1998 WASHINGTON PONY LEAGUE

TEAM OF YESTERYEAR–BASEBALL

At the Pony League World Series, Washington went 3-0 before being defeated by Chinese Taipei in the championship game. They were the only team to go undefeated through divisional play that year. The team defeated Bay City, Mich. (13-0) before two dramatic 3-2 victories over Pasadena, Texas, and South San Diego, Calif. Justin Gregula tied a Pony World Series record with three pitching victories. Against Pasadena, , D.J. Faldowski, hit a game-tying home run in the sixth inning before the late P.J. Hughes hit a leadoff walk-off home run in the seventh inning. Against South San Diego, Gregula earned his third win and hit a home run while Brian Kimutis and Josh Baker pitched in relief with Baker striking out the last batter for the save. The squad consisted of players only from the Washington and Trinity school districts and team members included: Gregula, Kimutis, Baker, Faldowski, Jimmy Angelini, Baker, Nick Cataldo, Michael Cruny, Jason DeMeo, Shane Elzer, Gregula, Faldowski, Hughes, Kimutis, Ty Linck, Dan Mozes, Justin Shrader, Nick Sworden, and Chris Tracey. The team was managed by the late Joe Gregula, assistant manager/coach John Sacco, Coach Neil Cataldo, and the late Rick DeMeo who was the business manager. Sworden received the Voytek Award for highest batting average by a Washington player at the World Series while Hughes’ walk-homer against San Diego was recognized as a Washington-Greene County Hall of Fame Moment. Justin Gregula, Faldowski, and Sacco are all Wash-Greene HOF inductees while Joe Gregula earned Hall of Fame Moment honors for pitching the only perfect game in PennWest California history. As 13 year-olds, the team went 13-0 overall and won the East Zone Championship in East Liverpool, Ohio, which was the farthest they could advance at the time.