Tri-State Season Begins

The Tri-State Baseball League will kick-off its 84th season of play on Sunday May 21st as 18 teams return for the 2017 season to battle it out for a league championship. Leading the way are the Watertown Blaze and Naugatuck Dogs who combined to post a 33-3 regular season record in 2016. Watertown (17-1) captured the league championship, won the Stan Musial state tournament and finished second in the AABC World Series (won by Albany NY) capping a marvelous season. The Naugatuck Dogs (16-2), who handed the Blaze their only regular season loss during the summer, finished as the runner-up in the state tourney, qualified to also play in last season’s AABC World Series and then battled Watertown in a three game showdown in the Tri-State Baseball League World Series.
The Wolcott Scrappers (2014 league champs) and Terryville Black Sox also qualified for the state tournament in 2016, while the Litchfield Cowboys (2011,2012,2015 league champs), Tri-Town Trojans (2013 league champs), and Bethlehem Plowboys (2010 league champs) look to regain championship gold in 2017. Long time Tri-State powerhouses Blasius Chevrolet (formerly Brass City Brew), Winsted Whalers and Torrington Rebels each qualified for the Tri-State playoffs in 2016. Also looking for playoff berths in 2017 are the Amenia Monarchs, Burlington Hunters, Bristol Greeners, Canton Crushers, East Mountain Cougars, Southington 66ers, Valley Thunder, and the Tribury Twisters. The Thomaston Threshers team folded following the 2016 season.
Waterbury, CT has been named as the host city for the 2017 AABC Stan Musial World Series for the second year in a row. Games will be played at Municipal Stadium(Waterbury), Fuessenich Park (Torrington) and Harbor Yard (Bridgeport). Tri-State Commissioner Ed Gadomski has been named as the World Series Tournament Director for the 12 team tourney. Games are slated to be played August 2 – August 6. The Stan Musial State tourney (also under the guidance of Commissioner Gadomski) will be played the last week of July. Two CT teams from the state tourney will qualify to play in the AABC World Series. on a side note, Sunday June 25 will feature two fun games, an Old Timers Day game and a Tri-State League all-star game to be played at Community Field in Litchfield.
Tri-State would like to announce its 2016 award winners:
MVP: Tony Patane (Watertown Blaze)
Silver Slugger: Kyle Murphy (Naugatuck Dogs)
Cy Young: Billy Armstrong (Terryville Black Sox)
All-Star Team:
C Steve Harrison (Litchfield Cowboys)
1B Devin Murphy (Naugatuck Dogs)
2B Sean Miller-Jones (Naugatuck Dogs)
SS Macky Cianciolo (Naugatuck Dogs)
3B Ben Schumacher (Winsted Whalers)
OF Connor McEvoy (Watertown Blaze)
OF Ryan Plourde (Naugatuck Dogs)
OF Chris Ayer (Watertown Blaze)
DH Nick DeLotto (Watertown Blaze)
P Zach Sehnal (Wolcott Scrappers)