When players from the Guilford 10 year-old Little League baseball team complete school assignments this fall on what they did this summer, they all can say they brought a Little League banner to town after winning the District 9 title. Between the long hours and constant grind of working to improve their craft, what the team accomplished is no small feat.

“It’s something they’ll never forget. I won a district title when I was playing Little League and it’s something that I always remember,” said Guilford Head Coach Chris Frey. “It’s something no one can take away. When they get older and come back to Guilford, they’ll see that banner hanging and can be proud that they were all part of it.”

Guilford did bow out in the Sectional Finals, but prior to the defeat, the squad of Little League All-Stars dominated pool play, winning all six games in convincing fashion. According to Frey, his team outscored opponents 80-10 throughout the impressive run. Theo Drake led an incredible offensive attack with a batting average of .556, and five others hit over .400, with five more batting over .300.

“Our lineup was so deep, I could’ve flip flopped our lineup and probably would’ve had the same results,” Frey said. “That was a huge part of who we were, we were just relentless. Our team was incredible top to bottom, we outscored our opponents in the six games 80-10. It was just domination on our part.”

And the team’s pitching was stellar as well. Will Demarseilles, in District play, went 3-0 in 11.2 innings, allowing just one hit, no runs or walks, and 23 strikeouts. Kyle Frey went 1-0 in the postseason in seven innings, allowing three hits, no earned runs and 13 strikeouts, and Drake went 2-0 in 6.1 innings pitched, allowing two hits, no runs, and striking out 16 in District play.

Guilford advanced to the District 9 Finals and swept North Branford in a best two out-of-three series, 13-3 and 15-0, with the game two romp coming via a mercy rule triumph in only three frames. Despite falling in the Sectional Finals to Waterford, Guilford still owns the distinction of being one of only eight teams left playing in the state.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” Frey said. “We had a great coaching staff to work with these kids. It’s amazing how much better they got over a short amount of time. There were three or four weeks, and the amount of work they put in to get better in that time frame was a huge credit to them.”

Frey also credited the players’ parents for their commitment to the team during the rigorous, fast-paced, four-week run.

“To be committed the way we ask them to be, kids and parents, it’s a huge commitment and it means a lot that the parents were so into it to support the kids to do something really special,” the coach said.

Additionally, the town’s Little League Board of Directors and its president, Greg Aulenti, provided much-needed support for the team and enabled them to host pool play and Sectional games, according to Frey.

“We were lucky enough to host,” Frey said. “Our president is amazing. What he and the rest of the board does to support these kids is incredible.”

The benefit of hosting games was not only advantageous for players’ parents, as it cut down the commute to games, but also provided Guilford players with some home-field advantage.

“I always say to the kids, ‘look around and make sure you’re playing your hardest. You’ve got eyes on you and you’ve got Guilford on your jersey, make sure you’re giving the effort that everyone would be proud of,’ and they did,” said Frey. “There was never a question about that.”

Guilford remained hot at the plate and on the mound, in front of local families and friends during some of the hottest days of the year. Frey said playing through the heatwave was a challenge, but the team thought outside the box.

“A lot of hydration, one of the games it was really hot, and every time we do a coin toss to see if you want to be home or away or choose the dugout, and I won the toss and I chose the dugout,” Frey said. “It was more important for our kids to get some shade and not be directly in the sun, that was important and Coach Sebastian Rios was smart enough to bring a fan a couple days for the dugout, so the kids were all hanging their heads in front of that to keep cool, and we had some parents bring some cold towels for the kids to use, just a great group of parents.”

Despite oppressive heat and high-leverage contests, the team managed to remain loose and have fun. Frey said this team was a special group.

“They’re a good team with good kids that really respect the game and each other and their opponents,” Frey said. “Even when they were down, they battled. They never gave up, they gave it their all. Just a really exciting team.”

And at a year-end event for the team, he was reminded of how close-knit his team had become.

“We had a year-end get-together and it was really fun to just take away from baseball and see them being kids and enjoying each other, and you realize how much fun they had with each other from top to bottom,” Frey said. “It was unique, a really strong team and a really fun team.”

Despite Guilford coming up short in the Sectionals portion of the season, Frey said he is grateful for each moment with this collection of talented players, committed parents, and a hard-working board of directors.

“It was hot, we played a lot, but they showed up ready to play and ready to work hard every day,” Frey explained. “They really are a great group, very talented kids but really good kids and really enjoyed playing with each other. A lot of camaraderie was built on that team in a short amount of time, and it was really fun to see.”

The Guilford 10U All Stars baseball team full roster includes Oscar Armster; Zac Bodin; Caeson Borelli; Will Demarseilles; Theo Drake; Jack Eaton; Cole Frey; Kyle Frey; Callum Godfrey; Elijah Jonathan; Giovanni Rios and Connor Scharf.

Chris Frey is assisted on the field by Bill Bodin and Klaas Armster, with Assistant Coaches Chris Borelli, Sebastian Rios and Chad Eaton also at the helm.