08/24/2026
What a weekend for the Rough Riders!
Congratulations to our boys on bringing home a ring at the Five Tool Youth “Heat of Summer” Tournament!
And this tournament absolutely lived up to its name. These were some of the most severe temperatures we have ever played in, especially on turf. The heat coming off that field was brutal, but our boys kept competing, supporting each other, and fighting through every inning. We are incredibly proud of the toughness and resilience they showed all weekend.
A few tournament standouts deserve some recognition:
OFFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Ryder Raesz — Ryder was on another level at the plate, going 6-for-8 (.750) with 3 doubles, a triple, 6 RBI, 5 runs scored and ZERO strikeouts. He consistently drove the baseball and delivered when we needed runs.
Evan Zhu — Evan quietly put together an outstanding tournament, going 3-for-4 (.750) with a double, 3 RBI and ZERO strikeouts. He consistently made quality contact and was one of our most dependable bats throughout the weekend.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Nolan Howell — Nolan was dominant on the mound. Across 2 innings, he allowed ZERO hits and ZERO runs while striking out 5 hitters. When we needed strikes and outs, Nolan delivered.
Benji Bernal — Benji gave us an outstanding defensive performance at first base, including a game where he went 5-for-5 on defensive chances, helped turn a double play, and gave our infield a dependable target across the diamond.
But the ring belongs to the whole team.
Every walk, stolen base, pitch, catch, ground ball, run scored, dugout cheer, and teammate picking another teammate up contributed to this weekend.
The heat tested them physically. Tough innings tested them mentally. They kept playing.
That’s what we want Rough Rider baseball to represent:
Respect. Intensity. Progress.
We are proud of these boys. They earned this one.