The King’s Academy’s middle school baseball team defeated the Benjamin school 8-1 earlier this month to win the PBCCL championship in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens.
Under the leadership of new head coach and Major League Baseball veteran Brad Wilkerson, the Lions (8-3-1) rebounded from two regular-season losses to Benjamin (11-1) to capture TKA’s second championship. The Lions have either won or been in the championship game in four of the five years since the team’s inception.
The Lions were led defensively by the outstanding pitching of Chandler Marsh and Trevor Hollis. Hunter Furtado and Cory Croteau led the offensive barrage, which included nine total hits for the Lions.
Wilkerson played eight years in the MLB with the Expos, Nationals, Rangers, Mariners and Blue Jays. He was a 1998 first round draft pick. In college, he led the University of Florida Gators to the College World Series in 1996 and 1998, earning All-American status. Wilkerson also represented the United States in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, helping the team win the gold medal.
ABOVE: TKA’s middle school baseball team celebrates.
