Coach Andy Mitchell led his 14u SDG Angels to three straight Grand Slam baseball tournament championships to complete their Spring 2021 travel ball season.

Finishing with a 20-6 overall record, the Angels went 13-2 in their last three tournaments, including a perfect 9-0 on Championship Sundays. As a result, SDG was crowned as 14u Gold Bracket Champions of the 20-team Gwinnett Invitational on May 23 with a 4-1 record, the 34-team 2021 North Georgia State Championships on June 6 with a 4-1 record, and the 11-team June Jam Summer Series Week 4 on June 27 with a perfect 5-0 record. 

The Angels, assisted by coach Justin Duncan, have a roster that includes: Nolan Mitchell, Gehrig Knapp, Luke Smith, Luke Cross, Lucas Langley, Caden Richardson and Levi Kendall — all current or future Social Circle Redskins. There are more local ties scattered throughout, with Cooper Duncan and Parker Gassman, both Alcovy Tigers, and Brandon Ellis, Brayson Osborn and Payton Shaw, all Eastside Eagles, on the club. 

Luke Kendall, Cameron Kelley, JD Smith and Coy Buckner also contributed in limited appearances. 

Ellis led the Angels’ attack with 35 hits, including a team-high 28 singles and had 22 RBI, scored 22 runs and had a .461 batting average, which was boosted by a .485 clip with runners in scoring position.

Knapp had 30 hits, including 27 singles, while leading the team in runs scored with 34, base on balls with 23, a batting average of .462 and a .556 batting average with runners in scoring position. 

Langley led with 11 extra-base hits including nine doubles and two triples, scored 29 times and stole a team-high 17 bases.

Richardson had 8 doubles, 21 RBI, walked 22 times and had a .483 batting average with runners in scoring position. 

Smith led the Angels with 24 RBI and was hit by pitches a team-high seven times. 

Duncan scored 23 runs and Osborn scored 20 runs. Mitchell added 15 runs scored and Cross added 12.

Ellis finished with a 5-0 pitching record and a 2.392 ERA in 26.1 innings pitched while striking out 29 batters. Knapp posted a 3-1 record and an ERA of 2.414 in 29 innings pitched while striking out 27. Langley had a 3-0 record in 18 innings. Richardson finished 4-1 with a team-best ERA of 2.172 in 19.1 innings pitched. Smith finished 3-1 in 20 innings pitched.

Defensively, Levi Kendall led the Angels with a perfect 1.000 percent fielding average in 16 games played. Knapp was close behind with a .985 percent fielding average in 26 games played and Smith posted a .979 fielding average in 24 games. Richardson threw out a team-high eight runners trying to steal from the catcher position in 26 games.

Coach Mitchell said of the 2021 Angels: “This team benefited from how much they loved the game but, more importantly, how much they loved playing with, and for, each other. It was a special group with a new energy. They took pride in playing for SDG!

“New additions in 2021 made a difference in the excitement and energy in the dugout all year. Levi Kendall, Luke Cross, Brandon Ellis and Brayson Osborn were our key additions. The core group of Nolan Mitchell, Gehrig Knapp, Lucas Langley, Luke Smith, Caden Richardson and Cooper Duncan were great leaders! 

“Our team was very versatile in their ability to play different positions and do what it takes at the plate to help the team in all situations. We also had extreme pitching depth on this squad. In the final yournament, a few players were not able to play due to scheduled summer vacations, but we picked up two great players that were big parts of each game that weekend: Payton Shaw and Parker Gassman.”

After winning 14-1, 11-4 and 9-1 on Championship Sunday at the 2021 North Georgia State Championships, Mitchell tweeted out: “I’ve never had a team play harder and have more fun, while beating up on other teams, than this group.” 

Perhaps the most thrilling win of the season came in the first game this past Sunday at the June Jam Summer Series Week 4 when the Angels fell behind the Outlaws 0-8 only to rally to tie the game 8-8. Due to time constraints, a runner was placed on second base to begin play in an extra-inning situation. The Outlaws scored to go-ahead, 9-8, in the top of the inning, but the Angels scored twice in their at bat to win the game in walk-off fashion, 10-9.  

The “Comeback” Angels went on to finish the tournament undefeated.