July 08 2012|02:20 AM

(Youth1) – Day one of the Cecil Fielder Elite World Series is in the books and the talent was nothing short of spectacular. The 11U age group featured two teams ranked in Youth1’s Top 25, the (No. 1) Oakley Stingrays, and (No. 10) Rawlings Pico Elite, both of whom finished the day with a pair of wins.

In addition to the great play of the Stingrays and Pico Elite, there’s another team participating that’s been turning some heads, the 10U FBCA Cobras, playing up an age group.

The Cobras recently finished an impressive showing in Cooperstown, flying nearly 3,000 miles across the country and finishing 2^nd against some of the Northeast’s best competition.

The Cobra’s have been displaying their tough and scrappy mentality since the opening pitch of the tournament and even gave the Pico Elite a scare in their opening game. Pico was victorious by a 7-6 final, but the Cobra’s certainly earned their competitor’s respect in the process.

The day ended on a fun note, featuring 23 of the tournament’s best long ball hitters facing off in the Home Run Derby. Cecil was on hand for the event and provided some excellent commentary while the youngsters swung for the fences. Each player was given 10 outs to display their power and in the end it was two Stingrays members finishing 1^st and 2^nd. The six-foot tall Brandon Rodriguez had five jacks and finished in 2^nd, while David Le Boida sent seven balls over the fence for 1^st place.

David hit a few blasts that were pushing 300’ while fans watching from the bleachers commented on how consistent and powerful his swing was.

For his efforts, David was awarded a beautiful Cecil Fielder Elite World Series ring, a ring that he had his eye on all day. When David first noticed the bright & shiny ring worn by Cecil his eyes lit up, and when Cecil told him he could win one of his own by taking 1^st place in the derby, his mindset changed to that of determination.

“See that? You told me you liked my ring and now you’ve got one of your own,” said Cecil, as he greeted David at the conclusion of the tournament.

The great action of the Cecil Fielder Elite World Series continues tomorrow as teams continue to compete and see who will make it to Monday’s championship game.

Written By: Matthew Carl This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sports Manager: Matthew Carl