One last run: Southeast Tropics open Babe Ruth World Series in club’s final week of existence

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – Fans, families, and players have known for several months that the Southeast Tropics were nearing their conclusion as a team. But now, the final few days are here.

The Southeast Tropics entered the Babe Ruth World Series on Friday, August 9, as defending champions, smashing Puerto Rico 18-0 in four innings.

Beyond the victory, however, it’s the beginning of the end of a club that has become a dominant force in Babe Ruth League Baseball. The Southeast Tropics are set to officially cease operations after the tournament.

Manager and team founder Dustin Schwartz made the decision, after years of contemplating when to pull the plug. Schwartz originally planned to close the Tropics after he graduated college, but his passion for the team kept him running it well beyond that point.

Ultimately, the birth of Schwartz’s son was the tipping point. He announced the Tropics shutdown at the end of summer ‘24.

Players and especially their families, Friday, signaled their gratefulness toward Schwartz.

“It’s meant a lot to the kids. I mean, they’ve had a blast,” Donny Benthal, a parent of a player said. “They’ve grown up a lot and now they’re all going to be separated and moving on to other colleges and playing. But it’s been great though.”

“He’s their own. Schwartz is a heck of a dude. Heck of a coach, and he takes really good care of his players,” Jon Warren, a parent of a player said.

The respect resonates across rivalries, with Aycorp Charleston Fighting Squirrels manager Michael Minner, one of those who will miss Schwartz and the Tropics the most.

“You know, you can’t have rivals without your rival,” Minner said. “So we’ve had some really good battles. We’ve enjoyed the camaraderie of both teams. It’s a fun rivalry but both teams, they want to win. We don’t want to get beat by those guys. They don’t want to get beat by us and so we hate to see them go. I wish Dustin the best of luck.”

Beyond the bittersweet nature of the tournament, the team still has a clear focus: ending the Tropic’s existence with back-to-back World Series titles.

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