The Connecticut Rangers 15U Red team, which includes several Newtown residents, completed their regular season last week, compiling a 14-4 record in the New York Elite League and earning the top seed in the league playoffs.

After a bit of a slow start, the Rangers won nine of their last ten league games to secure the high seed. They were slated to begin the playoffs on August 4.

Coach Dale Demirjian and assistant Bryan McNamara brought the team together and fueled their improvement.

The Rangers featured a combination of strong hitting, pitching, and defense that helped them achieve their success. The team batting average was above .300 and the on base percentage over .400, resulting in 7.5 runs per game.

Jonah Gosnay and Harry Lucas set the table for the Rangers, sporting .500 on base percentages and putting pressure on teams with their speed, leading the team in walks, runs, and stolen bases. Robert Murray, David Kohler, and Bobby Ward supplied the firepower for the team, leading the Rangers in runs batted in and slugging percentage.

Equally impressive was the Ranger pitching staff. The team boasted a stingy 3.2 earned runs per game and held opponents to a .225 batting average. The staff was led by Kyle Roche with seven wins and an ERA of 0.88, Justin Hope with five wins, and Ben Terry with four wins. Kohler, Murray, Cole Demirjian, Gosnay, and Isaac Sherry also pitched in with valuable innings.

Defensively, the team boasted strength at every position. The speedy outfield was led by Isaac Sherry, Greg McKenna, Terry, and Lucas. Nolan Schmer and Murray were tough in the middle of the infield, and Hope, Gosnay, Connelly, Roche, and Kohler protected the corners. The team's backstops were a real strength, with Cole Demirjian and Kevin Connelly sharing the catching duties, throwing out would-be base stealers, and controlling the game.