The SEI Midgets are celebrating a Northwest Regional Junior Baseball State Championship. Pictured (top row, from left) are coaches Aanen Trelstad, Mike Belcha, Damon Hickok and head coach Anthony Deloney. (Second row, from left) are players Jacob Willingham and Jalen Lyday. (Third row, from left) are players Tresean Simmons, Damon Hickok, X’Zayvier Washington, Tommy Waters, Malik Belcha, Marquis Penn, Mekhi Belcha, Aaron Deloney and Khalil Chatman.
For the first time in over 15 years, the SEI Midgets won the Northwest Regional Junior Baseball State Championship against the West Albany Bulldogs in the final game of the season on July 19.
The Championship game for the 9 and 10 year-old division came to an end with a closing score of 8 to 4, after two towering homeruns from the Midget’s Tommy Waters and Trey Simmons.
“The boys came out to compete every day,” said SEI Midgets Head Coach Anthony Deloney. “They are mentally tougher than many adults I’ve competed with.”
Founded in 1981 as a one week summer baseball camp, Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) is a non-profit organization supporting at-risk urban youth and has grown to a flourishing agency serving thousands of students in the greater Portland area.
This year the SEI Midget team also received the Sportsmanship Award, which is awarded by Junior Baseball umpires, score keepers and tournament staff, for exemplary behavior on and off the field, which they said is shared by players, parents, coaches and fans.
“They were great on the field,” said Deloney. “But more importantly, they represented themselves off the field- always living by the SEI standards.”
