After mercy-rule loss to begin 2026 tournament, 10u Royals surge back to championship
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
More than 1,200 highway miles from the fountains of Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, the Big Sky Royals—full of local nine- and 10-year-olds—displayed some baseball grit in their end-of-season tournament, finishing in second place behind an undefeated opponent.
The Royals play in the Belgrade Youth Baseball League, traveling for games throughout the regular season at four age levels: seven- and eight-year-olds play in the “rookies” league; nine- and 10-year-olds play in the “minors” level; 11- and 12-year-olds play in the “majors”; and 13- and 14-year-olds play Babe Ruth level. This year, the Royals program included 40 Big Sky youngsters, down from roughly 55 players in 2025.
The minors-level 10u Royals team focused on development and baseball fundamentals throughout the season, and coach Ty Traxler said he didn’t find himself using the word “win” in team discussions until tournament time. But coaches agreed it would be fun for players to truly compete for a few games at the end, when all nine teams squared off in a double-elimination tournament. When winning mattered a little more, Traxler said, “The kids absolutely loved it.”
“We really focused on that growth, and learning the fundamentals throughout practice and the regular season… Those kids really had fun bringing what they learned all season to that tournament and competing—and winning,” he told EBS in a phone call.
It didn’t start with a win, though. The River Cats blasted the six-seed Royals in a 10-run mercy rule defeat on Monday, May 11 to start the tournament. Traxler said the 13-3 loss was deflating, but the Royals turned the page and won four straight games, culminating in an 11-7 win against the same River Cats team that mercy-ruled them in the first round. This win sent the Royals to the championship.
“That was satisfying,” Traxler said. “… The confidence just ballooned after that Friday game, and it rolled into the weekend.”
This season’s warm weather helped, allowing the Royals to practice outside multiple times on the Big Sky School District’s artificial turf. Typically, the Royals don’t get to play baseball outdoors until their first game—snowy fields force them to practice in the gym—which Traxler said is a huge disadvantage.
“Obviously, baseball is an outdoor game. You need dirt, you need grass, to really get a feel for what a baseball is going to do,” he said. “… I attribute the growth and the success that we had, in some part, to our ability to practice outside early.”
Traxler said the new and improved fields at Big Sky Community Park should be great, both for their improved early-season drainage and as an asset to host more Belgrade league games.
Traxler also credited his fellow coaches, Mike and Katie Germain, and Chad Wilson, for teaching the game of baseball thoughtfully, and program director Mara Mitchell for organizing the Big Sky Royals.
“When you have four coaches with 10 or 12 kids, you can have a lot of instruction and focus. Really, those guys were awesome,” Traxler said.
Mara Mitchell echoed Traxler’s gratitude for the coaches.
“We’ve always been lucky to have dedicated coaches, and without them we don’t have a team,” Mitchell told EBS in a phone call. “And the majority of our coaches—all but one of them—is a parent. So it’s awesome that year in year out, they’re dedicating their time to further the development of baseball in Big Sky.”
The Royals didn’t walk home with the first-place trophy. They faced a tough, undefeated Iron Birds squad and fell in the championship round, 10-0. Even so, the team was thrilled to finish in the championship and earn a runner-up trophy.
“I think winning, and having some success—which is fun—makes them want to keep playing, and nurtures that love for the team,” Traxler said.
The future of Big Sky baseball will depend on years of development at the youth level, eventually feeding the Lone Peak High School program, currently coached by Matt Morris, who founded the Big Sky Royals program in 2015. Traxler hopes today’s baseball youth will eventually carry on Morris’s legacy.
“It’s cool to see and hear about the young players’ success,” LPHS assistant coach Ryan Rothing told EBS. “… Those coaches did a great job of developing skills early and making the game fun for all their players. They’re preparing young and confident players that will be prepared to thrive at the high school level and beyond.”
The following players contributed to the Royals’ championship run: Barker Barnett, Elliot Paulston, Jackson Germain, Taylor Germain, Ketch Traxler, TJ Wilson, Kade Darden, Wyatt Goulding, Sam Daily, Mateo Samardich, Fuller Vanyo, Maverick Fischer, and Waylon Macpherson.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.explorebigsky.com ’
