Over the weekend of August 10th, game MVPs from each Game Day USA tournament during the 2019 season in the Milwaukee area participated in an All Star competition.
2019 U14 Aces P/1B/OF Keith Youngs participated in the event, which included games against other teams, a HR Derby, pitching and running contests, and a whole bunch more baseball fun.
Keith – who has been with the Falls Aces since Day 1 – took 2nd place in the Pitching Accuracy competition!
Due to his overall performance, Keith was awarded a Golden Ticket from Game Day USA, rewarding him with a spot at the Disney New Year’s Eve Baseball Classic held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Florida!
Keith will play on one of Game Day USA’s All Star teams, competing against some of the top talent the country has to offer.
For those who may not know, Keith works tirelessly on getting better. Brian, his father, pitches and hits to him as often as he can, deftly avoiding the rockets that Keith sends back his way. Keith’s example of hard work – and the same dedication from his parents – is a great encouragement for all of the other Aces in the program who are hoping to do special things one day. We are so proud of Keith, and wish him luck in Florida over the New Year!
We’re excited to name the Head Coaches for our 2020 Falls Aces squads:
U9 – Chris Singer
U10 – Joe Jagmin (2nd year)
U11 – Isaac Alvarez
U12 – Larry Hanson (3rd year)
U13 – Jacob Windom (4th year)
U14 – Rich Ratay (3rd year)
High School Travel Team U15/U16 – Dan Born
All 2019 Head Coaches are returning, with Dan, Isaac and Chris joining the ranks to increase the total number of Aces squads up to seven!
Fielding a team at each youth age level is critical to the long-term success of the program, and we are excited to see Isaac fill the gap we had at the U11 level. We are equally pumped to see Chris join the program as the Head Coach of our youngest Aces.
“It’s pretty amazing to think that three years ago at this time we didn’t even have a program”, said Aaron Lilach, General Manager of the Falls Aces. “We grew pretty quickly to get to five teams this year, and 2020 sees us entering the high school age for the first time as well. It’s exciting to see such commitment from our families, fans, and sponsors, as well as how energetic our Coaches are in promoting our program.”
Head Coaches at the youth level select their assistants after tryouts are completed in late August.
Oscar Thompson is the first player in the brief history of the Falls Aces to make a local High School baseball team, securing a spot on the Menomonee Falls High School JV2 team for the 2019 Spring season.
UPDATED 3/22/19 3:30 PM:
We’re excited to see the first Falls Aces players earn a spot on a local high school baseball team, as Oscar Thompson has been placed on the Menomonee Falls High School JV2 team., and David Dell’Agnese has made the varsity team at Brookfield Academy.
Oscar is a unique athlete who plays all over the field and is blessed with speed, arm strength, and athleticism that should transition well to the high school level.
Oscar pitched 12.1 innings for the Aces in 2018, striking out 12 and picking up 2 wins.
He was 3rd on the team with 10 stolen bases, getting on base at a .476 clip while scoring 5 runs in 10 games played.
David, a catcher with above average speed for the position, hit .400 in 2018 on the U13 team while also stealing 5 bases. David walked more than he struck out, and served as the primary backstop for the Aces.
The Falls Aces began in 2017 with a team of U12 players. In 2018, Oscar and David were two of eight players that were added to the U13 team, helping lead that team to a 5-8 record, including placing 4th in the Field of Dreams tournament in July.
Congratulations Oscar and David, and good luck!
Looking forward, there are a number of Falls Aces players graduating in 2023 that we anticipate making a strong impression during next year’s workouts and tryouts, including four players that have been with the program from Day 1:
Keith Youngs – as a first baseman, outfielder, and pitcher, Keith is the big stick in the Aces lineup. With exit velocities consistently over 80 MPH as a 13 year old, Keith slugged 1.036 in 2018 by crushing 10 of his 17 hits for extra bases. Keith is also a durable LHP, currently topping out at 70 MPH. In 2018, he pitched 12.1 innings and struck out 11 batters.
Keith was the 2018 Falls Aces SlugFest HR derby champion, peppering the tree in centerfield with baseballs all afternoon! Keith placed 2nd in the Field of Dreams HR Derby in July, battling another competitor for over 30 minutes before taking the runner up spot.
2. Zion Cordoves – Zion profiles as a middle infielder at the High School level, possessing good range, a strong arm, + speed, and a quick bat with above average plate discipline. “Z” struck out only twice for the Aces in 2018, drawing 8 walks and stealing 8 bases. A strong fielder, Zion had a .939 fielding percentage while primarily playing shortstop in 2018.
Zion places the tag on a steal attempt over the summer of 2018. As a captain of the Aces, he plays a strong SS while batting leadoff.
3. Riley Lilach – as a corner infielder and pitcher, Riley is fundamentally sound in the field and on the mound. With 5.2 injury-limited innings pitched in 2018, Riley struck out 5 while holding opponents to a team-low .211 batting average. Riley has added 10 MPH to his fastball over Winter, while fine tuning a curve and split/change, putting him in a competitive position for 2019. Riley has average speed, but is an above-average base runner with good plate discipline , drawing 4 walks in 11 games.
Riley is a competitor on the mound, preferring to be the pitcher called upon at the end of the game. He led all 5 Falls Aces teams in WHIP and BAA in 2018, while striking out 5 batters in 5.2 innings pitched.
4. Matthew Lauer – playing multiple infield and outfield positions, Matthew profiles as another strong-armed pitcher within the Falls Aces program. Pitching 6.2 innings in 2018, Lauer picked up 6 strike outs. He also batted .412 while leading his U12-Red team with 7 runs batted in. Matthew exhibits above average speed, fielding range, and arm strength.
Matthew turned in a strong 2018 campaign, leading his team in batting average and RBI. He also profiles as a strong pitching option at the high school level.
5. Ben Mallow – “double play Mallow” (line drives have a knack for finding his glove) as he is known within the Aces program, is a versatile infielder who is poised to challenge for the #1 catcher role in 2019 as well. Ben is also a pitcher, and can play outfield as well. Ben batted .375 while scoring 6 runs in 12 games during the 2018 season. A steady glove, Mallow committed only one error in 39 chances last season, picked off a runner, and had one runner caught stealing as well. Ben caught two runners stealing in 2017. Ben also has 20 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched over two seasons with the Aces.
“Double Play” Mallow at it again, this time against the U13 Mid-Michigan Fury who were ranked within the top 150 programs in the nation last season. Ben is one of the most versatile players in the Falls Aces program, logging playing time at 3B, SS, 2B, C, and P last season.
These are a handful of the 2023 athletes who are making noise within the program at the moment. We will update this list as we progress throughout the season.
Information on the Falls Aces: The Falls Aces program was designed to offer high-level development opportunities to young athletes looking to improve their baseball skills. The focus is on skill acquisition and development, leading to a lot of practice and workout time as compared to other programs. Since 2017, the Aces have increased in size from one team, to 5 in 2019.
