Power hitters from Minors and Majors divisions wow the crowd in a fun-filled evening of competition, and music
TEMPLETON — At the beginning of May, the Templeton Youth Baseball League held its 1st annual “Slug Fest” competition (aka Home Run Derby) on the Minors field at Templeton Middle School. TYBL hosted and provided free hot dogs, chips, and waters for all fans and players at the event from 5 to 7 p.m. While music played and kids ran in the outfield hoping to catch a fly ball, the Slug Fest event captivated everyone in attendance.
Participants from both the Minors and Majors divisions competed separately to determine a Slug Fest champion in each age group. Coaches of the Minors and Majors divisions chose two power hitters from each team to compete in the competition. Round 1 allowed each player to swing 15 times, and in round 2, they had 10 chances. After two rounds, the top 4 qualifiers went to a final head-to-head round to determine the winners.
The top Minors players after two rounds were Caleb Wood, Luca DeQuattro, Will Hughes, Ritchie Garcia, and Kolby Salas. In the Majors division, the top qualifiers were Hudson Herring, James Budd, Everett Wood, and Treyner Shults.
The Minors had a very exciting finish after a tiebreaker was necessary. Hughes, Wood, DeQuattro, and Salas tied with two home runs each after going through the first two rounds. Wood and DeQuattro were eliminated after the tiebreaker. Hughes and Salas battled it out for one last round of three pitches each, where Hughes won the top spot with two home runs, and Salas barely missed him for the second-place position.
In the Majors division, Treyner Shults hit six home runs in the first round and James Budd hit five, securing each of them a spot in the championship round. Everett Wood hit five in round two and Hudson Herring slammed three out of the park securing each of them a spot in the finals against Shults and Budd. Shults went 5-for-6 in the final round, with lefty James Budd in second place for three solid homers to right field.
On Saturday, May 17, the first- and second-place winners of the Slug Fest were awarded championship rings at the TYBL Closing Ceremonies in front of hundreds of players, families, and local youth baseball supporters.
The mission of Templeton Youth Baseball is to bring the community together through youth baseball by acting in the best interest of the youth and the community to foster, develop, promote, and regulate amateur baseball for all children ages 12 and under. Registration for the 2026 season willl open up later this year.
For more information about how to get involved or register a player please visit templetonyouthbaseball.sportngin.com
