Cody Collins holds up his runner-up plaque at Fenway, after finishing second in all of New England in the 2013 MLB Pitch, Hit, & Run Competition.
WESTFIELD – One local youth earned his place at Fenway Park, and it took a dazzling turn on the baseball diamond to accomplish the feat.
Cody Collins, 8, of Westfield advanced through three rounds of the MLB’s 2013 Pitch Hit and Run Competition with remarkable success.
In April, Collins won the hitting portion of the competition in the 7-8-year-old age bracket at St. Mary’s High School. In May, he captured the all-around competition in Easthampton with 663 points, advancing to Team Championship at Fenway.
Only the top three scorers in all of New England were eligible to advance.
“It was quite an accomplishment,” said his father, Shane.
Cody Collins displays his first-place sectional championship certificate.
Collins went on to finish as the runner-up in the all-around competition at Fenway on June 8.
Although he was unable to participate in the national level – where all of the regional winners will compete during All-Star weekend – Collins run was simply brilliant, considering he competed against some 6,000 participants across the United States and Canada.
“It was quite an exciting day for Cody and one that he will have memories of for a lifetime,” Shane said. “He was so excited to be able to step on the field at Fenway Park.”
Collins, a second grader at St. Mary’s Elementary School, played for Teddy Bear Pools in Westfield Little League’s Instructional Division. He will play for the Junior Wizards this summer.
