Greater Loudoun Lions
Host team for 2007 13 Year-Old Babe Ruth World Series
Player Pictures and bios
#1 Travis “Provolone” Burke- Second Base, Pitcher
-Favorite College: Virginia Tech
-Favorite Movie: Anchorman
-Favorite TV Show: SportsCenter
-Favorite Food: Seafood
-Favorite Song/Music: Party Like A Rockstar by Shop Boyz
After playing for the previous eight years in Central Loudoun Little League and Travel ball for the Leesburg Lumber, Travis Burke wanted a new challenge, and he found it in the World Series Host Team. As one of the key role players, Burke can be counted on by the team to come through in a pinch. He has proven his pitching skills in numerous instances including shutting down two opponent’s rallies in the team’s championship run in the ECTB July 4th Blast in Reading, Pennsylvania. When he is not on the baseball diamond, Burke also plays basketball for Smart’s Mill Middle School. However, Travis is focused on the World Series and hopes to either get the game winning hit or put out to win the championship. Also, Travis is the only player with previous World Series experience as he was the bat boy for the 2004 16 year old Host Team that made it to the Championship Game.
#3 Marco “Vinny” Verdi- Outfield
-Favorite College: Florida State University
-Favorite Movie: Major League
-Favorite TV Show: ESPN
-Favorite Food: Pizza
-Favorite Song/Music: Hip Hop
As one of the biggest hitters on the team, Marco Verdi can always be counted on to drive in a run when the team needs it. For example, in the team’s recent tournament at Myrtle Beach, Verdi went 7-13 with 4 2B and 5 RBI. On the other hand, Verdi can chase down nearly any fly ball hit near him in centerfield. Marco’s true passion lies in hitting, as he hopes to crush a walk-off home run to win the World Series. Along with his experience in Central Loudoun Little League, Marco credits his Dad’s support to get to this level. In addition, he is focused on baseball all year round. Marco will be going to Heritage High School this fall.4582
#4 Matthew “Matt” Reed- Catcher, Pitcher, Center Field
-Favorite College: Virginia Tech
-Favorite Movie: Happy Gilmore
-Favorite TV Show: Family Guy
-Favorite Food: Crab Legs
-Favorite Song/Music: Party Like A Rockstar by Shop Boyz
As a true student of the game, Matt Reed is always up for learning new things about the game of baseball. Even after playing for nine years, Reed is still willing to get anything and everything out of his coaches and this experience. With the knowledge, Reed is usually part of the battery for the team. If he’s not throwing guys out from behind the plate, he’s usually on the other end striking guys out. Not only is Matt a great defensive player, he has the power to hit a home run and he hopes to hit a walk-off to win the World Series. During his nine years of experience, Reed played for the ULLL All-star team that made it to the State Tournament last year, Purcellville Phillies in Upper Loudoun Little League, and also participated in Western Loudoun Travel. If you can’t find Matt on the baseball diamond, he’s usually either on the basketball court or the football field.
#5 JB Basinger- Right Field, Left Field
-Favorite College: University of Texas
-Favorite Movie: Bad News Bears
-Favorite TV Show: ESPN
-Favorite Food: Fried Chicken, Crab Legs
-Favorite Song/Music: Big Things Poppin by T.I.
Even though JB Basinger hasn’t played as long as other players on the team, he still contributes as much as anyone else. Only playing five years, Basinger has jumped into a key role on the World Series team. He credits his dad with teaching him about baseball to get to the level he is today. Meanwhile, he hopes to get even more experience during this once in a lifetime opportunity. JB knows the feeling of a pressure situation as he was part of the Upper Loudoun All-Star team that made it to the State Tournament last year. During that tournament, Basinger had his best baseball memory, hitting a homerun to help his team. Like nearly all of his other teammates, JB is a tri-athlete. He plays football in the fall and basketball in the winter.
#8 Nick Collins- Pitcher, Outfield
-Favorite College: University of Miami
-Favorite Movie: Bull Durham
-Favorite TV Show: Family Guy
-Favorite Food: Pizza
Voted the funniest guy on the team by the majority of his teammates, Nick Collins can always be counted on to give anyone nearby a good laugh. However, when he gets on the baseball field, it’s all business and all about pitching. Nick’s favorite baseball memory was throwing a one hitter in 2006 for the Central Loudoun Little League Yankees. The team hopes that Collins can duplicate that during the World Series, and Nick himself hopes to hit a home run and throw a perfect game to win the championship. The hard-throwing right hander loves the mental aspects of the game and credits his pitching to get him where he is. Off the field, Collins plays basketball and also loves to swim. This fall, Nick will attend Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg.
#10 Billy “B” Arens- Pitcher, Infield, Outfield
-Favorite College: Virginia Tech
-Favorite Movie: The Rookie
-Favorite TV Show: Spongebob Squarepants
-Favorite Food: Pancakes
-Favorite Song/Music: Relient K
A true team player, Billy Arens strives to do the best thing for his team. Arens doesn’t care whether he gets the final out or gets the final hit, he just wants his team to win, and he hopes to just be a part of it. However, when Billy is on the mound, it’s lights out for the opposing team. In the opening game of the ECTB July 4th Blast in Reading, Pennsylvania, Arens pitched a complete game five-hit shutout in a 4-0 victory. Also in the team’s recent trip to Myrtle Beach, Arens pitched a combined 7 innings giving up only 4 runs while scattering 8 hits. In fact, Billy loves pitching so much that his best baseball memory was pitching 5 scoreless innings in his Little League All-Star Championship for Upper Loudoun Little League, along with hitting a 2-run home run. Unlike most of his teammates, Billy doesn’t play basketball or football in the off-season; he instead loves to go bass fishing.
#11 Mitchell “Mitch” Bowers- Pitcher, Shortstop, Center Field
-Favorite College: University of Southern California
-Favorite Movie: Bad Boys II
-Favorite TV Show: Baseball Tonight
-Favorite Food: Dairy Queen Reese’s Blizzard
-Favorite Song/Music: Bartender by T-Pain
Whether it is making a diving stop at shortstop or blowing his fastball by hitters, Mitchell Bowers knows what the situation is and what to do. If the situation were to present itself, Bowers would love to drive in the game-winning run to win the championship. Mitchell has learned much about the game in his seven years of experience with Central Loudoun Little League and multiple years with the Potomac Riverdogs and the Leesburg Lumber. During the season, Bowers also loves to keep track of the stats in Major League Baseball. Like most of his other teammates, Mitchell also enjoys playing basketball in the off-season. Bowers will be going to Heritage High School this upcoming school year.
#12 Ryan “Big Dog/Big Unit” Rentfro- Pitcher, First Base
-Favorite College: University of Texas
-Favorite Movie: Rudy
-Favorite TV Show: Home Improvement
-Favorite Food: Chicken
-Favorite Song/Music: Remember the Name by Fort Minor
At 6’+, Ryan Rentfro’s presence is felt from anywhere on the diamond. The combination of his intense demeanor on the mound and an overpowering fastball equal a tough situation for the batter he is facing. In fact, Ryan hopes he can strike out the last three batters to win the World Series. On the other hand, Rentfro has the strength to hit a home run at the very spacious Fireman’s Field. Ryan has played since he was six for Dulles Little League and the Dulles Federals. Ryan attributes his desire to achieve and the support of his parents as key ingredients to make it as far as he has. As one could imagine, Rentfro enjoys basketball and football when he is not playing baseball.
#13 Tyler “Big D” Dietrich- Catcher
-Favorite College: University of Texas
-Favorite Movie: The Rookie
-Favorite TV Show: SportsCenter
-Favorite Food: Bratwurst
-Favorite Song/Music: Big Things Poppin by T.I.
As a diehard baseball fanatic all year round, Tyler Dietrich wouldn’t know what to do if baseball didn’t exist. Dietrich is one of the hardest workers on the team and says that practice, practice, and more practice helped him reach this level of play. Originally from Whidbey Island, Washington, Dietrich recalls his last game there as his best baseball moment. Dietrich threw a no-hitter the day before he and his family moved cross country to Virginia. Like many others on the team, Dietrich participated in Central Loudoun Little League and played on the Leesburg Lumber. In the World Series, Tyler hopes to catch a foul ball behind the plate for the final out of a perfect game thrown by Tyler Saleck.
#14 Jonathan “JJ/Wild Thing” Sarty- 2nd Base, Shortstop
-Favorite College: University of Texas
-Favorite Movie: The Bench Warmers
-Favorite TV Show: SportsCenter
-Favorite Food: Steak
-Favorite Song/Music: R&B/Rap/Rock
After traveling around the world for the first 13 years of his life, JJ Sarty finally found a home in Loudoun County. JJ didn’t let all the travel stop him from playing baseball, participating in many tournaments all over the globe. Sarty has played for the Kuwait and Philippine National teams, facing teams from abroad. In fact, Sarty’s team won the South East Asian Baseball Tournament and was one game away from making it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. Any way you put it, Sarty has been in pressure situations before and will definitely face some more adversity in the World Series. As a matter of fact, Sarty lives for pressure situations as he hopes to get the game winning hit in the bottom of the 7th to win the World Series.
#15 Patrick Charney- Outfield
-Favorite College: University of Southern California
-Favorite Movie: 300
-Favorite TV Show: Family Guy
-Favorite Food: Pizza
-Favorite Song/Music: Rock
As yet another member of the Upper Loudoun All-Star team that made it to the State Tournament last year, Patrick Charney is used to big games. That experience will definitely help when it comes time to play in the World Series. Charney credits practicing and his coaches constantly pushing him as factors to getting to this level of play. In his prior six years of experience, Patrick played for Upper Loudoun Little League as a member of the White Sox. While he isn’t playing baseball, Patrick can be found out on the football field. It doesn’t matter to Charney how he does in the upcoming World Series, he just hopes that his team wins it all.
#18 Tyler “Big T” Saleck- Third Base, Pitcher
-Favorite College: University of Texas
-Favorite Movie: Bull Durham
-Favorite TV Show: SportsCenter/ Baseball Tonight
-Favorite Food: Ice Cream
-Favorite Song/Music: Big Things Poppin’ by T.I
As one of the most experienced players on the team, Tyler Saleck seems to have encountered every situation possible. However, one thing that Saleck seems to have missed is the opportunity to play for something big. He will get that opportunity in the World Series and hopes to make the most of it. In his previous nine years, Saleck has played for Centerville Little League in Ohio, Central Loudoun Little League, and the Ashburn Heat and hopes that all his hard work will pay off with a championship. In fact, he hopes to be the guy in the bottom of the 7th to knock in the tying and go ahead runs with 2 outs. After the series is over, Saleck plans on playing basketball in the winter while he attends Loudoun County High School, but he will return to all baseball in the spring.
#22 Matt “Double Deuces” MacMahon- First Base, Pitcher
-Favorite College: St. Leo University
-Favorite Movie: Animal House
-Favorite TV Show: South Park
-Favorite Food: Pizza
-Favorite Song/Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers
A baseball fanatic ever since he could walk, Matt MacMahon can always be found around the baseball field. Matt has power to all fields as he has shown over the summer with a home run in nearly every tournament including two home runs in one game at the Beast of the East Tournament in Wheeling, West Virginia. Along with power, MacMahon has the ability to close the door in a close ball game. He showed his pitching strength in the ECTB July 4th Blast by throwing a combined 2.2 innings giving up 1 hit, 1 walk, and striking out 4 while recording a win and a save. Before the World Series team, Matt had played for multiple teams including the Middleburg White Sox of Upper Loudoun Little League, the Dominion Eagles, and Western Loudoun Travel.
#38 Tyler “Moc” Mocabee- Pitcher, Shortstop, Third Base
-Favorite Movie: Benchwarmers
-Favorite TV Show: The Simpsons
-Favorite Food: Shrimp
-Favorite Song/Music: Headstrong by Trapt
After a short break for a shoulder injury, Tyler Mocabee has been big with the bat going 7-11 in the ECTB July 4th Blast and reaching base nearly 72% of the time in that tournament. Mocabee holds one of the fastest fastballs on the team and can get nearly anyone out on it. At the age of five, Mocabee joined Dulles Little League and played in two State Tournaments for Dulles American as a 10 year old and the Majors level as an 11 year old. He was also a member of the Potomac Riverdogs and the Mazda Mets Orange travel teams. In the World Series, Tyler hopes for someone to hit him in for the game winning run.
#48 Connor “Smed-Ex” Smedile- Outfield
-Favorite College: Virginia Tech
-Favorite Movie: Saving Private Ryan
-Favorite TV Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
-Favorite Food: Pancakes
-Favorite Song/Music: The River
As one of the fastest guys on the team, Connor Smedile can always be counted on to steal a base. Even with a broken finger, Smedile managed to still act as a pinch runner in the ECTB July 4th Blast in Reading, Pennsylvania. In addition to running the bases with ease, Connor can get to nearly any ball that is hit his way in the outfield. Connor attributes his success to his constant work on situational hitting and fielding. As yet another member of the Upper Loudoun State Tournament All-Star team, Smedile’s best baseball memory lies at Haske Field in Purcellville, when he hit his first home run as a member of the Cubs. Connor has transitioned to the big field nicely and hopes to make a catch in center field and then throw out the runner trying to advance to home to win the World Series.
