Inaugural Triangle Classic a success

CARY, N.C. - Sixteen Little League teams from the Triangle-area competed in the inaugural USA Baseball Triangle Classic Sunday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, N.C.

After being postponed to Sunday due to weather, the event took twelve teams and led them through a series of skills competitions and games in a celebration and development of baseball in the local community.

"Today was proof that youth baseball in our area is very healthy," says Rick Riccobono, Director of the 14U National Teams, "it is our goal to continue to aid in this success. He continued, "the participating organizations did a phenomenal job of providing their players with an experience of this kind and we were happy to play a part in that."

Each team followed through a rotation cycle that allowed them to play a full six-inning game, participate in pitching and running skills competition and play Quickball's Hit-for-the-Cycle and Home Run Derby.

Quickball, without question the most popular station of the event, is the new revolutionary recreational baseball program in the country. According to the Quickball Website, it is being played by thousands of students and campuses around the country and serves as the official grassroots program of Ripken Baseball.

USA Baseball and the Town of Cary created this event in an attempt to bring the youth of the community to the National Training Complex in order to provide the kids the opportunity to play at the same stadium that the U.S. Olympic Team and the U.S. National Teams play each year.

After the inaugural event of the USA Baseball Triangle Classic, the program looks to have a healthy and popular future.

"We look forward to many more community based events in the place which we call home," says Riccobono. "The town of Cary and the greater Raleigh-Durham region have welcomed USA Baseball to the area and through events like the Triangle Classic we hope to be a positive influence for many years to come."

To see complete results of the USA Baseball Triangle Classic, click here.