Orem sends 2 state champs to Pony League tournaments in California

OREM — Before this month, no Pony League team from Orem had ever won a state championship.

This weekend, not just one but two of Orem's Pony League youth baseball teams will represent the city and Utah at different Western Regional tournaments in Southern California. The two Orem All-Star teams, a Mustang Division (9- and 10-year-old) team and a Pony Division (13- and 14- year-old) team, each won a district and Utah state title to earn their trip to California.

"This is a special group right here," said Kyle Mendoza, coach of the older All-Star team. "They work hard. ... They're very dedicated in everything they do. It's been a lot of fun — a lot of fun."

Both teams will play games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Success in the first three days of pool tournament play will put the teams in their respective finals on Monday. The younger of the teams will compete in Chino Hills, Calif., while the older of Orem's All-Stars will play in Fullerton. Opposition for both clubs will come in the form of teams from Northern and Southern California, Hawaii, Washington and Arizona.

Pony League is an international youth baseball and softball organization, but it is separate from the more widely known Little League organization. The two organizations feature the same general rules but play with slightly different rules for managing pitchers.

"There's no difference as far as competition level, seriousness and as far as these level of tournaments," said Randy Lamoreaux, coach of the younger, Mustang Division team.

As All-Star teams, both the Mustang and Pony Division teams are comprised of the top players from a variety of teams in Orem Youth Baseball. C.J. Schroeppel, a captain on the Pony Division team, said he's glad to have some of his former opponents now playing on his team.

"During the season they all played really well," Schroeppel said. "Playing with them now, it's a boost to my morale because I'm playing with guys who know what they're doing."

Should the teams advance through and win their respective Western Division tournaments, they'll go on to play in a World Series for each age group, a tournament featuring teams from around the U.S., Asia, the Asian Pacific and Latin America. The national Mustang Division tournament will be in Irving, Texas, while the Pony Division tournament will take place in Washington, Pa.

Both teams and their coaches were honored Tuesday evening by Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn and members of the City Council at the Orem City Center. Teams offered Orem All-Stars ball caps to the mayor and City Council on the condition they wear the hats sometime during the day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for good luck. The mayor and council agreed, and then donned their new hats for their council meeting.

"Not only do we have a state champion baseball team here in Orem," Washburn said. "We've got two. ... They have accomplished something that's remarkable."

e-mail: jdavis@desnews.com