A few weeks ago the Muskies wrapped up their 40th season of summer baseball. The 40th season ended with the team’s 13th appearance in the National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series. NABF has held its national championship series each year consecutively since 1914. Participating teams qualify for the series through participation in an NABF sanctioned league and then by winning a post season NABF Regional Tournament.
The Muskies' first World Series appearance came in 2002. The team had travelled to
Memphis, TN to compete in an NABF Regional. There, they defeated the Memphis Royals to qualify for the World Series. The team featured more than a few all-time Muskie greats including shortstop Steve Lane, cleanup hitter Angel Santiago and pitchers Steve Brook, Bill Nelson, Ryan Ridgeley and Jason Squier. Todd Sippel was on the roster but missed the regional as his daughter Kaylie was born that weekend. But Sip (and Kaylie!) would be in attendance the following week when the Muskies opened play in the World Series at Louisville, KY. Their first showing was a good one as the Muskies made it to the final 4 teams before being eliminated by the Evansville, IN Outlaws in the semi-finals.
Beginning in 2003, NABF chose the Chicago Suburban Baseball League to host an NABF Regional. The Muskies represented the league in the regional that year and each year since then. The team would move on to the World Series at Louisville again that year and seven more times through 2011. In 2009, the team advanced to the championship game before falling to Troy, MI Jet Box in a heartbreaking loss that saw Jet Box overcome a ninth inning Muskie lead to win. The 2010 team (pitcured below) did one better and took the NABF National Championship by defeating West Haven, CT A-Plus Plumbing 10-4 in the World Series title game. Muskie righthander Brandon Dubois won series MVP honors for wins in his two series starts that included the final. Four other Muskies were named to the All World Series Team that year including pitcher Jason Squier who won the semi-final game, catcher Marty Coyle, first baseman Steve Pellack and rightfielder T.J. Stanfield. In 2011, the Muskies’ title defense fell short as the team lost in the series semi-finals.
In 2012, the NABF World Series moved to Buffalo, NY and it did so with the Muskies who again advanced to the series semi-finals before being eliminated. In 2013, the World Series moved to Battle Creek, MI but the Muskies fell in Regional play to the Joliet Dirtbags that year. Their first trip to Battle Creek would come in 2014 and the team made subsequent trips there in 2016 and again in 2017.
