FARMINGTON – The stage is now set for the 2023 Connie Mack World Series later this month at Ricketts Park.
The Oklahoma Express, only the second team from the state to make it to this year’s event, stamped its ticket Monday, winning the South Plains regional qualifying championship game on Monday afternoon by a final of 7-5 over the Texas Stix.
Coached by Chase Wetwiska, the Express wrapped up an unbeaten run during the South Plains regional, winning all six games on its way to becoming the final team to earn a spot in the Connie Mack World Series, which gets underway at Ricketts Park on Friday, July 21.
The Express navigated its way through a 28-team, five-day event played under some extreme summertime conditions in Enid, Oklahoma. The Express earned its way to the championship game with a 5-1 win earlier Monday morning over the Dallas Tigers.
“That was a grueling tournament with some really top-level teams,” Wetwiska said.
Klete Finley provided the spark on offense for the Express in the championship game, scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Cale Wetwiska scored three times in the win, going 1-for-2 at the plate while also drawing a pair of walks.
Wetwiska and Luke Bourland combined for the win on the mound, overcoming some early trouble as they allowed seven hits and surrendered six walks.
The Express trailed 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before Corbin Kwan’s two-out double drove in the tying run. Bryan Williams, Jr. drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the sixth after a fielding error scored Wetwiska and Finley.
Bourland, despite walking a pair of batters in the top half of the seventh, got out of the jam with a fly ball out to Kwan in right field to seal the deal.
The Express join the Tulsa-based Sandlot Sox as representatives from the state of Oklahoma in this summer’s Connie Mack World Series. In 2021, the Enid Majors became the first team from Oklahoma to win the event.
With a record of 23-4 during this summer campaign, coach Wetwiska has a solid core of young players filling out the roster.
Tyner Horn, a recent commit to the University of Nebraska from Goddard-Eisenhower High School in Halstead, Kansas, is a right-handed pitcher who struck out 65 batters across 38⅓ innings and had an earned run average of 0.00 during his senior season.
“(Horn) has been big for us all season,” Wetwiska said. “A high-quality kid and a high-quality player. He’s done a really good job for us during this tournament in giving us a chance to win just like he always does.”
Cash Kuiper, who was strong on the mound during a pair of recent outings for the Express, also figures to be a major factor on the hill during the CMWS.
“(Kuiper) is probably the biggest character on the team,” said Wetwiska. “He’s poised and any time he’s on the mound, I know we have a good chance to win. Another guy who just goes out there and competes.”
In becoming the second team from Oklahoma to earn its way to this summer’s Connie Mack World Series, Wetwiska was pleased to see the state’s high school and amateur baseball program receive some national attention.
“Some of the top players in the country are coming out of Oklahoma,” Wetwiska said. “I’ve always thought it was kind of looked over when compared to California, Florida and Texas where they’ve got the bigger programs. It’s been a thing where Oklahoma baseball is kind of slept on a little bit but there’s a lot of high quality baseball out here.”
Teams like the Express, as well as others from across North America, will begin to arrive to Farmington next week for the opening ceremonies. The traditional Connie Mack Parade down Main Street in downtown Farmington will take place July 21 at 10 a.m. before pool play games get underway at Ricketts Park as well as the Farmington Sports Complex and Worley Field later that afternoon.
Brackets, schedules and seedings will be announced at a managers meeting, which will take place on the morning of July 21 at the Farmington Civic Center. The tournament bracket (without team names or designations) is available online at the Connie Mack World Series website.
For more information on the Connie Mack World Series, log on to the tournament’s official website at CMWS.org.
