Pawhuska player on area team

BARTLESVILLE — Pawhuska 14-year-old Randsom Jones plays for the Bartlesville Bruins baseball team that will vie for the national honors Wednesday through Saturday in the Sandy Koufax World Series.

A left-handed hitter and fielder, Jones will be used primarily as an infielder and pitcher for the local entry in the 10-team tournament. The Bruins are scheduled to face the Dallas Tigers at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the last of five opening-round games at Doenges Memorial Stadium.

Jones was a top player last spring for the Huskies’ seventh/eighth-grade squad that put together an outstanding season for coaches Mike Stroud and Monty Brewster. The Jr. Huskies placed second in the Pawhuska tourney and won a championship of the Oklahoma Union tourney. (Jones will be wearing jersey No. 10 for the Bruins.)

During an AABC qualifying tourney earlier this month, Jones had one of the top batting averages on the Bartlesville team — which won four straight games before losing out in the semifinals, 13-12, to the Claremore-based Oklahoma Force. The Force were then defeated by the Midwest City Elite, 18-17, in final.

Two Barnsdall players also on the area all-star squad are Wesley Yarber, an infielder/right-handed pitcher, and Michael Marin, who catches, pitches and also could wind up playing in the outfield, on the infield or at pitcher. Two other Pawhuska rising stars — Easton Kirk and Hunter Reed — helped the Bruins in the qualifier.

In addition to the three Oklahoma teams, the SKWS will feature champions from seven AABC Regionals: East Central’s Michigan Blue Jays, South Troy (N.Y.) Dodgers from the North Atlantic, North Central winners Kentucky Kids, the Nashville (Tenn.) Knights of the Southeast, South Plains’ Dallas (Texas) Tigers, the Southern California Bombers of the West Region and a team from Puerto Rico, Carolina Escuela De Los Deportes.

This will be the third straight year that the 14-and-under World Series has been held in Bartlesville. The Seymour (Conn.) Mudcats claimed the 2014 Koufax title and the Rijo team from Woodinville, Wash., won in 2013. Runnerup in both those events was the Aguilas (Eagles) team from Puerto Rico.

Opening ceremonies for the Sandy Koufax World Series are to be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday — right before the Bruins’ contest with Dallas. A win in the opener puts Bartlesville in Friday’s 8 p.m. game while a loss would drop the Bruins into an 8 p.m. Thursday matchup in the losers’ bracket. Adam Kimrey serves as the Bartlesville team’s head coach.

Founded in 1935, the AABC sanctions baseball competitions in 12 different age-division leagues for players between ages 8 and 19. The organization lists 697 current or former Major Leaguers who once played in AABC leagues, including 15 Hall of Famers: Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio, Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Bob Feller, Rickey Henderson, Randy Johnson, Barry Larkin, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr., Robin Roberts, Mike Schmidt, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Smith and John Smoltz.