playing other local teams around here in weekend doubleheaders,” Joslin said, “but we thought our players were good enough to go against tougher competition.”

So for the 11U season, the Comets entered several USSSA tournaments.

“Last year, we got our butts handed to us,” Ammie Joslin said. “But our kids learned what a balk was … learned how to play the game at a higher level.”

The following year (this year) got off to an “inspiring” start when the Comets nearly upset the second-ranked team in the state before losing by 1 run (6-5).

“That gave us the confidence that we could play with anyone,” Jimmy Joslin said.

The core of the team has been together for three years. Though that might give the Comets an advantage when it comes to team cohesiveness, they still go into most tournaments as considerable underdogs.

“Our kids come from Charles City … the teams we play in tournaments draw from all around the state and hold tryouts,” Jimmy Joslin said.

Ammie Joslin was shocked when a parent she met from another team told her that they pay $1,500 for their son to play baseball.

Such exorbitant investments for summer or even year-round play may seem ridiculous, but in some cases it’s necessary to cover uniform and travel costs, as well as tournament entry fees.

That’s why Ammie Joslin, who not only serves as the “Team Mom” but in essence as the Comets’ general manager when it comes to organizing fundraisers and procuring local sponsorship, is glad that the continued support of the community has allowed them to continue playing baseball at a higher level.

Team sponsors include C&O Tire, Cambrex, Central Park Dentistry, Comet Bowl, D&L, DeBoest Concrete, DeRailed, Dennis Donovan PC, DFS/USA, First Citizens National Bank, Furniture Barn, Insurance Office, Mechanical Air Systems, Molstead Motors, The Pub, Ray Ferch, and Sutton Law Office.

Those who donated to the team’s annual raffle include Dean Jewelers, Karl Haglund-Fugitive Photography, Mechanical Air Systems, Theisen’s, Quality Auto, Blush Salon, Molstead Motors, YMCA, Charles City Parks and Recreations, John and Michelle Ruzicka, and Don’s Repair.

HyVee, Kmart and Theisen’s supplied the team’s water and Gatorade; the Charles City Fire Department supplied the coolers with ice.

CHARLES CITY COMET 12U BASEBALL TEAM

Players

Tyler Eggers #1

Chase Anderson #2

McCrae Hagarty #4

Jack Hanson #7

Blake Wilson #12

Ethan Peterson #15

Max Tjaden #21

Reed Peters #22

Lincoln Joslin #24

Kaden Buseman #30

Jared Cook #32

Gage Kilby #84

Head Coach: Jimmy Joslin

Assistant Coaches: Jamie Kilby, Kelly Roth

Team Mom: Ammie Joslin

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