The Newtown Hawks 10U baseball team tore through the New England Regional Tournament in Chelmsford, Mass. in late July, capturing the title and securing a spot at the Cal Ripken World Series in Vincennes, Ind. beginning with pool play on August 9.

The regional crown came just weeks after the team claimed its second consecutive Connecticut state championship, cementing their legacy as one of the region’s most dominant youth baseball teams. It was a victory that had been building all season long — driven, in part, by last year’s heartbreak when the Hawks fell just one out short in the regional championship. That moment stayed with the team, and this year, the Hawks left no doubt.

“The 10U Newtown Hawks are very excited to be the New England representative for this year’s Cal Ripken World Series,” Manager Mark Skura said.

Newtown got redemption after coming very close last year, this time pulling off a dramatic win to stay in contention before avenging its only tourney loss to win the pinnacle game.

“Heading into New Englands this year was different from last year, where we lost the final game in gut-wrenching fashion. We had confidence that we were not going to suffer the same fate this year. We had much deeper pitching, our lineup was filled with hitters 1-11, and our fielding was on point,” Skura said. “It wasn’t quite that easy and we did have to rally down 5-1 in the sixth inning of an elimination game against New Hampshire. The boys did it though — they did it. As 10 year old boys go, I would take this group over any I have ever seen. The toughness and perseverance they showed all year was truly incredible.”

Newtown didn’t just win on the field; the Hawks shined in the skills competitions as well, taking first place in both the Around the Horn and Relay Race events. The Around the Horn team featured Brayden Andrews, Jack Fregoe, Maverick Levy, Grayson Kohlasch, and Chase Pacuk, while the Relay Race was won by Andrews, Luke Dobson, Pacuk, and Joey Skura.

The coaching staff’s leadership and dedication helped guide this talented group to new heights.

“I am very lucky to have an amazing staff of coaches, Bobby Andrews, Joe Esposito, and John Steeves. They make my life a lot easier. Everyone on the staff has a role and they execute it selflessly so the team is as prepared as possible when they step onto that diamond,” said Skura, adding that his role as the manager of this group is centered around the practices and the games.

Skura noted that the Newtown Babe Ruth staff has always supported his team and has been great in getting it on fields, and what was needed to compete. “In addition, the parents have really been awesome this year. It is not easy juggling their lives around so that these boys can go play baseball. I talk to people all the time that are not involved with this level of youth baseball and it blows their mind the amount of time and money these families put into their sons,” Skura added.

“This year we were lucky enough that all the time and effort by everyone paid off. We started in January, with indoor practices, even while most of the kids were playing winter sports. We finally got outside in early April and made it to the final game of a tournament in New York. We played in the Greater Hudson Valley league in the Spring, traveling down to Westchester County during the week and on weekends. We played in a Memorial Day tournament in Massachusetts, where we went undefeated against some quality AAU Club teams,” Skura said. “We then came home and lost in the finals of our area run Al Leonard tournament to our rivals, the New Canaan Rams. You never want to lose, but it may have been good for us to get back after it heading into districts and the Connecticut State Tournament. We came back and beat that New Canaan team and fought off a very good Norwalk team to capture the state title.”

Win or lose the rest of the way, the Hawks have already taken advantage of great opportunity and sportsmanship has been paramount.

“We represent our region, and more importantly, Newtown, with great sportsmanship and class. This was echoed to me after our semifinal game against Milton, Mass. I received a personal note the next day congratulating our team and remarking about our kids and their families — a truly deserving group. We now get to go to Vincennes and have fun. We will try to win every game there, but we have already won and these boys get to go and make memories they will keep for the rest of their lives,” Skura said.

Regional tourney game results:

Pool Play Game 1, Saturday, July 19: Newtown 14, Sutton of Western Mass 0: Newtown opened the tournament with a statement win, shutting out Sutton behind dominant pitching and an explosive third inning. Luke Dobson earned Player of the Game honors after delivering two clutch singles and scoring twice. Jacob Steeves was lights out on the mound, throwing three no-hit innings and striking out six to keep Sutton off balance. Maverick Levy added a pair of RBI on two singles and a walk and Jack Fregoe was on base twice with a single and hit by pitch. Grayson Kohlasch was an anchor in the infield at second base and closed out the game on the mound pitching a scoreless fourth.

Pool Play Game 2, Sunday, July 20: Newtown 8, Ararat of Maine 6: Newtown controlled much of the game against Ararat, building a seven-run lead before holding off a late push to remain undefeated in pool play. Brayden Andrews earned Player of the Game honors, contributing with a single, walk, run scored, and stolen base. He also threw out a runner from behind the plate to thwart a potential sixth-inning rally. Maverick Levy delivered the biggest hit of the game with a two-run double in the third and later stepped onto the mound to lock down the final outs. Chase Pacuk pitched four steady innings to open the game, striking out five and keeping Maine’s offense in check as the Hawks built their early lead.

Pool Play Game 3, Sunday, July 20: Chelmsford of Eastern Mass 4, Newtown 2: In their final pool play game, the Hawks came up just short in a tight loss to Chelmsford. Joey Skura earned Player of the Game honors, reaching base twice and scoring a run while calling a strong game behind the plate. Austin Rekos gave Newtown a spark in the second inning with a sharply-hit single and later made a key running catch in center to stop a rally. James Otis added energy on the base paths, using smart, aggressive baserunning to help manufacture a fourth-inning scoring chance that kept Newtown in the game.

Bracket Play Game 1, Tuesday, July 22: Newtown 7, Exeter of New Hampshire 6: Newtown delivered the most thrilling win of the tournament, walking off Exeter 7–6 in nine innings, rallying from a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh to stay alive in single elimination. Starting pitcher, Jacob Steeves, earned Player of the Game honors, throwing six dominant innings allowing only one run (unearned) in the sixth. Joey Skura played a steady game behind the plate, blocking key pitches in extra innings and driving in a run to spark the comeback in the seventh. Parker Esposito made a heads-up defensive play in right field to end the top of the eighth and keep the game tied heading into Newtown’s final at-bat. Brayden Andrews sealed the victory in unforgettable fashion, ripping a walk-off single with two outs in the ninth to send Newtown into the semifinals.

Semifinals, Wednesday, July 23: Newtown 16, Milton of Eastern Mass 4: Newtown’s offense erupted in the semifinal round, scoring ten runs in the sixth to roll past Milton and punch its ticket to the championship game. James Otis earned Player of the Game honors, delivering a two-run double and later reaching home on a head first dive on a wild pitch. Austin Rekos continued his strong tournament with two walks, a run scored, and a sliding catch in left that ended a threat in the second inning. Grayson Kohlasch again added solid defense up the middle, making a sweet backhand to stall a Milton rally. Luke Dobson continued his hot hitting with a line-drive single.

Championship Game, Thursday, July 24: Newtown 7, Chelmsford of Eastern Mass 3: The Hawks capped off their regional run with a 7-3 win over Chelmsford, avenging their 4-2 loss and clinching the New England title. Chase Pacuk got the start on the mound and delivered, pitching into the fourth inning and holding Chelmsford to minimal damage. Jack Fregoe ignited the offense going 2-for-3 highlighted by a towering two-run, first-inning triple that electrified the Newtown dugout and set the tone early. Parker Esposito earned Player of the Game honors, scoring on a wild pitch, and making a clutch running catch in right field to shut down a Chelmsford fifth-inning rally.

With the championship secured, the Newtown Hawks now set their sights on the Cal Ripken World Series where they’ll represent New England on the national stage. This journey has been a year in the making — a testament to months of dedication, teamwork, and resilience. From back-to-back state titles to regional redemption, and even victories in the skills competitions, this group of 10- and 11-year-olds has shown what can happen when talent meets heart. No matter what happens next, the Hawks have already made their town proud.

For fans interested in supporting the team as it travels to the World Series, support the Newtown Hawks’ World Series Dream on Go Fund Me.