FARMINGTON – The defending Connie Mack World Series champion Dulins Dodgers National team officially opened their 2026 series with a strong showing during pool play weekend.
The Dodgers National squad earned a 9-1 win in their first pool play game over Oklahoma-based Brand of Athletes on Friday. They followed that win with a 19-1 romp over Performance Baseball on Saturday morning.
In the victory over Performance Baseball, three different Nationals players recorded three runs batted in. Carson Sharp, Jace Elrod and Creed Rainer each chimed in with an extra-base hit while Performance pitchers walked nine batters.
The final game of the weekend for Dulins National was a high-profile early showdown against the Midland Redskins, which may serve as a preview of the championship contest this weekend.
Midland rallied from a 3-run deficit, scoring five unanswered runs over the fourth and fifth innings times before holding on for a 6-4 victory over the National team.
The final game of the pool play schedule left only Dallas-based D-Bat United as the only team with an unblemished record heading into the bracket portion of the tournament. A pair of first round games will be played Sunday at Ricketts Park, with four more opening round games beginning Monday at 10 a.m.
Midland kickstarted its comeback in the bottom of the fourth when Judah Ota delivered a two-run, line-drive single to right field, bringing home Wil Kraus and Lincoln Boyle to slice into Dulin’s lead.
The Redskins maintained their momentum in the fifth, tying the game at 3-3 when Tyler Fryman ripped a triple to right to bring in Brayden Schmittou. Lincoln Boyle quickly put Midland ahead for good, driving in Fryman with a sharp single to center. Kraus capped the three-run frame with an RBI single to left, giving Midland a 5-3 cushion.
Dulin’s Dodgers pushed back in the top of the sixth when Austin Allen singled to right to bring home John Clark and trim the deficit to one.
However, Midland added a critical insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. Schmittou hit a single to right field, and an error by right fielder Anthony Del Angel allowed Keegan Sawyer to score from third, extending the lead to 6-4.
The Midland Redskins opened the pool play weekend with a 12-4 victory over Performance Baseball Friday at Worley Field in the first game of Connie Mack World Series pool play for both teams.
Saturday’s second day of pool play games at Ricketts Park opened with the Marlins outslugging TEST baseball by a final of 10-7.
Alex Cooley delivered the decisive blow for the Marlins with a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, capping a wild, high-scoring contest.
The Marlins opened the game with a four-run burst in the top of the first. Dylan Duran sparked the offense with a two-run double down the left-field line, and Cooley immediately followed with a two-run single to put the Marlins ahead 4-0.
Test Baseball answered with a six-run explosion in the bottom half of the first to seize the lead. Connor Young, Nomar Torres, and Troy Gonzalez each delivered RBI singles before Truett “Ford” Allen lifted a sacrifice fly. Drew Harthcock added an RBI on a fielder’s choice, and Test Baseball padded its margin to 6-4 on a Marlins throwing error before the inning ended.
The Marlins chipped away, bringing home a run on a Jojo Adams sacrifice fly in the third before tying the game at 6-6 in the fourth on an RBI single from pinch hitter Nate McKnight.
Test Baseball briefly reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Drew Wells lined a hard RBI single to center to make it 7-6.
However, the Marlins stormed back in the top of the sixth. Chance Kirtley tied the game with an RBI single to left, and two batters later, Cooley launched a three-run shot to left field to put the Marlins on top for good.
In other Saturday action, Jackson Mott put on an offensive clinic, driving in eight runs with two home runs as the NW 509 Stars poured it on to rout the Albuquerque Baseball Academy 19-3.
Joshua Andrews delivered the decisive blow with a bases-clearing double in the top of the sixth inning, capping a late comeback to propel D-BAT to a 9-7 victory over the Albuquerque Baseball Academy at the Farmington Sports Complex.
D-BAT struck first in the opening frame, loading the bases before Zack Goldstein scored on a wild pitch. Andrews then scored alongside Talon Pate on a two-run double by Brady Morgeson to build an early 3-0 lead.
Albuquerque answered immediately in its half of the first. Mason Courtney singled and scored on a Tyler Swarts sacrifice fly, followed by a wild pitch that brought home Zach Zweschper. After D-BAT made an early call to the bullpen, Albuquerque loaded the bases and drew back-to-back walks to surge ahead 5-3.
D-BAT leveled the score in the third when Pate drove in Andrews with an RBI single and later scored the tying run to make it 5-5.
Albuquerque reclaimed the lead in the fourth when Nathan Swarts tripled and came home on a D-BAT error, putting ABA on top 6-5.
After a scoreless fifth, D-BAT staged its game-winning rally. Joshua Viars lined an RBI double to score Oliver Minyard and tie the game at 6-6. Following an intentional walk to Pate that loaded the bases, Andrews ripped a three-run double into left field, clearing the bases to seal the win. Andrews finished the day 2-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Xander Thacker earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief without allowing a hit. Josh Riordan took the loss for ABA, allowing four runs on three hits over 3 1/3 innings.
The Dulins Dodgers American squad scored four times in the top of the fourth inning on their way to a 5-3 win over the Dulins Dodgers Prime on Saturday at Ricketts Park.
Breaking a 1-1 tie, Americans Lucas Smith drove in a pair of runs with a two-run single, scoring Brady Sommers and Asher Strait. That was followed by a run-scoring single off the bat of Mark Ramos, followed by an error at third base which plated Mason Fritz.
The Dodgers Prime battled back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring a pair of runs to trim the Americans lead.
Landon Walker earned the win for the Americans, throwing five innings and striking out four while giving up three runs on five hits and no walks.