The Howell South Sox, a 12-year-old team from the Ramtown section of Howell, experienced a young baseball player’s dream recently when they participated in the National American Tournament of Champions Week in Cooperstown, N.Y., home to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Games were played in Dreams Park.
The North American Tournament of Champions is considered the most prestigious of all the tournaments played in Cooperstown. The Sox played teams from as far away as California.
Sox manager Joe Gillies has coached many of the boys on the team since T-ball. He said that the team’s goal has always been to play at Dreams Park. They are the first team from Howell South to go to the tournament, paving the way for future teams.
The Sox are: Michael Messina, Jason Gillies, Matt Kinghorn, Tom Mircovich, Nick Guarino, Brendan Mannion, Mickey Drew, Tyler Huelsenbeck, Zacharry Skesavage, Jeff Deufel, Ryan Stewart and Josh Schechter. The coaches on manager Joe Gillies’ staff are John Mircovich, Darren Guarino, John Messina and Bill Deufel.