MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPS: Phillies RBI baseball, softball teams headed to World Series – The Philadelphia Tribune

It’s been a been an exciting summer for the Phillies RBI teams. They are two of the 24 baseball and softball Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) teams from cities around the nation, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic that have made it to the 25th annual RBI World Series, which is the international tournament of the RBI program.

RBI is the Major League Baseball youth initiative that gives young people from underserved and diverse communities a chance to participate in baseball and softball. The Philadelphia teams were able to advance to the World Series from a starting pool of 45 teams by winning their respective Mid-Atlantic Regional championships. For the second straight year, the Cincinnati Reds will host the RBI World Series.

The Phillies RBI Junior All-Star baseball team (ages 13-15) will is led by Mo’ne Davis, who was the star pitcher in the 2014 Little League World Series, along with Myles Eaddy, Overbrook, outfield; Jack Rice, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, infield; Scott Bandura, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, catcher; Karim Muller, G.W. Childs, outfield; Brandon Gibbs, Roman Catholic, first base; Jared Sprague-Lott, Springside Chestnut Hill, shortstop; Jahil Hendricks, Springside Chestnut Hill, infield; Rob Lucas, Delco Christian, pitcher; Carter Davis, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, outfield; Alex Johnson, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, outfield; Jonathon Bautista, Central, infield; Joe Richardson, St. Joseph’s Prep, outfield; and Nasir Jackson, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, outfield.

The Phillies RBI softball team (ages 19 and under) includes: Kayla Rockey, Philadelphia Academy, first base; Abigail C. Bernal, Pennsbury, outfield; Virginia Britto, Little Flower, pitcher; Samantha Drach, Cheltenham, outfield; Natasha Torres, Central, catcher; Kate DePaul, New Foundations, second base; Amaia Collins, Friends Select, infield; Gabriela Colon, Olney, second base; Kadirah Williams, Franklin Towne Charter, outfield; Kelsey McConnell, Northeast, catcher; Victoria Ciasullo, Springfield, first base; Sierra Velazquez, Girls’ High, pitcher; Jade Sowell, Abington, infield; and Destiny Knight, New Foundations, outfield.

The World Series for the Junior RBI squad will be held Tuesday through Sunday. The softball World Series will take place Aug. 7-12.

“I’m super excited,” said Kadirah Williams. “I cannot wait. I am so excited.”