Community Champions: Santa Teresa Angels are state champs

Not even a 12-2 deficit could stop the Santa Teresa Angels from claiming their state championship.

The Angels, an eight-and-under baseball team comprised of players from Santa Teresa and West El Paso, recently won the AABC Kid Pitch state title in Farmington.

But it wasn’t easy. They found themselves trailing by 10 runs in the 4th inning of the title game against a very good Las Cruces Bambinos team.

“Thinking we may not win, I said, ‘We’re just gonna play hard. We’re gonna give it all we’ve got,'” said head coach Alan Gluth. “We’re just gonna go out and keep playing hard. And the kids did that.”

The Angels rallied to score the final 11 runs of the game to win the state crown.

But this championship was years in the making.

“Some of these kids have been together since age four and worked very hard over the last five years,” said Gluth. “And to be able to go to the state championship tournament and win was a huge accomplishment for these eight-year-olds. I’m very, very proud of them.”

Many of the players said they model their game after another Angels player – superstar outfielder Mike Trout. And there may just be a few future Mike Trouts on this young Angels team.

“I can say in no uncertain terms that there are some boys on this team that will be some tremendous high school players,” said Gluth.