Tyson and the Titans on road to success

The U17 Montreal Titans are hitting their stride this summer, in part because of the performance of Tyson Kyer, first baseman and pitcher from Kahnawake.

Part of that has been going to the finals of the Backyard Baseball Classic in Cooperstown, New York, where they were ultimately defeated 11-2 by the Tripletown Aces Baseball Program in the third game of three played the same day.

“We were exhausted,” said Kyer.

“It was a long day of baseball.”

This is the second year they have participated in this tournament, losing in the semifinals last year.

“It’s a huge improvement for the boys,” said Kristina Kaitlyn Glen, Tyson’s mother.

In their first two placement games of the tournament, the Titans lost to the Central Mass Minutemen, 7-5 last Friday afternoon, and to the same Aces who won the whole tournament, 4-3 on Saturday morning.

They were the seventh seed going into the elimination rounds, where they upset the second seed Greece Gladiators 5-1 on Sunday morning.

Kyer got the win on the mound in that game, while also going two for three at the plate.

The Titans’ semifinals matchup against the New England Ravens needed extra innings, with Kyer coming to the plate in the top ninth inning with a 3-3 tie - they play seven-inning games.

The Titans were winning 3-2 in the seventh inning, but a called strikeout that would have won the game was called back and instead a balk was called, scoring the runner on third.

In the ninth, he hit a double which scored two runs, contributing to the Titans’ big inning, where they would ultimately win 8-3.

Just getting to the finals of the Classic was important to the Titans.

“That was a big deal for us,” said U17 Titans coach David Perlman.

“I’d say that as a team, I think we’re really peaking right at the end of the season, where you want to peak, and that’s why we’re excited about our opportunity ahead of us in Philadelphia.”

That opportunity in Philadelphia is the Northeast World Series, where teams of top prospects for the collegiate baseball system go and showcase themselves to scouts.

It began on Thursday (yesterday) with the Titans’ first game taking place after THE EASTERN DOOR’s publishing deadline against Unleashed Sports Group New York.

The quality of teams at the Northeast World Series is very high, with Perlman saying that teams will sometimes bring in players just for this tournament to shore up weaknesses or showcase specific high-end players.
“They really want to put the best teams together, because there are more scouts and more attendance, usually, in the semifinals and the finals,” said Perlman.

Baseball has taken Kyer many places, and his mother said that travelling and meeting new people has been something they have enjoyed.

“Our favourite part is the memories and friendships created all over the places he’s travelled. He’s always very chatty on the field and talks to umpires, coaches, and players, and that’s what we love to see,” said Glen.

“We love that he gets this opportunity to play all over the place with some good competition that makes it a challenge for him to improve his game.”

Indeed, it has also been a journey of development.

“The strong competition I see at different tournaments, it makes me want to get better,” said Kyer.

“This year, I think he’s learning what it takes to compete at a higher level, and it’s not just physically,” said Perlman, who has been Kyer’s coach since he was 10 years old.

“Once you get to this level, the mental aspect is very, very important. I think that’s the part of his game that he’s learning about.”

The Titans lost many of their opening games of the season, as the younger players on the team adapted to the heightened competition, Perlman said, but once everyone got comfortable, things really started to click, including for Kyer.

That includes a move to first base from third and batting second instead of a usual fifth or sixth for someone with more power like he has.

“Once he got settled at first base, and he had the mindset he was going to play first base, he started really performing a lot better in the field. And when he played better in the field, he hit better, too,” said Perlman.

“His progression has been very steady, and you’re seeing a much better level of compete, and you’re seeing a lot more consistency in his game.”

Kyer is not the only one who has been developing as a player like this, and positive results are appearing for the Titans.

“They have to understand that you have to lose sometimes before you can win,” said Perlman.

They’ll be hoping to keep winning this weekend in Philadelphia.

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