The Champs

On Friday, May 9, the Gulf Coast Little League (GCLL) Rangers won the Florida District 18 AAA Championship 13-1 over the Greater Naples Vibes. The Rangers, whose roster is made up primarily of Marco residents with one player from Naples and another from Everglades City, are coached by Mike McGuire with assistance from Jeff Kutzke, Mike Radlovacki, and John Hudspeth. 

The GN Vibes were 18-2 going into the game, and the GCLL Rangers were 14-0. The Rangers controlled the entire game and threw a combined no-hitter between pitchers Klay Kutzke and Finn McGuire. 

Every batter on the Rangers reached base during the game. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except Finn Peters, who was walked every at bat. 

Jackson McGowan led the Rangers with three hits, and Dom Russo and Finn McGuire each had two hits.

Klay Kutzke pitched the first three innings and struck out five batters with no walks. Finn McGuire closed out the game, pitching two innings, striking out three, and walking three.

Nate Fernandez and Becker Schulte led the team with three stolen bases each, a team total of 14 stolen bases in the game. 

The team has zero errors in the field on defense. 

Every single player on the Rangers team contributed to the victory and their success over the season. The team put in countless hours outside of practice, and it showed. 

The stands were filled not only with friends and family, but also with teachers and community members who didn’t have a child playing. That is what is so special about this Marco community. Everyone shows up for each other.

The other Marco AAA baseball team, the GCLL Marlins, made it to the top eight in the district. With a total of 28 teams, it’s amazing to see these two area teams playing so well. The Rangers and the Marlins practice together twice a week and push each other to play to their fullest potential. The Marlins came out in support of the Rangers on Friday, too!

Coach Mike McGuire is also on the board of Marco Island Youth Baseball and has been an integral part of the team working to save and renovate the Tyler Beck Memorial Field at Tommie Barfield Elementary. He is passionate about continuing to grow the baseball community on Marco Island and has such a talented group of young athletes and amazing parents who support the mission.