Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Sunnvyale's Troy Tulowitzki, shown pitching for Fremont in a high school game last spring, was a key player for the Sunnyvale National Little League team that finished third in the Senior World Series last weekend.




National places third at World Series

Sunnyvale club goes 33-2 in tourney play

By Dick Sparrer

Troy Tulowitzki, Robert Perry and the rest of the Sunnyvale National Little League major division all-stars made it to the finals of the Western Regional tournament in 1997.

But Sunnyvale lost in the championship game to Mission Viejo, and it was Southern California club that went on to represent the West in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

A trip to the World Series just wasn't in the stars for Sunnyvale in 1997. But four years later, many of those stars were back on the diamond to make the dream come true for Sunnyvale National.

The National all-stars earned a trip to the Senior Little League World Series this summer, and they recently wrapped up a sensational season with a third-place finish in Kissimmee, Fla.

Sunnyvale earned the trip to the World Series by winning the Western Regional championship. National swept through the tourney with three straight wins. In fact, the local boys were perfect in the post-season before heading off to Kissimmee.

National won the District 44 league title with a 16-0 regular season record, then won three straight games at the District 44 tournament. They won three games to take the sectional title, four to win the divisional crown and three more at the Western Regionals.

Sunnyvale finished the year with an impressive 33-2 record after posting a 4-2 record to finish third in the World Series. National ended up second among teams from the United States.

Palm Harbor, Fla., ended up winning the series crown, beating Maracaiblo, Venezuela, in the finals.

Teams in the tournament included the Eastwood Little League from Kalamazoo, Mich. (U.S. Central); the Whalley Little League from Whalley, British Columbia (Canada); the South Vineland Little League from South Vineland, N.J. (U.S. East); Germany International from Ramstein-Vogelweh, Sembach and Landstuhl Military Little Leagues (Europe); Palm Harbor American Little League from Palm Harbor, Fla. (U.S. South); Central Little League from Agana, Guam (Far East); Coquivacoa Little League from Maracaibo, Venezuela (Latin America); Kissimmee, Fla. (Host); and Sunnyvale National (U.S. West).

"There are nearly 4,000 teams in Senior Little League baseball worldwide," said District 44 administrator Bob Bernhardt, praising the accomplishments of the National squad.

Sunnyvale opened the World Series with a 5-1 win over host Kissimmee, but lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to eventual tourney champ Palm Harbor.

National came back to beat Kissimmee 8-5 a game later, but lost 8-5 to Maracaibo, Venezuela.

The second loss dropped Sunnyvale into the tournament's third-place bracket, and the National boys won two straight games to clinch third overall.

Sunnyvale beat the South Vineland 8-1 behind a solid performance by Kris Dunwoody in his first pitching assignment of the tournament. Tulowitzki ripped an inside-the-park home run to lead the offensive attack for National.

The locals wrapped up third place with a 12-5 win over Guam. Perry was the starting pitcher, but it was Dan Murrell who came on in relief to pick up the mound win. Perry ripped his second inside-the-park home run of the tourney in the third-place game. His first homer came in the loss to Venezuela.

The inside-the-park homers by Perry and Tulowitzki were the first in the tournament since 1985. World Series games are played in the Houston Astros spring training facility in Kissimmee.

Members of the Sunnyvale National all-star team included Robert Perry, Troy Tulowitzki, Tyler Duran, Kris Dunwoody, Dan Murrell, Rocky Russell, Ernie Vargas, Matt Martinez, Scott Boardman, Ryan Boardman, Brett Bonetti, Dave Rivas, Cayo Arroyo and Vince Gutierrez.

The manager of the club was Dan Placentia, and his coaches were Ken Tulowitzki and Tad Martin. The league president is Robert Rodriguez.

Many players on the Sunnyvale National club were members of the teams that did so well in all-star play in 1995 and 1997.

National won the Northern California title in the 9-10 age division in '95, then finished second at the Little League Western Regionals in San Bernadino in '97, losing 2-1 to Mission Viejo in the finals.

The third-place effort at the Senior World Series was the best finish for a Sunnyvale National squad--and for District 44--since the Sunnyvale National all-stars finished fourth at the Junior Little League World Series in 1993 in Taylor, Mich.

The 2001 all-stars earned their trip to the World Series by winning three straight games at the Western Regionals held Aug. 5-8 in Billings, Mont.

Sunnyvale opened with a 17-7 win over the Dixie Little League from Utah, then beat East Anaheim Little League twice, 9-3 and 3-2.

The Maui City Little League from Maui, Hawaii, rounded out the four-team field in Billings.

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