Manhattan Beach Junior All-Stars Win District Championship

The Manhattan Beach Junior All-Stars swept three games in route to the District 36 title, earning a berth in the Section 4 tournament being held this weekend in Culver City. The team faces off against District 37 champion Holly Park today at 11 a.m.

This is the second time in the past three years the MB Junior All-Stars have won the District 36 championship under manager Ira Smith. “The team has really come together nicely, with contributions being made by every player,” said Smith.

The team has a deep reservoir of pitching talent with a majority of the team taking the mound during the regular season. “Any of these boys are capable of starting and going deep into a game, which is crucial in tournaments with pitch limitations and back-to-back games. It’s a real strength of the team,” he said. 

The team scored more than 20 runs on its way to the District title, capped off by a Will Lacey home run against Hermosa Beach. “Will’s homer was exciting to see, but maybe even more impressive is how the entire line up has been stroking it during the tournament,” said coach Bob Wymbs.   

While satisfied with winning the District, Wymbs added, “The team is going to face even tougher competition and will need to play its best in order to have a chance for continued success.”

The team consists of Jordan Bremer, Luke Jelmini, Will Lacey, Jake Lane, Luke McCauley, Mitchell Meyer, Jackson Michalski, Glen Mitchel, Rhett Rudnicki, Michael Rumpp, Jack Theodore and Robert White. 

"The boys are playing great, having fun and making Manhattan Beach proud," said Andrew Hunter, president of Manhattan Beach Youth Athletics. "We are fortunate to have Ira Smith as their manager. Ira played 14 years of professional baseball and was the first player to win consecutive NCAA batting titles while playing collegiate ball at University of Maryland Eastern Shore.”  Smith is assisted by coaches Bob Wymbs and Chad Standrowicz.