06/17/2026
Triple Crown SlumpBuster 2026 was an amazing experience for our Legends and families! 1st time competing in this tournament and it did not disappoint.
Game One vs Twitty City from Gallatin, Tennessee.
Started of SB against a top notch Twitty City squad who could swing it and ended up finishing 2nd overall in the tournament, losing in the Championship game. While the game didn't go our way with a lopsided 19-4 loss, we came out swinging when Ashton Bailey led off the game with a walk, and Kale Sjuts hit a 2 run HR to get us up right away in our first game of the tourney. While we couldn't match TC HR for HR, we did add a second when Kale walked and Drasyn Dubbs blasted his 1st HR of the year.
Game Two vs MASH from Eagan, Minnesota.
Another 2 run HR from Drasyn "Austin Riley" Dubbs, this time following a Grady Gubbels walk, got us out to a strong start. MASH tied it up in the bottom half of the inning, just to have us retake the lead 3-2 on a Keegan Novotny SAC Fly following a Maddux Beckmann double and steal of 3rd. MASH then took advantage of some free bases and scored 5 in their half of the 2nd, making the score 7-3. In Prodigy Legends style, we took that deficit and erased it in the top half of the 3rd as the 1st 9 hitters all reached base, helping us to score 7 of our own to retake the lead 10-7. Starting at the top of the lineup with Ashton Bailey who walked, Kale Sjuts singled, Grady Gubbels walked, Drasyn Dubbs RBI single, Gates Gebhardt laid down the perfect bunt down 3rd base line and beat it out for a bunt single, Ablel Keim then got hit by a pitch for an RBI, Maddux Beckmann laced a 2 RBI single, Keegan Novotny walked, and Jack Collins finished things off with an RBI single. Keegan then entered the game on the mound, needing to get 3 outs before the drop dead time limit reached (we had a rain delay that changed time limit to 1:30 and drop dead, meaning if we went over the score would have reverted back to the last completed inning and we would have been on the wrong side of a 7-3 completion of the 2nd). MASH fought back with a single, followed by an out, and then a double to the RCF wall to cut it to 10-8, but the relay from Abel in right nabbed the runner trying to stretch it to a triple and got us 1 out away as time continued to tick away. Finally, as time expired, Keegan recorded a strikeout and we earned a hard fought W.
Game Three vs SBA Red from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
First game of Pool Play that the results were recorded for bracket seeding as the first two lightning rounds games were just exhibition to get some extra games in. This time the defense set the table for an exciting game as following a walk, Kale Sjuts gunned down a runner attempting to steal, and we rode that momentum into our turn to hit as Ashton led the game off with a single, and Kale blasted a ball over the left field fence for the early 2-0 lead and gave the boys all the confidence to swing it the rest of the game. Not done in the 1st, with 2 outs and Drasyn Dubbs on 3rd and Abel Keim on 2nd, Maddux Beckmann laced a hot shot down 1st base line that 1st base couldn't handle to score them both and put us up 4. After 2 quick outs, SBA rallied with a walk and double, but Gates Gebhardt ended the threat by getting the next hitter to ground out to Jack Collins at second base. Cooper Hood started things off with a walk and steal in the 2nd and scored on a hard hit by Ashton up the middle. Kale brought Ash home with a single, Grady brought Kale home with a single and Gates finished the scoring with an RBI single to go up 8-0. Top of the 3rd resulted in another SBA rally thwarted by our boys. A walk and single had two runners on and they moved into scoring position. A wild pitch had SBA first run on the way home, but great effort from catcher Kale Sjuts tosses the ball to pitcher Gates covering and got the out at home. This saved us a run as the next hitter had an RBI double. We ended the threat and any hope of a SBA comeback when Kale backpicked the runner at 2nd base, nailing him with a throw to 2nd basemen Jack Collins. Jack added to our lead with an RBI single scoring Maddux in the 3rd (9-1). Another single and walk to start the SBA 4th, and another play to stop the rally. Jack Collins snagged a line drive at second and tossed it to SS Ashton Bailey for a double play. Still not done, SBA loaded the bases but a line drive to Drasyn Dubbs at 3rd ended the inning. Looking to finish the game early by 10 run rule, back to back doubles from Sjuts and Grady Gubbels got us to 9, and Gates finished it off with a single.
Game 4 vs Keller Indians from Fort Worth, Texas.
Down 2-0, Kale Sjuts followed an Ashton Bailey walk with another 2 run HR and got things tied up. Looking to add on, this time it was our rally that was thwarted when we hit into a double play. Keller was able to regain the lead with some clutch 2 out hitting of their own, scoring 5 all with 2 outs. They went on to add 2 more with another 2 out hit and we found ourselves down 9-2 in the 3rd. We scored 2 ourselves to make it 9-4, but quickly fell behind 12-4 and eventually 13-5 heading into the last inning. Needing to get everyone to the plate to make things interesting, our boys fought and did just that. Our 1st 4 hitters reached base, scored 3 on a single from Gates Gebhardt and fielder's choice/error on a Maddux Beckmann ground ball, we were able to extend the inning with 2 outs as Cooper Hood walked to keep our hopes alive. Ashton walked bringing the score to 13-9, bases loaded, 2 outs, but the rally stopped there as Keller induced a ground ball out to end the game 13-9.
Game 5 vs Brookfield East Jr Spartans from Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Going 1-1 in pool play earned us the 27th seed overall and placed us in the Plantinum bracket (teams seeded 17-32). A 9 hour rain delay pushed back what should have been an 8AM game to 5PM, and our boys focus and energy were to be tested. They passed this test with flying colors as we earned a huge 15-3 victory with Grady Gubbels throwing 4 strong innings and the bats coming alive in the 5th as we scored 10 to put the game away. 0-0 after the first inning, Grady pitched the team out of trouble as he recorded a strikeout looking with bases loaded and we used that momentum to springboard us into the lead. Maddux Beckmann laced an opposite field single to start the inning and while stealing second, Abel Keim roped an opposite field triple to get us on the board! We added 2 more in the 3rd on a Kale Sjuts RBI single scoring Ashton Bailey and a Grady Gubbels SAC Fly. 2 more in the 4th had us up 5-1, and the we broke the game wide open in the 5th scoring 10 and put the game out of reach. Grady started things off with a single, and Drasyn Dubbs followed up with a single of his own. Gates Gebhardt, fresh off his first SAC bunt of the year on Thursday, executed another SAC to move the runners. A walk to Maddux loaded the bases, walk to Abel Keim kept them loaded, and Jack Collins lined a 2 RBI single. Keegan Novotny loaded them back up with a single and Cooper Hood brought home two on a hard hit ball, that was matched with another hard hit ball from Ashton Bailey to score another. Kale Sjuts walked to reload the bases for Grady who's hit by pitch scored one, and Dubby's double scored 2. Our final run of the inning was from another SAC from Gates, this time the SAC Fly variety. The game ended on a fielder's choice where Ashton Bailey fielded the ball in the hole and fired it to Dubbs at 3rd, something we've been working on for a while so was fun to see us execute. 15-3 victory kept us alive in the Platinum bracket.
Game 6 vs Papillion StormChasers Gold from Papio, Nebraska.
In a rematch from a prior tournament where the ball game went into 2 extra inning California Rules, we squared off against a solid SC team for a spot in the semi finals. SC threatened right away in their half of the 1st, when they had bases loaded and already 1 in, when SP Gates Gebhardt settled in and struck out the hitter looking on a nasty breaking ball, not settling for just the K, catcher Kale Sjuts fired it down to Drasyn Dubbs to nab the runner on a back pick to squash the threat. We got our own rally started with a Maddux Beckmann walk, Abel Keim HBP and Jack Collins QAB RBI ground out tied the game. Cooper Hood walked and Ashton Bailey singles to load the bases but the LF handled a laser line drive by Kale Sjuts to end the inning. In the top of the 3rd, Grady Gubbels found himself in an 0-2, but fought his way back to 3-2 and as we always say, we are just "one pitch" away, he smoked that one pitch for a HR and the lead! We got another run in and up 3-1 but not for long. The wheels could have came off in the bottom of the 3rd. Our usually salty defense had some uncharacteristic errors, combined with a 2 run HR of their own and SC took a 5-3 lead. But the wheels stayed on, and we got right to work on mounting our comeback. Keegan Novotny singled to lead off the inning, Ashton Bailey and Kale Sjuts walked to load the bases and then Grady Gubbels tied the game back up with a 2 RBI double. Not done there, Drasyn Dubbs said "Adios Beisbol" and hit a 3 run shot, 3rd HR of the tourney, and put us in the lead for good 8-5! Grady took over on the bump after Gates gave us 3 solid innings, and quickly went 3 up 3 down and got us right back to hitting. Wasting no time to add on, Keegan again led off with a single, a sac bunt by Cooper Hood turned into a bunt single with how perfectly placed it was and we scored again on an Ashton Bailey single. Kale was walked to reload the bases and Grady deposited the 2-0 pitch over the CF wall for a GRAND SLAM! Not done yet, Maddux Beckmann doubled, Abel Keim got hit by a pitch and Jack Collins finished the scoring with an RBI single and score of 14-5. Looking to end the game via run rule, Papio fought back and loaded the bases with 1 out, when Grady buckled down and got back to back strikeouts to send us to the Platinum Bracket Semi Finals.
Game 7 vs Iowa Sticks from Waukee, Iowa.
Not able to sustain the momentum from our previous game, we found ourselves in an early hole. A hot hitting Sticks squad jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead after one, and showed just how they scored 26, 3 (outlier), 14 and 15 in their previous games. We had our chances early, but couldn't take advantage of the free bases. We were able to settle in and Drasyn Dubbs pitched a scoreless 2nd inning to show that we were able to keep them off the scoreboard. That bit of confidence helped us to break up the goose egg in the top of the 3rd as Kale Sjuts walked (1 of 4 in the game) and made his way around the bases with steals and passed balls and scored. Iowa added 3 in their half of the 3rd and had a chance for more but Ashton Bailey threw out a runner trying to steal 2nd. That caught stealing lit a fire in our bats and we came out swinging in the 4th. Abel Keim and Jack Collins started the inning and got on base when Keegan Novotny added a sac bunt single to get them loaded. RBI single from Cooper Hood, 2 RBI double from Ashton Bailey and we scored 3, then Kale Sjuts walked to reload the bases. This time things were GRAND off the bat of Drasyn Dubbs and his 2nd HR of the day, 4th of the tourney, had us within a run. Gates Gebhardt, joined in the HR fun and went back to back with Dubby to tie the game! Now a tie game, Abel Keim entered the game on the mound and got 2 quick outs in the bottom of the 4th. An error scored 1 and gave Iowa some extra swings and they took advantage and had a 2 run blast of their own, going back on top by 3. After a quick 3 up 3 down for our boys in the top of the 5th, we were now not only competing against the Sticks but the clock as well. Roughly 8 minutes to play as the inning started and Iowa began with single. Jack Collins, may have made the defensive play of the tournament, given the situation and our backs up against the wall, made a diving stop on a ground ball, stepped on 2nd, fired to first for a double play and gave us hope to get to bat again. A single and double later, we are now down 13-9 and under 2 minutes to go, Abel nails down the final out with a backwards K to give us one last chance to bat. A quick ground out had us 2 outs away from going home, but we weren't ready to bow out just yet. Kale Sjuts worked his 4th walk of the game, followed by walks to Gubbels and Dubbs to load the bases. A HR in his previous at bat, Gates singled this time to score 1. A passed ball and error scored 2 and had us within one with Gates on 3rd. A Maddux Beckmann bloop single wasn't enough to score Gates as we had to wait to see if the ball would be caught or not, so we had runners on the corners with 1 out. Another out and it was down to Jack Collins, who hit a tough fly ball to 2nd base, who actually missed it, just to be saved and caught by the SS who had hustled over and snagged it at his shoe strings to end the game.
On the weekend we went 4-3 with losses to the eventual Gold Bracket runner up, and loss to the eventual Platinum Bracket champion. We earned a 3rd place finish in the Platinum Bracket which placed us 19th out of 68 total teams. Beyond proud of our first SlumpBuster showing and had such a great experience.
