2008 NBC Midwest Regional

The 2008 NBC Midwest Regional Championships concluded on a rain-shortened evening July 25th.  The Championship game was shaping up to be a classic duel between two of the top seeded teams, the Junction City Generals and the Park City Rangers.  The game was postponed in the bottom of the sixth-inning with the score tied at 0-0.  The Generals' starting pitcher, Ryan Garmin, had thrown 5.1 innings of shutout baseball, allowing 3 hits (singles) with none of them advancing past first base.  Mike Mueller, the Park City starter, completed 6 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits (singles) with only one runner advancing to second base.

At the start of the top of the sixth inning, the Generals threw out the first batter of the inning, and then the rains came.  The field was covered for approximately an hour and one-half, but the lightning was continuing with the threat of the second wave of rain.  The managers from both teams met with Jerry Taylor (NBC Tournament Director) and Chad Gerwick, who was in charge of the regional at Valley Center.  Junction City could not make up the game on Saturday or Sunday, due to scheduled games in Junction City.  Therefore, the Junction City General Manager and Coach Yogi Cox decided to forfeit the game to Park City.

Park City was declared the Champion of the 2008 NBC Midwest Regional and Junction City was the Runner-Up.  Both teams received a berth in the 74th Annual NBC World Series to be held in Wichita, starting August 1st.  It was a tough ending to a great tournament, with players, managers, fans and tournament administrators disappointed that such a great game had to end in that fashion.

Midwest Regional Forms