Island youth baseballer set to represent Team Netherlands in international play
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Soccer may be considered the unofficial national sport of the Netherlands, but Staten Islander Dex Zimmerman — who holds dual American-Dutch citizenship — is set to don the iconic Oranje for the Dutch U12 national baseball team at the upcoming Youth Baseball European Championship hosted in the Czech Republic. Zimmerman, who […]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Soccer may be considered the unofficial national sport of the Netherlands, but Staten Islander Dex Zimmerman — who holds dual American-Dutch citizenship — is set to don the iconic Oranje for the Dutch U12 national baseball team at the upcoming Youth Baseball European Championship hosted in the Czech Republic.
Zimmerman, who will soon graduate from PS 60 in Graniteville and move onto IS 72 in New Springville, is currently in Europe for a scrimmage against the Belgian national team on Wednesday ahead of the European Championship, which begins on July 2.
Dex’s path to international baseball began about four years ago, when his father, Todd, reached out to a coach from the Dutch program to explore opportunities for Dex to get involved. At the time, he was told Dex was too young — but now, he’s ready to take the international stage.
“Out of nowhere this year, the same coach reached back out and told us they were having a tryout; we went a little less than a month ago, and he made the team,” Zimmerman proudly said of his son’s accomplishment.
Though he primarily serves as a pitcher for the Dutch squad, Zimmerman is also effective at shortstop and center field — a testament to the versatile skillset his father helped cultivate during his years as Dex’s coach, prior to his transition to club coaching with the New York Prospects last year.
“He’s a very humble boy,” Zimmerman said of his son’s attitude despite his talent at such a young age.
“We started playing baseball together when he was around 1-year-old, and I try to keep him humble, but that’s something he’s always had in him,” Zimmerman continued.
Staten Islander Dex Zimmerman poses outside the home stadium of the Hoofddorp Pioniers, a local Dutch baseball team, ahead of representing the country in a youth baseball tournament.Todd Zimmerman
Zimmerman has firmly established himself as a young talent locally, but his father acknowledged that competing on the international stage will bring a new set of challenges.
“While he’s playing for the Dutch team, the field is 46 feet from the mound to home and 60 feet between the bases; those are dimensions similar to Little League, but when he’s playing travel ball for the Prospects, the field is definitely bigger,” Zimmerman said of one of the ways Dex may need to readjust his game while playing in Europe.
Dex will also get the chance to meet his Dutch national teammates for the first time, as this marks his debut traveling abroad for competition. While some cultural differences may arise, his father is confident that Dex —fluent in both Dutch and English — will form friendships that last a lifetime.
“They’re not into the small talk like we are,” Todd said with a laugh.
“He’s a little bit of an outsider for now; they’re a little bit different than us, but he’s a social kid,” he continued.
In addition to reconnecting with his Dutch roots, Zimmerman is also contributing to the global growth of baseball in real time — a role his father finds especially meaningful with the World Baseball Classic on the horizon next year.
“We’re really into that competition,” Todd said of their own fondness of how the WBC has promoted the sport globally.
“The Netherlands is ranked seventh in the world currently, since they also include Aruba and Curaçao. Andruw Jones is the head coach of the Netherlands and has recruited guys like Xander Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar to play for him, so it’s a very good breeding ground for baseball,” Zimmerman said of the nation’s senior team.
While Dex still has a long road ahead to reach that level, his involvement in the global baseball community is already laying the foundation for a lifelong love of the game — and a chance to see the world through it.
“He’s really looking forward to it,” Todd said of Dex’s excitement ahead of the tournament.
“It should be a really interesting experience getting to interact with different countries and hear different languages; he’s just really always loved the game of baseball, the fact that they took a chance on somebody from New York was really cool. They want him to stay with it for the long haul,” he continued.
The Dutch U12 team will kick off its 2025 European Championship campaign when it takes on Ukraine in Hluboká, Czech Republic on July 2.
YOUTH BASEBALL: Cal Ripken tourney a big success, especially for Lynden teams
PORT ANGELES — More than 30 teams from northwestern Washington battled on the fields at Lincoln Park this week with teams from Lynden completely dominating the Cal Ripken Northwest Washington tournament. Port Angeles hosted the tournament for the first time in 20 years, with teams from as far away as Moses Lake attending. Lynden Lobos […]
PORT ANGELES — More than 30 teams from northwestern Washington battled on the fields at Lincoln Park this week with teams from Lynden completely dominating the Cal Ripken Northwest Washington tournament.
Port Angeles hosted the tournament for the first time in 20 years, with teams from as far away as Moses Lake attending.
Lynden Lobos teams won every division with the Port Angeles 11U team the only local team that made it all the way to the championship game, though other Port Angeles teams had good tournaments.
Lynden won the 9U championship game 12-4 over Wenatchee. Lynden 10U beat Silverdale 5-4, Lynden 11U beat Port Angeles 9-5 and Lynden 12U beat Eastmount 8-0 in their respective championship games.
The Port Angeles 11U team gave Lynden a pair of good games, losing to the Lobos in the first round 3-1, but then winning two straight, 15-0 over Ferndale and 10-9 over Silverdale.
The Port Angeles 12Us had a solid tournament, beating Silverdale 11-0 and Moses Lake 11-0. They lost to Ellensburg 9-4, then beat Wenatchee 9-0. They lost 6-5 to Lynden in the semifinal.
The local 9U team beat Moses Lake 12-11 and beat Eastmont 13-2 before losing 13-4 to Lynden in the semifinals.
The Port Angeles 10U All-Stars lost to the MLYBA All-Stars 13-2, lost 12-2 to Ferndale and lost 14-4 to Silverdale.
More than 340 kids participated in the three-day tournament.
Jack Rudd pitches for the Port Angeles 12U team in a semifinal game against Wenatchee Saturday morning at the Port Angeles Baseball Complex. Grant Lancaster is the 1st baseman ready for what the hitter hits. Port Angeles beat Wenatchee 9-0 to advance to the title game.
Ex-Texas Southern football player reportedly killed in parking lot dispute
Tyler Martinez, a 24-year-old former defensive tackle for Texas Southern University, was shot and killed during a dispute at an apartment complex parking garage late Friday, according to reports. According to Houston police, the incident occurred at the Mac 4460 Apartments on South MacGregor Way near Calhoun, where both Martinez and the alleged shooter, Isaac […]
Tyler Martinez, a 24-year-old former defensive tackle for Texas Southern University, was shot and killed during a dispute at an apartment complex parking garage late Friday, according to reports.
According to Houston police, the incident occurred at the Mac 4460 Apartments on South MacGregor Way near Calhoun, where both Martinez and the alleged shooter, Isaac Jasper Robinson, 22, resided. Authorities described the altercation as a “parking garage dispute” that escalated into violence, ABC 13 in Houston reported.
Witnesses told investigators that during a physical struggle, a woman associated with Robinson retrieved a firearm from a vehicle and handed it to him.
As the confrontation appeared to be de-escalating and Martinez was withdrawing, Robinson allegedly fired three shots into Martinez’s torso.
Martinez died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Robinson, a sophomore at Texas Southern and employee of a local security company, reportedly returned to the scene after the shooting and admitted his involvement to police.
He was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder. Robinson appeared overnight in Harris County Probable Cause Court, where his bond was set at $100,000 with conditions including a GPS monitor, nightly curfew, and restrictions on travel and possession of weapons or substances.
Martinez, who completed his football career at TSU in 2023, was remembered by friends and former teammates as a dedicated athlete and a positive presence on campus.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Active ‘aggressor’ at Kentucky fairground where thousands had gathered for game sparks evacuation as cops swarm scene
AN ‘active aggressor’ was reported at the Kentucky Exposition Center where thousands had gathered for a children’s sports game. The venue in Louisville is also being used as a space for a fairground over the summer. 2 The Kentucky Exposition Center has been evacuatedCredit: Wikipedia 2 Cops have swarmed the area and no shooting victims […]
AN ‘active aggressor’ was reported at the Kentucky Exposition Center where thousands had gathered for a children’s sports game.
The venue in Louisville is also being used as a space for a fairground over the summer.
2
The Kentucky Exposition Center has been evacuatedCredit: Wikipedia
2
Cops have swarmed the area and no shooting victims have been located (stock)Credit: Getty Images – Getty
It comes just hours after another shooting at Blue Grass Airport that ended at the Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington on Sunday morning where a state trooper was shot and two people were killed.
In a statement, Louisville Metro Police Department said there was an “active aggressor” at the Fairgrounds but that no victims have been found.
“Please avoid the area due to a heavy police presence,” they said.
Gunshots had previously been reported.
Thousands flooded the location over the weekend for the Run 4 the Roses Classic and the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and Champions Youth Basketball League.
Footage of the basket ball courts shared online showed people leaving the area as a siren rang out.
The LMPD confirmed at 4:08pm Sunday that no shots have been fired and that there are no shooting victims.
Amid the panic, terrified families ran for cover.
Taking to social media, one witness said they were stuck in a bathroom with over 100 people.
“The park is on lockdown, my family and I are here and we’re locked down in a bathroom with maybe 150 people,” they wrote.
Horror moment mass shootout that killed three and injured 10 caught on Ring camera after thugs ‘fired at random’
“Everyone is taking cover in buildings.”
An investigation is ongoing as responders continue to swarm the scene.
All basketball has finished for the day with officials not allowing reentry following the incident.
Cops have warned of huge traffic issues in the area but have made no comment about a suspect or any arrests.
A statement from Kentucky Venues released on Sunday afternoon read:
“Louisville Metro Police Department received a report of a possible active aggressor on-site at the Kentucky Exposition Center.
“We are deeply thankful that initial reports indicate no one was harmed.
“The facility remains closed at this time.”
“We are grateful for the swift and coordinated response from the Louisville Metro Police Department, our on-site security personnel, and public safety officials across the city.
“Their immediate action to search and secure the building ensured the safety of everyone on our campus.”
“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our guests, staff and partners,” it added.
Run 4 Roses won’t resume Sunday after false active aggressor report at Kentucky Expo Center | Local News
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — All Run 4 Roses activities have been suspended for the rest of Sunday after a reported active aggressor proved to be false at the Kentucky Expo Center. Run 4 Roses officials said on social media that the event will continue on Monday. All athletes and spectators were cleared from the venue. […]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — All Run 4 Roses activities have been suspended for the rest of Sunday after a reported active aggressor proved to be false at the Kentucky Expo Center.
Run 4 Roses officials said on social media that the event will continue on Monday.
All athletes and spectators were cleared from the venue.
Louisville Mero Police said no shots were fired or victims were found at Kentucky Kingdom or the Kentucky Expo Center after there was a reported active aggressor.
Important Update-
Due to an ongoing safety concern, all Run 4 Roses activities have been suspended for the remainder of today, Sunday, July 13. Out of an abundance of caution, all athletes and spectators have been cleared from the venue.
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ButteSports.com is your complete source for Mining City sports. Made for Butte sports fans by Butte sports fans, ButteSports.com is a constantly-updating, no-cost website that features the Montana Tech Orediggers, Butte High Bulldogs and Butte Central Maroons, as well as any other individual and team sports that Butte sports fans care about. That includes extensive coverage of the Frontier and Big Sky Conferences.
WVU Medicine to host Golf Assocation Championship – WAJR
Story by Mia Henkins MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — 78 of the nation’s top junior golfers will join together to compete at the American Junior Golf Association Inaugural WVU Medicine United Hospital Center Junior Championships. The winner will accumulate points for the American Junior Golf Association tour. The WVU Medicine United Hospital Center is teaming up with […]
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — 78 of the nation’s top junior golfers will join together to compete at the American Junior Golf Association Inaugural WVU Medicine United Hospital Center Junior Championships. The winner will accumulate points for the American Junior Golf Association tour.
The WVU Medicine United Hospital Center is teaming up with the Bridgeport Country Club for the next three years to host the event. Golfers such as Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler have been involved with the AJGA, so impressive golfers can be expected to compete in the tournament.
WVU Medicine United Hospital Center President and CEO Dr. David Hess joined WAJR’s “Talk of the Town” to discuss details of the tournament.
“We knew that we had an opportunity to bring the AJGA bnack to the state, it hasn’t been here for many years,” Hess said. “It aligned with our mission at the hospital to really help and bulster youth sports.”
Hess says he expects a good tournament for the first year back.
“We expect over 150 people to be coming into the area,” Hess said. “They’re going to be spending a lot of money here locally, they’re going to be staying in our local hotels and really they’re going to be getting a atset of what we’re proud of in North Central West Virginia.”
While this is a national, and sometimes international, event, there are guaranteed to be junior golfers from Bridgeport and Glendale. Hess encourages any families from outside the state to visit local parks and The Bridge Sports Complex in the area.
“This is the first year of what we’ve committed to for a three year partnership,” Hess said. “And again, I think it’s important for us to bring in these young, talented people. It’s a great opportunity for our region to come and get a taste of the next generatin of golfers.”
Fundraising will begin on July 13 and the money raised will be put toward scholarships for players who are interested in playing at the collegiate level. Money will also be donated to the ‘Greatest Need’ fund to pay for transportation and wigs for cancer patients. Local businesses will be volunteering, but anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact AJGA directly.
The tournament will start on July 14 and wraps up on July 17. Tickets can be purchased on www.ajga.org.
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