The City of Lenoir Council honored the Ravens Baseball 12U team Tuesday night, Sept. 5, 2023, during the regular council meeting. The team won the Field Of Dreams 2023 Summer Corn Belt Classic in Iowa this summer.
Head Coach Tommy Crump and wife Mendy started Ravens Baseball in 2019. The team plays travel ball. Their home field is Chester Park in Lenoir.
The Ravens is the first team from North Carolina to win the Summer Corn Belt Classic 12U division since the tournament started in 2002.
Coach Crump, Ravens players, and parents attended the meeting to receive the special honor. Mayor Gibbons read and presented Coach Crump with a resolution congratulating the team on their summer victory. The resolution is below.
"This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the boys. This is a story they can tell the rest of their life," Coach Crump said. "I appreciate all of you for recognizing them and giving them another moment to remember. Thank you, Mr. Mayor and the City of Lenoir."
In addition to the resolution, Mayor Gibbons gave each player and City of Lenoir flag pin to wear on their future baseball travels.
City Council honored Ravens Baseball 12U Tuesday night, Sept. 5, 2023, for the teams recent victory at the Baseball Factory Iowa Dreams Experience: Summer Corn Belt Classic held July 28-30, 2023, in Dyersville, Iowa. Front row pictured from left: Head Coach Tommy Crump, Aaron Crump, Carson Crump, Carter Hedrick, Emmett Nelson, Evan Taylor, Cooper Riley, Kayden Estes, and Assistant Coach Chris Riley. Back row pictured from left: Mayor Joe Gibbons, City Manager Scott Hildebran, Councilman Todd Perdue, Councilman Ralph Prestwood, Councilman Jonathan Beal, and Councilman David Stevens.
Congratulations to Ravens Baseball 12U on Winning the Field Of Dreams 2023 Summer Corn Belt Classic
WHEREAS, Ravens Baseball is a nonprofit team based out of Lenoir, North Carolina, and their home field is Chester Park, located at 712 Lincoln Lane, Lenoir; and
WHEREAS, Head Coach and Owner Tommy Crump and wife Mendy Crump created Ravens Baseball Team in 2019 to provide more opportunities to local boys to play travel baseball; and
WHEREAS, Ravens Baseball currently offers 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, 12U, and 13U teams for children in the region with players from Alexander County, Burke County, Caldwell County, Watauga County, and Wilkes County; and
WHEREAS, Ravens Baseball 12U won the Baseball Factory Iowa Dreams Experience: Summer Corn Belt Classic held July 28-30, 2023, in Dyersville, Iowa, on the actual Field of Dreams used in the movie Field of Dreams released in 1989 starring Kevin Costner; and
WHEREAS, Ravens Baseball 12U is the first 12U team from North Carolina to win the tournament; and
WHEREAS, the boys played fantastic baseball during the tournament going undefeated 5 and 0 against teams from around the Midwest, slugging 60 hits, batting .508 as a team, with 6 home runs, and stellar pitching performances for a combined 1.183 earned run average, and outscoring their opponents 51 to 12; and
WHEREAS, every Ravens 12U player made contributions to the team’s success, and the team finished the season with an outstanding overall record of 39 wins to 7 losses; and
WHEREAS; the Ravens 12U Team members are Collin Brown, Eric Crisp, Mason Crisp, Aaron Crump, Carson Crump, Kayden Estes, Brant Gryder, Carter Hedrick, Westen Hincher, Emmett Nelson, Cooper Riley, Evan Taylor, and Quinn Woods along with Head Coach Tommy Crump, Coach Joseph Gryder and Coach Chris Riley.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, Joseph L. Gibbons, Mayor, on behalf of the City of Lenoir City Council, do hereby highly commend and congratulate the Ravens Baseball 12U Team on winning the Baseball Factory Iowa Dreams Experience: Summer Corn Belt Classic July 28-30, 2023, and wish the team and players much success in the future and many more championship wins.
This the 5th day of September 2023.
Joseph L. Gibbons, Mayor
Click the following link to read more about the story on the News-Topic website, https://www.newstopicnews.com/sports/theres-magic-in-that-cornfield-lenoir-ravens-experience-their-own-field-of-dreams/article_1d9f203e-709d-514a-aec8-b030bdc5dc38.html.
The Ravens 12U Team stand in front of the corn field at the Fields of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Pictured from left: Aaron Crump, Kayden Estes, Carter Hedrick, Carson Crump, Collin Brown, Emmett Nelson, Quinn Woods, Evan Taylor, Mason Crisp, Cooper Riley, Westen Hincher, and Brant Gryder.
The Ravens 12U Team pose with their trophies after winning the Summer Corn Belt Classic held on the Fields of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Front row pictured from left: Cooper Riley, Brant Gryder, Westen Hincher, and Kayden Estes. Back row pictured from left: Carter Hedrick, Carson Crump, Quinn Woods, Emmett Nelson, Evan Taylor, Mason Crisp, and Collin Brown.