Competition is heating up in the National Team Championships Arizona, and the TB SoCal program is looking to catch fire once again to expand its record gold medal wins as a program. After winning the 16U Arizona Champs in 2025, TB SoCal is preparing for returning players to get a taste of back-to-back golds now at the 17U level.
TB SoCal leads all programs with seven golds across the 14U-17U age groups, holding the all-time record for a single program in Champs Arizona history. Their formula to success continues to produce titles, and the coaching staff is prepared to put their strategy to the test once again in the desert.
TB SoCal returner Owen Dunne is using the energy from last year’s win to motivate himself and his team to fire up another program win, bluntly recalling the experience as nothing short of “awesome.”
“It was good to see all the hard work pay off because we had a long week,” said Dunne. “Being able to lead with the gold really was a good experience.”
As far as repeating titles, Dunne is eager to strike again to chase the rush of a gold medal being put around his neck as a champion. “You always want to come here to win, and always want to come home with some hardware.”
So far in this year’s tournament, TB SoCal has a 2-0-1 record, which Dunne feels will help prepare them when game play resumes on Saturday when bracket play is in full effect. “The better you play early on, the more confident you'll be going into bracket play, and just all about getting hot at the right time.” he said.
Head coach Ryan Thompson lays out a different mindset to pool play games, saying “we don't always set it up just to win early (in pool play).”
“It's our job to manage them right and make sure that there's some freshness and crispness in there versus just wearing them out the first three days,” said Thompson. “We need to get our at bats in, we need to get our innings in, we need to catch, and we also need to stay fresh, because we are going to play for five days, and the sun does get to you.”
As the heat continues to be an external factor for teams out west, Thompson understands how crucial it is to take care of his players while continuing to facilitate a well-oiled machine when obstacles come into play. “We plan very well, I think we're able to forecast what our kids' workload is going to be.”
For Dunne, he wants to use the dry desert as a chance to spark fire on the field. “It's all about just getting a gallon, getting hot, and then getting a spark.” To avoid too much heat and fatigue, Dunne expresses to take the game “One hit at a time, and just try not to do too much.”
TB SoCal has two teams competing in the 17U division at Champs Arizona — TB SoCal and TB SoCal Evoshield. Both teams share strong program culture and habits that translate for all athletes by the time they hit the dirt. “When you set that standard up for all 34 guys, they know what's expected.” said Thompson.
Thompson feels himself and the rest of TB SoCal’s staff hand-select athletes that are ready to take advantage of any opportunity they are presented with to help achieve team goals rather than personal success. “We have really good kids that come out here for the right reasons, and I think the more you do that, the better your odds are.” said Thompson.
The work and experience of the coaching staff is recognized by the athletes, who know to trust the process within the TB SoCal program. “They teach you how to play the game the right way, and [there’s an] understanding that will really take you far instead of just high school” said Dunne. “It's important to know how to play correctly, and it'll take you further.”
Playing correctly takes everyone within the program to be on the same page, and to buy into the process of making a championship run. “Everyone bands together, and no one's really playing for themselves,” said Dunne. “Everyone does a good job of doing what it takes to win and doing what it takes to get better each day.”
Hardware is the goal, but Dunne wants to remember these experiences and the good times that come along the way with his team, expressing how he’s “always trying to have fun out here with the team.”
Thompson expressed a similar feeling from a coaching perspective, and shared how “obviously, winning the gold is fun… it's not the main goal, though.” His role as a head coach is to get as many of his players to play collegiate baseball as possible. He has to get their physical and mental strength ready to face the thrill of playing at the next level, and handling adversity when it arrives.
As for the current TB SoCal roster, Thompson understands that there are no current commitments, and how “this is their opportunity to start building their resume, (so) when they do get in front of those right schools, they're able to perform and build off of this.”
TB SoCal’s first program win came in 2017, when TB SoCal Adidas started the legacy by winning the 17U age division. Once they knew the recipe to success, they’ve been able to set the standard of what it takes to win gold in the desert. If you ask Thompson, he’ll let you know that “we're a pretty darn good organization.”
