Cunningham, Duncan, Goddard, Horvath help Tecumseh win

The Tecumseh Thunder maintains their winning ways … here winning the Ontario senior eliminations:

Back Row: Manger Jamie Kell, Cam Goddard, Micah Harris (Jr Pickup), Webber Snow, Ross Barker, Chris Horvath, Brandon Lindquist, Jared ferencik, Jesse Carriere, Carson Burke (Jr. Pickup) Taylor Pappin, Eric Cunningham

Middle: Coach Ken Price, Coach Dave Girard, Coach Terry Murphy, Curtis Cunningham (Jr. Pickup)

Front: Casey Boutette, Matt Sykes, Brandon Gignac, Austin Oulds, Alex Seguin, Roberto Duncan.

Missing: Alex Murphy, Joel Pierce

Tecumseh Thunder seniors win fifth straight Ontario eliminations championship

By Jamie Kell

Tecumseh Thunder

The Tecumseh Thunder won the 2018 senior Ontario Senior elimination tournament, earning a berth in the nationals a fifth straight title ... a Five-peat!

Historic? Not quite (the Windsor Stars did the same, 2008-2012 as well as the Windsor Chiefs, who won eight consecutive in the 1980s).

Sensational, yes. Captivating, certainly. Magnificent, absolutely.

Shocking, no. Stunning, not really. Surprised, not even close.

Tommy Lasorda once said; “There are three types of ball players: Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and those who wonder what happens.”

This Tecumseh Thunder team, has had ballplayers who make “’it”’ happen.

“It” is playing situations with what the game gives you. “It” is making the basic baseball plays. “It” is not giving up extra outs. “It” is having baseball sense and knowledge. “It” is making everyone around them better. “It” is having on and off the field camaraderie and friendships. “It” is playing your best under pressure. “It” is winning Championships!

The Ontario eliminations are not a run of the mill tournaments either: a 22-team, double knockout tournament with having to win seven possibly eight games over four days.

It is a grinding mental and physical challenge with some added over the top heat, sleep and eat schedules that get twisted and rescheduled depending on game times and locations. It is the real deal and a huge accomplishment, to come out on top and to be able represent Ontario. The Thunder have made five times in a row!

Over the last five championship years, Thunder players have come and gone, but a core of players remained. The diamond of requirements: pitching, catching, shortstop, second base, centre field and coaching. Build your team with pitching, add the best talent possible in the inner diamond of positions around them and you have the beginning of a great team. Add Power hitting at the corners add defensive gems with power in right and left and you have now just started to build a championship Team.

The team this year witnessed 10 of its players from last year’s championship season move on. Either work or life brought on new challenges and commitment levels for most. In the beginning, we knew it was going to be a test of a season for those who stayed and that we had a roster deadline of June 30th to find some middle of the lineup power to make that game changing difference from being a contender to being a real threat of another championship.

Come on over Cam Goddard and Roberto Duncan. Goddard a power left handed hitter, batted third in the order lineup, came in mid-June, made an immediate impact. for another pickup. Duncan is a hard throwing hard hitting, ex-pro third baseman and DH player who was known to many already on the team. He was persuaded to put on the cleats knowing he would put the team over the top to compete. Add this to a team of leaders and veterans like “The Franchise” Eric Cunningham who is one of many who have won a National championship at every level with Tecumseh along with Joel Pierce, Matt Sykes, Eric Carducci, Brandon Gignac, Chris Horvath, Alex Murphy, Brandon Lindquist and Jesse Carriere.

Casey Boutette, Taylor Pappin, Ross Barker, Austin Oulds, Webber Snow and new to the Thunder Senior team this year Alex Seguin and Jared Fernecik rounded off the championship roster.

Elimination weekend

Tecumseh 13, Leaside 0 (WP – Chris Horvath)

Tecumseh 9, Windsor Stars 5 (WP – Joel Pierce. 9 innings)

Tecumseh 3, Newmarket 1 (WP – Taylor Pappin)

Tecumseh 5, Milton 2 (WP- Jesse Carriere)

Ilderton 2, Tecumseh 1 (LP – Brandon Lindquist)

Tecumseh 3, Ilderton 1 (WP – Chris Horvath)

Tecumseh vs Strathroy (rained out)*

Tecumseh 2, Strathroy 0 (WP – Chris Horvath)

Tecumseh 5, Ilderton 1 (WP – Brandon Lindquist)

(A storm forced the semi and finals to be played the following weekend)

Senior nationals.

Eric Cunningham hit a walk-off homer to ensure Tecumseh gained bronze in Prince George, BC. Photo: Christian J Stewart Photography

Tecumseh won bronze in Victoria, BC, its fourth medal in five years at Nationals. Eric Cunningham’s bottom of the seventh inning two out walk off homer gave Tecumseh a 2-1 win over New Brunswick.

Tecumseh Thunder and their bronze medals. Photo Courtesy of Christian J Stewart Photography

Chris Horvath: Starting Pitcher

At the Eliminations and Nationals, starting pitcher Chris Horvath combined for five wins and zero losses. Having three wins at the elimination tournament and two wins, back to back, at the Nationals.

Joel Pierce was the starter for the elimination semi-final Game against Strathroy, but the rains came in the bottom of the second inning. With a commitment to a wedding the following weekend, Pierce was unable to come back on the next weekend to finish his game. Horvath stepped in to throw his third game of the tournament and it was a gem to send to team to the final.

Eliminations combined stats:

72 Batters Faced, 15 Strikeouts, 5 walks, 9 hits, 3 runs scored over 20 innings: ERA 1.35

Chris Horvath won back-to-back starts — on roughly 11 hours rest. Photo Courtesy of Paterson Photography

At the Baseball Canada Championships in Victoria, Chris Horvath had an obligation to fire fighting school and knew that he needed to take an early flight home from Nationals on Saturday night. Knowing that a win Saturday morning would give the Thunder a bye to the semi-final Horvath was asked if he would take the ball for the 8am Saturday morning game. Horvath had thrown seven complete innings against Moncton New Brunswick the night before. It was never telling Horvath what to do, it was an ask as to how his body and arm felt. After a warm up and stretch his arm felt alive and strong still and he took the ball; back to back starts. As he came into finishing the sixth inning and getting his final out, it was his legs that were starting to get tired, not the arm.

This was one of the most gutsy, next level and phenomenal outings our team and coaching staff has ever witnessed in a pitcher, to go back to back starts, a 6pm then an 8am game. Horvath’s desire and will to compete lifted all his teammates to want to win for him as well. Even though Horvath was not there in the end to celebrate, he was an enormous part of Tecumseh’s bronze medal run.

Nationals combined stats:

48 Batters faced, 6 strikeouts, 4 walks, 6 hits, 3 runs scored over 13 innings: ERA 2.08