Pacific Baseball Academy arrived in Arizona on Thursday, October 24th as the defending champions of the Arizona Sophmore Fall Classic. However, only three players who were freshman on last years Sophmore team were returners on this 2013 squad composed of 14 players from Harvard Westlake, Calabasas, Birmingham, and Campbell Hall. In a strong field of 48 teams from all over the western United States, repeating as champion would be a daunting task.
Day one of three began Friday afternoon at Peoria Stadium vs the So Cal Halos. PBA would be in control from the start thanks to a solid pitching effort by Will Klink (HW). Klink threw a shortened CG due to the mercy rule as PBA defeated the Halos 11-1 in 5 innings. Cameron Deere (HW) and Justin Rorick (Birmingham) led the charge offensively for PBA with 2 hits apiece.
Game two of pool play was under the lights at the Padres complex on Friday night vs the Slammers Quarton from Colorado. Once again, PBA pitching would be dominant from start to finish. Trey Fearn (HW) went 5 strong innings allowing 0 runs while striking out 9 Slammer hitters. Ethan Baer (Campbell Hall) would throw the last inning and blank the Slammers to close out a 8-0 win by the mercy rule in 6 innings. The offense was once again strong, led by Parker Brahms (Calabasas) and John Thomas (HW). Brahms sent a towering shot that one hopped the wall in left field close to the 340 ft sign. Thomas had a multi hit game which included him beating out and infield single that would score two runs.
The final game of pool play would begin on day 2, on Saturday. Going into the game, PBA was 2-0 but would face an MBA Green team from the state of Utah who was also 2-0. The winner of this game would win the pool and advance to the championship bracket. The loser would fall into the consolation bracket. The game vs MBA Green was tight from the start as opportunities were scarce. Both starting pitchers were excellent. PBA broke through in the top of the 5th inning. Parker Brohms doubled to deep left and would later score on a wild pitch with two outs. PBA would take the 1-0 lead to the bottom of the 7th inning where they needed 3 outs to advance to the championship bracket. These outs would prove tough to get as MBA Green led off the 7th inning with a pinch hit single. The next hitter executed a perfect drag bunt for a single which put runners on first and second with 0 outs. This was the first of many key moments for PBA in their tournament run. PBA left hander Paul Giacomazzi would show his toughness by striking out the number 2 hitter for the first out. On a 2-2 pitch with 1 out, MBA rolled the dice and went run and hit. The batter hit a slow chopper to Brahms left and the Calabasas sophmore made a tough play on the run to record the second out. With runners at second and third and two outs, MBA Green was a base hit away from sending PBA to the consolation round, but Giacomazzi got the cleanup hitter to ground out to second baseman John Thomas and send PBA to the championship bracket. Giacomazzi went the distance for PBA, scattering 4 hits in a 72 pitch complete game effort.
Championship Day would begin early Sunday morning as the quarter finals began at 730am. The #1 seeded Pacific Baseball Academy would face the #5 seed 
Garciappara Baseball Group with a trip to the semi finals on the line. PBA would deliver the first blow in the bottom of the second inning, plating two runs. GBG would respond in the 4th, tying the game at 2. Ivan Lomeli (Birmingham) would deliver a 2 run double, his 3rd RBI of the game to give PBA a 4-2 lead. Cameron Deere would leave after 4 strong innings, and was relieved by Trey Fearn who would pitch the final 3 innings, giving up only 1 run and sending PBA to the semi finals.
The semi final pitted #1 PBA vs the #4 seed AZ Pro from Arizona. Will Klink got the start for PBA and went 4 scoreless innings, leaving the game with a 4-0 lead. AZ Pro would battle back plating 3 runs to cut the lead to 4-3. PBA would add an insurance run that would prove very important when Deere singled home Thomas to increase the margin to 5-3. AZ Pro would close the gap to 5-4 on a walk, double and wild pitch, and had the tying run at third base with 0 outs. With the infield drawn in, Joey Medelin (Birmingham) struck out the next two hitters and got the last batter to hit a comebacker that he raced over to first and sent PBA to the championship game. PBA received clutch hitting from Gabe Golob (HW) as well as outstanding relief pitching from Ethan Baer (CH), Justin Greenwald (Calabasas), and Medelin.
The championship game would feature #1 seed PBA vs the #3 seed So Cal Bombers. The Bombers wasted no time in the first inning, plating a run on a two out double. This would be the first time PBA trailed in the entire tournament. That wouldn't last long however, as Brahms would triple to left field, scoring Thomas with one out. Deere would follow with an RBI ground out as PBA re captured the lead 2-1. PBA would never look back, adding 3 runs in the 4th, highlighted by a 2 run double by Giacomazzi and a sac fly from Thomas.
Calabasas' Max Sonnenberg, primarily an outfielder, got the start on the mound for PBA and all he did was throw a complete game, stifling the Bombers with outstanding command the entire game. Sonnenberg's effort was just one of many outstanding efforts given by every single player on the roster who played outstanding the entire weekend.
An amazing effort by an outstanding group of young men! Here was our team
Cameron Deere (HW)
Ivan Lomeli (Birmingham)
Parker Brahms (Calabasas)
Leo Kaplan (HW)
Gabe Golob (HW)
Joey Medelin (Birmingham)
Max Sonnenberg (Calabasas)
Ethan Baer (Campbell Hall)
Will Klink (HW)
Justin Rorick (Birmingham)
John Thomas (HW)
Justin Greenwald (Calabasas)
Paul Giacomazzi (HW)
Trey Fearn (HW)
