University of Georgia outfielder Josh Stinson and his Santa Barbara Foresters summer league teammates need one more win Saturday to capture another National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series title in Kansas.
The Foresters (34-7), a member of the California Collegiate League, are riding a 20-game winning streak, including 4-0 at the tournament. Stinson, the starting centerfielder, is batting a team-best .583 (7-for-12) at the World Series with two doubles, one triple, two RBI, and four stolen bases. He batted .344 with five doubles, a home run, nine RBI, and 12 stolen bases during the regular season.
The Foresters are aiming for back-to-back titles for the first time since 2011-12. They opened their title defense last Thursday when the tournament began in Hutchinson as part of a 16-team double-elimination format. Stinson went 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored in a 14-0 mercy-rule win in five innings over the Waco (Texas) Sultanes. Then, they rallied past the Wichita Sluggers 9-4 last Saturday after trailing 4-0. Stinson’s RBI triple helped key a five-run outburst. As one of the final eight teams in the tournament, they advanced to Wichita and the new $75 million Riverfront Stadium (the Double-A home of the Minnesota Twins), where this year’s champion will be crowned.
In a winner’s bracket matchup Monday, the Foresters defeated the Hays (Kan.) Larks 7-5. Stinson provided a game-tying RBI-single in the fourth inning. On Thursday, Santa Barbara blanked the Lonestar Texas Baseball Club 8-0 to move on to the championship. Stinson reached with a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, stole second base, and scored to end the contest via an eight-run mercy rule. In the loser’s bracket, the Cheney (Kan.) Diamond Dawgs will face Lonestar Friday. That winner would need to beat the Foresters twice on Saturday to claim the title.
To watch Saturday’s championship game(s) as well as archived tournament action on the official NBC World Series YouTube Channel, CLICK HERE. Game one is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and if necessary, the second would be played immediately after.
The NBC World Series is the largest and the oldest continuous sporting event in the United States. The 2021 event marks the 87th in its history of bringing elite collegiate/semi-pro teams to Kansas.