Players and families got a lot more than a once in a lifetime opportunity as they headed to Fairbanks, Alaska for a collegiate tournament this past week.  With the realistic team goal of winning one game and being competitive, Berc 35 Honors Gold actually ended with a 2-1 record and an unbelievable experience that they will never forget!

          The 2019 Alaska experience ended up being a winless trip in a very tough baseball environment and even tougher competition.  The collegiate teams are comprised of current college players from around the country and the Fairbanks Goldpanners made a tournament-style opportunity for the 2021 trip to the “Last Frontier.”  Arriving a day early gave players a chance to adjust to the 20+ hours of sunlight and also go to a Goldpanners game to watch, where they saw high talent all around, with 600 and cheering on the Panners as well as heckling the opposition.  The goal of getting players to understand that they were in a totally different setting, one that would require their very best baseball performance, was accomplished.   

Game 1

          Playing the host Goldpanners in the first game was a very bad draw and players knew it was our biggest game of the Summer.  Ben Levinson (Piedmont – Macalester College) got the nod on the mound and pitched very well through 6 innings.  Jake Brandel (Monte Vista – UC Davis) launched a run scoring 3B off of a dominant 6’4 LHP (who had to have touched 90mph) giving his team early hope.  However, the Goldpanners led into the 7th until Berc 35 Honors Gold loaded the bases for Emmit Phinney (St Joes) who launched a grand slam deep over the left field wall.  Malachi Francois (St Joes – Laverne College) ripped another home run two batters later.  This set the table for Bobby Brown (Biola College) to fire three innings of relief and gave Bercovich one of the biggest wins in Headfirst history!

Game 2

          Coming off of an important first game win, the Orange County Riptide provided too much of a challenge as they had a high quality LHP from Cornell firing on the mound and an offensive lineup that proved too much to handle (including future high draft picks in this year’s MLB draft).  Nolan Long (Dublin – Cal St San Marcos) pitched a gutsy game for Bercovich but the Riptide won the game convincingly.

Game 3

          Bercovich understood the importance of going to battle in this game against the San Diego Waves collegiate team and possibly leaving Alaska with a 2-1 record.  Bercovich’s Bobby Brown (nicknamed “Bo Bo” by local fans) lined a home run over the left field fence and displayed sparkling defense from the SS position all game.  Brandel and Noah Garcia (San Ramon Valley – Willamette) collected 2 hits apiece and Ari Solomon (Amador Valley – Occidental) delivered a clutch RBI single.  Despite the heroics of the entire team, the 3-1 victory belonged to Wilson Schwegler (Granada – Occidental) as he created a masterpiece that won’t soon be forgotten.  Schwegler carried a perfect game into the 6th inning and went the entire distance as he allowed 2 walks, 4 hits and struck out 6 over 9 pristine innings of work.  

          Schwegler won the tourney’s “Top Pitcher” trophy for his dominant effort.  Meanwhile, Brown was picked up by the Fairbanks Goldpanners on a 10-day contract and stayed back in Alaska as the rest of the team returned to the “lower 48.”  This trip and baseball environment is special and one of a kind so Headfirst as an organization is very proud of this team’s performance, which will hopefully allow another Bercovich team to make this trip in the future.