Lakeville youth baseball players set to compete in world series

LAKEVILLE — The Free-Lake 10U All Star baseball team won their third consecutive state championship this month, soon they’ll compete in the international Cal Ripken Baseball World Series.

The Free-Lake 10U All Star Team is made up of 10-year-old baseball players from Freetown, Lakeville, Assonet and East Taunton. Earlier this month, the team won the Cal Ripken Baseball Eastern Massachusetts State Championship. With that win behind them, they are now headed to Indiana in August for the team’s second time at the world series.

The 11-player team is managed by three coaches, and most of the players have been competing together on the all-star team since they were eight-years-old.

On July 12, the team won the state championship with a 6 to 2 win over the Chelmsford all-star team. That victory brings them to three consecutive state championships, a Cal Ripken league record.

“We realized that as we get older, the competition gets bigger, faster, stronger, so we have to kind of stay in that same mindset of ‘we're number one.’ Every team in New England wants to beat us, so we have to stay fresh and ready for anything,” said Team Manager Eddy Rasar, who has managed the team for the last three years.

At the state championship, Rasar said the team had great plays and hitting. Rasar’s son and pitcher, Cay Rasar, pitched a perfect game. Pitchers Tyrus Araujo and Brady DeTerra also pitched strongly.

All-star teams are formed through tryouts following the spring baseball season. The All-Star season began with a district tournament in early June. Rasar said the team competes in about 20 to 25 games during a season, not including the world series they are headed to in August.

The Cal Ripken Baseball league is a different organization and competition than Little League Baseball.

With their history, the team is no stranger to the high level of competition. Rasar said great pitching, emphasis on defense and the players’ focused drive is what has contributed to their success over the last three years.

“They are the team to beat. It's no secret. So, they come prepared every game, knowing that the other teams are going to give us their best effort. The boys really take that challenge head on and they do their best,” Rasar said.

The team competes throughout the state, and must win a regional state championship to qualify for the world series that includes international teams. The Cal Ripken Baseball World Series, which runs from Aug. 7 to Aug. 16, will include 25 teams with nine international teams and 16 U.S. teams.

“Playing in any world series, you're seeing the top teams from all around,” said Rasar. “This year will be a little bit more difficult, because there's a lot more overall teams and more international teams than what we're not used to.”

Rasar said they don’t know who yet, but the Free-Lake 10U All Star team will play at least one international team over the five games they are guaranteed at the series.

August will mark the third world-series the team has qualified for. Rasar said last year, although they had a perfect record of 26 wins and no losses, the team elected to save funds and not attend the world series.

The trip costs over $20,000 for the equipment, lodging and travel. Funds come from business sponsorships, family donations and player-led fundraising.

Now, Rasar said they are well funded for the week-long world series trip — and the team is more than prepared. He said the companionship and ambition between the players is a key to their continued success.

“You need the camaraderie. A lot of the boys on the team are friends outside of the field. I think another part of [our] success is you always have to continue to challenge the players so they're not content with just getting to a championship,” Rasar said.

“You have to challenge them to want that championship to go to the next level,” he added.