Sports
Johnny Mac SLABA Team Travels to Omaha
Johnny Mac will compete in the 30-team Battle of Omaha Tournament beginning Thursday.
The focus of the college baseball world is always on Omaha, NE at this time of the year where the College World Series is currently being played.
It has also been the early summer destination for the past several years for the Johnny Mac baseball team.
The St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association (SLABA) team will be playing in the 30-team Battle of Omaha Tournament beginning Thursday morning.
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"I remember playing in this tournament in 2003 and I came back with some good memories," first-year Johnny Mac manager Steve Braun said. "It was a good tournament and I remember getting to see Cal State-Fullerton play a game in the World Series. I think they ended up winning that year."
The Johnny Mac Thunder, who has seven players from Mehlville High School and four from St. Mary's, expect to take in a game at this year's World Series, likely on Thursday.
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"I understand there is quite a buzz around Omaha these days," Braun said. "The College World Series is a big event and they have a brand new stadium downtown now. We are looking forward to seeing a game."
The team is also looking forward to winning games in Omaha. The team has won just three of 20 games this summer, including five losses in as many games last weekend in a tournament in Cincinnati.
"There was some very, very tough competition in Cincinnati and we are expecting a high level of competition in Omaha as well," Braun said. "We had a good bonding trip last weekend and the team is playing better than our record indicates. Our goal is to improve each day whether it is in a game, practice or even batting practice."
"And we have certainly gotten better, especially with our defense and pitching. We made a lot of errors early in the season but we are getting more comfortable with our teammates and are very much improved," he said. "The pitchers are also throwing more strikes."
Johnny Mac is guaranteed to play five games in the tournament, which includes five pools of six teams. They will open Thursday at 8 a.m. against St. Joseph, MO. Two teams from Omaha and one from Pine Creek, CO and Kansas City, KS round out the pool.
The winners of the five pools along with three wild card teams will move on to bracketed play to conclude the tournament.
