The past five weeks have been very successful for a trio of Warsaw Community High School baseball players and their summer travel team. Brandon Shipp, Michael Miller and Tanner Balazs, all three of whom play for the Warsaw Tigers and coach Mike Hepler, are members of the Michiana Scrappers’ 17U team. The Scrappers have participated in five tournaments so far this summer, winning three of them and posting an overall record of 25-2. “This is a special group,” said Scrappers coach Hal Farmwald, who is also the varsity coach at Goshen High School. “When I say this is a special group, I don’t say that lightly. We’ve played five weekends together, and though they’re players from different high schools, they get along very well, and they’re obviously talented baseball players.” The Scrappers’ 17U team is comprised of players from Adams, Bremen, Fairfield, Goshen, LaPorte, Mishawaka Marian, NorthWood, Plymouth and Warsaw. The Scrappers, whom Farmwald said usually play in tournaments against players older than them, have won tournaments at Valparaiso University, Indiana University and Notre Dame. En route to winning those tournaments, the Scrappers went undefeated the entire weekend. They also competed in two tournaments in which they went 5-1 for the weekend. Shipp, whose father, Eric Shipp, is an assistant coach, plays short stop for the Scrappers. Balasz is the team’s second baseman, while Miller plays outfield. Farmwald said that Shipp has had an outstanding summer for the Scrappers. Farmwald described Shipp as very vocal and a great leader. While batting in the No. 2 spot, Shipp is hitting over .300, according to Farmwald. Farmwald described Balazs as a solid hitter and infielder. Though Miller has had to miss a few games, Farmwald said he “may be the team’s best athlete when you consider speed, power and arm strength.” “They are a very big part of our team,” Farwald said of Shipp, Miller and Balazs. The Scrappers, Farmwald said, have been invited to play in the 17U World Series, which will take place Aug 1 to 4 at Ohio State University. “That’s quite an honor to be invited to that,” said Farmwald. “There’s only 16 teams from around the country that play in it, and you either have to win a qualifier or be invited. We’ll play against some of the best 17U teams in the country.”
