What do state champion Mounds View Mustangs and Cleveland Indians draftee Sam Hentges all have in common? Every member of the Mustangs’ roster that won the 2014 Minnesota Class 3A Baseball Championship has participated and developed in our SAYB program. Most of the players even date all the way back to our Instructional League program.

Capping an amazing season, the Mustangs became the first team to win back-to-back Class 3A Titles this month. Along the way, standout pitcher Sam Hentges of Shoreview racked up state-wide honors (Star Tribune and Pioneer Press Player of the Year) before being selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.

Of course it’s the players who win championships. But one important contributing factor to the success of any high school program is a high quality youth program. SAYB is the largest youth sports organization in our community, attracting nearly 900 kids a year. And for 54 years, SAYB has been instilling a champion mindset in players who often experience baseball success in high school.

“We have a tremendous youth program that has developed great players with great character,” said Mustangs head coach Mark Downey. “These players grew up in the SAYB program. Hundreds of people have built SAYB over the years, and today they continue to do an outstanding job of providing a great baseball experience and developing great players. Congratulations to everyone past and present with SAYB!”

We join Coach Downey in congratulating our two-time state champs and all the parents, coaches and volunteers who contributed to their success. As we look back at their time with us, we also look to today’s SAYB players, knowing they could become teammates on another state championship team in the future.