Rosetti, Danbury 12s plan to stick around

DANBURY -- With state and New England regional titles already in their collective pockets, the Danbury 12-year-old baseball team has its sights set on something more.

Danbury is one of 10 American and six international teams who've qualified for the ninth-annual Cal Ripken World Series, which starts Friday and finishes Saturday, Aug. 22 in Aberdeen, Md.

Danbury pitcher Pete Rosetti, who started and won every game in last week's regional, has high expectations for the team, which departs by bus from Rogers Park at noon on Thursday.

"I think we've had a good run, but it'd be good to win," said Rosetti. "Obviously we're going to give it our all, but we just want to win at least two or three games in the tournament."

Danbury manager Vinnie Fiddner, who's guided the bulk of the team as 9s and 11s to regional titles (years that don't include national tournaments), is excited about playing for the 70-foot World Series title.

"It'd be going out with a blast on the small field," said Fiddner. "On the other hand we don't want to go do down there and not play well. The boys are pretty ready to go.

"Once they get down there, they're going to have to soak everything in, but once they get on the field they're going to be ready to play a little baseball."

Danbury opens pool play in the tournament at 5 p.m. on Saturday against NW Bakersfield, Calif. The New England champs will then play Sunday vs. Williamette Valley, Ore.; Tuesday vs. Upper Montgomery,

Md., and Aug. 19 vs. Little Rock, Ark.

Those five teams are all in the American Division. The two teams with the best pool-play record will advance to a single-elimination bracket on Aug. 20 against the top two National Division teams (Brick American, N.J., Forest Hills, Fla., SE Lexington, Ky., Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Harford County, Md.).

The survivor, or U.S. champ, will play the international champion (Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea) for all the marbles on Aug. 22.

"I'm just really excited for our team and all the parents," said Rosetti. "It's going to be a great experience."

"It's pretty special to be able to go to the World Series," said Fiddner, who added that he was gratified by the support he's received via e-mails and calls from area and rival coaches, as well as the collaborative fund-raising efforts to help finance the trip. "It makes you feel good when people are behind you. And I love the way the families and the whole community came together."

The 12s will also be keeping an eye out on how the 10s do in their World Series appearance in Lamar, Colo.

"Us and the 10s, we get along real well," said Rosetti. "The 10s are a really nice team. Last year we won it as 11s and they won it as 9s so we're feeling sort of a bond between each other."

(From newstimes.com)