Choctaw Nation tribal member, Madden Sawyer, a Junior from Coleman High School, recently played on the Native American baseball team in the DFW Youth World Baseball Classic in Waxahachie, Texas, Aug. 1-4.
The Native American team battled hard through pool play at the World Baseball Classic, finishing with two wins and two losses to earn a coveted spot in bracket play.
The squad picked up decisive victories over Team Tejas (7-3) and Team Asia (8-3), showing strong offense and steady defense. However, they came up just short in two tight matchups, falling to Team Puerto Rico (1-3) and Team Venezuela (0-2).
With 11 teams competing in pool play and only the top eight advancing, every game counted. The Native American team’s performance was strong enough to secure them the No. 6 seed heading into bracket play on Monday.
Their first opponent in the elimination round was powerhouse Team USA. Despite a determined effort, the Native American team fell, ending their tournament run.