The 2025 USA Baseball National Team Championships Arizona have officially wrapped up after MVP Hustle came out on top in the 14U gold medal game, downing the Scottsdale Dirtbags 10-2 in run-rule fashion.
In what was a rather quiet first few innings, MVP Hustle struck first in the third inning and went off to the races from there.
While tied at zero, second baseman Aiden Garcia stepped up to the dish with runners on first and second base looking to inflict some damage.
After a first-pitch strike, Garcia roped an opposite field double that plated the first run of the afternoon for his squad.
“I like to set the tone and get the team going. When I get on base, I always score, so I just needed to get on base. I got a good pitch to hit and was able to do what I wanted to,” Garcia said.
After Garcia broke open the scoring, the red-hot week of Seth Young rolled on as he drove in another run on an RBI single to make it 2-0 in favor of MVP.
However, the Dirtbags were able to strike right back as Jax Wuenschel crushed a two-run double of his own to tie things up almost instantly after MVP’s big inning. Scottsdale was unable to generate any more runs as the inning closed shortly after.
The two-run fourth inning for MVP played as the perfect prelude for what was a fifth inning eruption that quickly followed.
MVP Hustle plated six runs on four hits, two doubles, and four walks. A pair of back-to-back doubles from Akira Takayanagi and Jimmy Quintero set the table for a full-course feast by the MVP offense.
Garcia once again came up huge, capping off the explosive inning with another RBI single that gave starting pitcher Ayden Torres all the run-support he could have dreamed for.
“Ayden (Torres) was just amazing. When he’s out there, all we have to do is play defense. He throws strikes, and that's what he does. He deals with these big moments through all the tournaments he's played, so it's pretty normal for him. We just had to play defense and back him up. I'm so proud of him,” said Garcia.
Amidst the offensive success was the steady hand of Torres on the bump, keeping the Dirtbags guessing all afternoon and living out his big league dreams on the grounds of Surprise Stadium.
“It's such a blessing to play in a very nice stadium like this. Honestly, it was one of the best moments of my life for me to be out here pitching on this field. It’s a blessing to be here with my family, my best friends, and my teammates,” said Torres.
MVP Hustle continued to pour it on in as the team went on to score a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings.
In the bottom of the sixth, Julian Trejo lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Danny Ruiz to put the run-rule in action and crown MVP Hustle as Champions.
“It's a tough field. And then when you get into the top 32 it really gets tough. Every game is such a grind. The competition out here is always great.To get all the families to come out and buy in for the kids, it feels good to come out on top,” said Head Coach Rich Prieto.
Prior to MVP Hustle claiming gold, Canes West secured a spot on the podium by winning bronze after an 8-3 win over Texas Twelve Red Sox.
The 2025 MVP Hustle 14U squad now becomes the second team in program history to win a gold medal at Champs AZ, ending a seven-year drought since the 2018 16U team claimed gold.
