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07/26/2022 05:58 PMDan Fappiano
Source Sports Writer
Thirteen of the town’s best young ballplayers had an opportunity to compete for Madison’s 12-U All-Stars Little League Majors baseball team this summer. Manager Tim Kessell knew that he had a good team as Madison entered tournament play. In the end, Kessell saw his players maximize their potential on the diamond as Madison went on to win the District 9 Tournament and advance to the final of the Section 3 Tournament.
Madison claimed the District 9 title by going undefeated in pool play and then earning a 9-3 victory versus Guilford in the deciding game of the championship. Madison then competed in the Section 3 Tournament and made it to the championship game, where the team took a 4-3 defeat against East Lyme.
The Madison 12-U All-Stars baseball squad’s roster features Everett Anderson, Liam Balogh, Treydan Beam, Fin Davies, Michael Ferraiolo, Ashton Hagen, Nate Kessell, Javi Ledea, Josh Maynard, Sean O’Connor, Thomas Pshybyshefski, Cole Semple, and Ryan Wood. Team manager Kessell is joined on his coaching staff by coaches Colin Davies and Eddie Pshybyshefski.
The athletes on this year’s All-Stars team had either played with or against each other in previous seasons. Kessell knew that the team had the potential to compete at a high level. Early on, Madison focused on playing some intrasquad scrimmages in order to figure out its ideal lineup. In addition to their performance on the field, Kessell wanted to use the early part of the summer season to help his players understand the mental side of the game and the importance of accountability.
“It was exciting. We had been together before in year’s past. We knew that once we got that group back together, we would be able to compete at a pretty high level,” Kessell said. “They’re all good ballplayers. We just set the expectation of responsibility and accountability to yourself and others. Forming that team dynamic right from the get-go was an expectation. We were excited to see where each of them individually contributed best.”
On June 28, Madison began its tourney journey by participating in the pool-play portion of the District 9 Tournament. Madison went undefeated in pool play by defeating Old Saybrook-Westbrook (16-0), Portland (22-1), East Haddam (18-0), Deep River-Essex (10-0), and Haddam-Killingworth (22-0) in convincing fashion. Kessell said that the pool-play games boosted the team’s confidence as Madison prepared to play for the championship.
“It was a confidence builder. It was great to see how we melded as a team,” said Kessell. “That confidence boost was huge to get us on the right foot and get us ready to compete when we got into some of the more competitive games.”
In its first game of the double-elimination championship series, Madison claimed a 9-4 win over East Hampton on July 8. Two days later, Madison notched a 1-0 victory versus Guilford. After Guilford defeated East Hampton, Madison faced Guilford again with a chance to win the district title on July 12.
Guilford wound up winning that contest against Madison by a 5-4 score to stay alive and set up a winner-take-all championship game between the two teams in Guilford on July 13. Kessell and his players knew that the were facing a strong Guilford team. While Madison had just lost to Guilford, Kessell and company used that loss as a positive and knew that they had to be ready to play with the District 9 title on the line in the rematch.
“Guilford has a great squad. They have a great program. We knew going into that game it would be tough. The boys battled,” Kessell said. “We used it as a positive in the huddle after the game. Even though we didn’t have our best game that day, we still gave ourselves a shot to win that game.”
Madison went on to notch a 9-3 victory versus Guilford to claim the District 9 crown. Kessell said that Madison and Guilford have developed a friendly rivalry after giving each other such good competition throughout the past few years. Kessell felt pleased to see Madison’s players succeed in all aspects of the game in order to take home the district trophy.
“It meant a lot. There’s always a great friendly rivalry between the two towns. We’ve competed with them over the past three, four years, and they’ve all been very close,” said Kessell said. “Our bats came alive that day. We pitched a great game and played lockdown defense. We had all aspects of our game working for us and were able to take down a really talented Guilford team.”
On the heels of winning districts, Madison opened play in the Section 3 Tournament on July 19. Madison posted a 2-1 win over East Lyme in its first game and then defeated Cromwell by a 6-5 final in its second matchup. Madison went on to face East Lyme again in the championship game and took a 4-3 defeat in a hard-fought contest at Nelson Field in Madison on July 22.
Despite the loss, Kessell called the Section 3 final one of the best baseball games that he’s ever seen. Between the momentum swings and close calls, Kessell saw his squad battle until the final out and show everyone how strong of a team Madison had this season.
“It was by far for me one of the greatest baseball games I’ve ever been a part of, whether it be travel ball, Little League ball, you name it. It was just a shame somebody had to lose that game,” said Kessell. “There were so many momentum swings, so many clutch plays, so many close calls. We came up about two inches combined on four plays that game that didn’t swing our way.”
While Kessell and his coaches wanted their players to improve their baseball skills, there was also an emphasis on them developing confidence on the diamond throughout the club’s postseason run. He wanted Madison’s athletes to trust themselves and the teammates around them. Kessell felt that the team succeeded in that goal and said that the “confidence, experience, and self-determination,” that they’ve gained the past few weeks will stay with them as they move through life.
“The confidence piece is really what you look for. You have young players. It can be an emotional game,” said Kessell. “Baseball is a team sport, but it often comes down to the individual executing in the moment. We kept saying to the players, ‘Trust yourself. Don’t let the moment get too big for you.’ The results of the game are always just a culmination of smaller moments. The outcome is not the goal. The goal is to execute in the moment.”
Madison relied on Nate Kessell and Fin Davies as its two top pitchers this year. Kessell is a lefty, while Davies is a right-hander. Coach Kessell said that both hurlers throw hard and have great movement on their pitches. Madison also received contributions from Josh Maynard, Thomas Pshybyshefski, and Ashton Hagen on the mound. With the experience that the staff coming into this year, Coach Kessell felt that pitching proved one of Madison’s greatest strengths during its championship run.
“We relied on quite a few arms to help get us through,” Kessell said. “We felt that pitching was one of our strengths just based on the experience some of the guys have had previously.”
On offense, Davies, Kessell, Pshybyshefski, and Maynard were all dangerous bats for Madison. Liam Balogh and Ryan Wood also played a big role in the team’s offensive output. Overall, Coach Kessell was happy to see Madison’s offense come up clutch moments in numerous moments to help the team make it as far as it did.
The 2022 edition of the Madison 12-U All-Stars baseball team will always be remembered for being District 9 champions and making a deep run in the Section 3 Tournament. When he looks back, Coach Kessell will remember this year’s team for both its commitment to the program and themselves. Kessell feels proud to have guided the team on a remarkable ride that will forever live in the history of Madison athletics.
“What made the squad special was their ability to maximize their potential. They committed to themselves, they committed to the team. We really stressed how to be a responsible ballplayer to your team, how to be accountable to yourself,” said Kessell. “When I look back, this team came together, knew they were good, and knew that teams were going to push them. In every instance, they were able to rise to the occasion. Every team but one loses the last game. I was proud of the team for competing at the highest level they could.”