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Tournaments  | Championship | 9/30/2025

Canes Stay Hot, Win WWBA Sophomore

Photo: Canes National (Perfect Game)
Canes National 16U took the shut-out, run-rule victory over SBA Bolts National 2028, going up 8 runs in six innings. 

It was balmy in JetBlue Park’s stadium as players, coaches, parents and friends packed in to watch the culmination of an action-packed tournament. 

The Canes were able to get 4 runs across in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on walks and errors to plate as many as possible.



With two outs and the bases loaded, Graham Virag blasted a single to center to bring another two runs in - making the score 5-0 to really spring the Canes ahead. This was Virag’s first tournament with this already established Canes team.

“I was a little nervous, but once I settled in, I just simplified it and swung as hard as I could and found a barrel,” Virag said.

Robert Mascia plated an additional run on a line drive to right field to make the score 6-0 at the end of the first.

The next few innings, SBA attempted to get on the board, but the Canes defense was lights-out - turning double plays and making it look easy. 

On the mound for the Canes was right-hander Nolan Slaymaker. Through 4 innings of work, he struck out 4 batters using a fastball that sat in the high-80s range, but topped out at 91 and also mixing in a mid-70s slider and changeup.

“I was trying to just do whatever I could to help my team out. Just fill up the zone, get outs as quick as possible,” Slaymaker said. 

The SBA defense showed its strength in the middle innings, not allowing any runs.

However, in the bottom of the fifth, the Canes finally brought in a run off a fielder’s choice.

Then, in the sixth, with one on and two outs, Isaias Torres called “game” as he lined one to right field, bringing Grant Arnold in as the game’s final run.

“It was 3-0, and Coach gave me the green light,” Torres laughed. “I was ready for a fastball, found it and hit it well. It felt great. [It’s been a] long tournament. Our team played well. Our team played hard. We’re all exhausted out here.”

The fatigue was understandable, as the players were on the field in the heat of the day. Though everyone was glad for no weather delays, there was only occasional cloud cover to shield everyone from the beating sun. 

“I actually brought a big ice bucket for the team,” Virag said. “We’d stick our hands in it, put it on our heads, put our heads in it. It actually kept us in the game - cooled us down.”

Arnold, who crossed the plate as his team’s tournament-winning run, also won MVP for the event, with 9 hits, 6 stolen bases, 2 home runs, and 13 runners batted in. 

“In the beginning of the week, it was just hitting a lot of fastballs,” Arnold said, explaining what led up to him winning the award. “But towards the end of the week, it was just taking a lot of pitches and getting on base a lot.”

As to who has helped him improve recently, Arnold gave credit to two individuals specifically:

“I’d say definitely my dad. He’s always helped me with everything. Then, I’d say my hitting coach Leo, because I’ve been working with him a lot.”

However, it didn’t seem like the MVP award was the most memorable part for Arnold. When asked what would stick with him, he said:

“Definitely the championship. That’s the most important part for me. I just love winning. Losing makes me angry…it feels like we’ve been waiting for this one for a while.”

The team’s encouraging, fun dynamic was easy to feel throughout the tournament - especially as they showered each other with any ice, gatorade, or water they could find after their win. 

Their head coach, Brian Hucks, commended the boys’ strong sense of unity.

“We’ve got players from all over the country and to see how close they are and how much they pull for each other - it’s really something special,” Hucks said. “The Canes culture, I think, is what separates us from everybody else. And these guys love one another and they pull for one another.”

“I’ll remember how the dugout was a blast,” Torres smiled. “Everyone was hyped and everyone had good chemistry.”

“All these boys, I just met them,” Virag said. “It feels like I’ve known them forever. It’s a lot of fun being with these guys and it makes the game easier for me.”

“We all have this inside joke,” Slaymaker smiled. “It’s really funny. I’m not going to talk about it, but we just have a great time in here.”

Beyond the fun memories in the Canes’ dugout, Hucks said this win meant a lot to him and the program.

“SBA is an incredible program and they’ve got so many good players,” Hucks said. “But we feel like we deserve to be the best team in the country. We’ve been close so many times, and I’m just glad they finally found a way to get it done.”
 

Tournaments | Story | 1/27/2026

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