Sports

Hickory Hornets Head To National Baseball Competition

The 11-and-under baseball team was honored at Monday's Bel Air town meeting.

For the Hickory Hornets travel baseball team, hard work has paid off.

The team of 11-year-old boys will be heading to Disney World to play for a national title.

"This story starts when they were much younger, six of the boys have been playing together since they were seven years old," team coach Ken Bogdan, said during the .

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Bogdan went on to say he and head coach Randy Spurlock have coached the team since that time and have grown to think of team members as "our kids."

The team has shown a pattern of success. Last year it represented Harford County in the after earning wins at the Cal Ripken Babe Ruth Maryland State Championship and .

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While the team wasn't national champion in 2011, three team members were recognized for excellent performance at the tournament.

This year, the team earned another big win, beating out the competition for the right to go to Disney World and play in the Elite World Series.

"This year, in a bigger venue, they've won an even bigger tournament and now they get a chance to play again—two years in a row—for a national championship," Bogdan said.

While Bogdan said he hasn't done the research, he said he believes the accomplishment is an historic one for the area.

"They're all talented boys, but they've maximized what they can get out of their talent by hard work, and they've learned so many great life lessons."


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