Woodward, Okla. — It's the single goal of every baseball team put together every summer.

Play your best at the most important time.

The Travelers did just that as they won their second consecutive Oklahoma Town League championship at Fuller Park over the weekend.

In fact, manager Mike McDonald's club has pretty much done it 2 years in a row.

In 2 years of the Town League Tournament's existence, the Traveler Majors are 8-0.

This year's 4-game march to the championship was a test each night - especially the last 3 games. Woodward ended the first game early at 17-7

From there, the Travelers' 10-6 win over Enid wasn’t decided until a 4-run 8th inning. The winners' bracket final against the Southwest Shockers went to the bottom of the 12th when Connor Ross hit a fly ball to the left-field wall to score Clayton Brewster with the winning run. The championship game was up in the air until 5th and 6th inning rallies (5 runs over those 2 frames including home runs by Ryan Ainsworth and Zach Warner)  gave the Travelers some breathing room and let them get to Colin Hightower and Jonathon Johnson to close out the game.

The entire tournament had similar games in the later rounds. The Shockers gave up 3 runs in the top of the 9th inning to the Oklahoma Baseball Academy then got a 3-run walkoff homer by Ryan Turner to win in the bottom of the 9th. Then the Shockers edged Enid 9-6 by scoring 5 runs in the top of the 11th inning.

Some impressive competition and a lot of heart shown by everyone. but the traveling trophy will stay in Woodward at least one more year.

*****

A little over a third of the way into the season, 50 wins and a state championship seemed unlikely for the Majors

After a 10-2 loss to Midwest City on June 18 they were 15-15 and looking for any sign of consistency.

The next day, the swept Emporia, Kan. and the Oklahoma City Ambassadors to start a run that went all the way through July.

Woodward won 35 of its final 42 games and really picked up steam after coming back from the College World Series Tournament and into the South Plains Classic in Midwest City.

In that holiday tournament, the Travelers beat both Oklahoma City Sandlot and the Midwest City Outlaws in impressive fashion. They lost in the finals, but the momentum was there.

Woodward won its own tournament in July with a pair of late-inning victories and later in the month went 4-0 in the Sooner Summer Showcase Classic at the University of Oklahoma.

The Travelers ended the season with a 10-game winning streak and it's hard to ask for anything more.

Woodward did this while battling injuries all season. Several key players missed a few games to the entire season due to injuries. Despite that, the Travelers held things together as other players stepped up and performed at key times - as players on championship programs do.

*****

Using numbers from 2004 when the program was reestablished, a bunch of records were set this year - many by Ryan Ainsworth.

His marks include:

• 27 home runs (the most in the program's all-time history dating back to the early 1960s.)

• 107 runs-batted-in

• 94 hits

• 232 at-bats

• 80 runs scored

• 29 doubles

• .888 slugging percentage

• 9 sacrifice flys

There were other records that fell. Connor Ross had a record 10 triples and he also eclipsed the previous record of 71 runs scored with 76. Colin Hightower had 71 to tie that record. Bobby Davis had a record 57 walks and Zach Warner 371 putouts.

Hightower's .418 batting average puts him among the top 5.

Pitching-wise, Jonathon Johnson won 16 games, had 130 strikeouts and pitched 98.3 innings, all program records. The 16 wins was also tied for 3rd on the all-time list dating back 50 years. Hightower also eclipsed Johnson's previous strikeout mark of 104 with 106 this season and his 10 wins rank third on the current charts tied with Kevin Hajny.

*****

Most of the Traveler players have committed to a college program for next year, though some, including standout lefty Shawn Hunter, remain uncommitted.

The commitments to date for everyone who appeared on the Majors roster this year.

Zach Friesen, Southern Nazarene; Bobby Davis, Redlands; Landon Hallam, Pratt, Kan.; Chalmer Wyatt, Rose State; Ryan Ainsworth, Redlands; Connor Ross, Dodge City, Kan.; Zach Warner, Northwestern; Devan Shepard, Carl Albert; Michael McCracken, Independence, Kan.; Jonathon Johnson, Northern-Enid; Lane Kinney, Redlands; Colin Hightower, Eastern; Trevor Julian, Seward County; Colton Henricks, USAO; Mason Marshall, Neosho County, Kan.

*****

A word about a special supporter of the program.

Sandy Lehr was honored after the game Saturday night for his 27 or so years of helping summer baseball in Woodward.

Mr. Lehr played a key role as a fundrasier throughout his time spent with the Travelers and was a key figure in helping bring a strong summer program back to Woodward and in keeping the push on for an improved stadium, which is now the new Fuller Park.

Good job Sandy.



Johnny McMahan is managing editor of the Woodward News.