Back in May, the Brian Rose Bulldogs’ division one 11u team completed its travel season, winning the Memorial Day Weekend Tournament in Dayton and finishing with a near-perfect record.

The boys had 27 wins, no losses and only a single tie, according to Head Coach Aaron Messier.

In all of the Brian Rose baseball teams' history, Messier said he believes they are “the first team to win the championship and go undefeated.”

He added how that record wouldn’t have been obtainable without “every single player,” with each putting in the effort and working together as a team.

“It's a very long season,” Messier said, highlighting the commitment of each of the 12 players.

“The dedication from all 12 players is the reason why, when the season came along, we had the success that we had,” he said.

If the skills of these 11 year olds wasn’t enough, Messier says the boys are headed for an even higher division in the Select Baseball League next season — the elite division, which includes the team the boys beat to win the tournament.

It was a close game, with the Bulldogs winning only 3-2.

“That was a pretty defining moment because that was the weekend before our playoffs started, so I feel like that really brought the kids together to realize their potential and how good of a season they were having,” he said.

Messier said he’s a bit “old school” with his coaching, calling himself a “player’s coach.”

While he demands respect from his athletes, he said he also recognizes they are 11-year-old kids, so he gives grace and keeps an open line of communication.

“From my standpoint, the kids were all easy to coach because they were all coachable,” he said.

“Baseball is a tough sport where you can fail seven times out of 10 and you're a Hall of Famer in the major leagues,” Messier added. “I do demand a lot from my players, but in a way that they can relate to.”