The Boys and Girls Club of Venice Junior Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) team is off to a solid start at the 20th annual RBI World Series in Minneapolis.
The team played its first game Thursday, at the Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, and secured a 6-1 win against a junior team from Harrisburg, Pennslyvania. A 11-2 victory against a Detroit team on Friday morning continued the winning streak. The Venice team faces one more game against a Jersey City team Friday at 3:30 p.m. before its debut at quarter finals on Saturday.
Made up of 14 and 15 year-olds, the team earned a spot at the series after winning the West Regional Championship in Irvine on July 15.
Venice Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Erikk Aldridge said the club's RBI program, started in 2008, is designed to give disadvantaged youth the opportunity to play baseball in a quality league and help the players cultivate healthy, active lifestyles.
Twenty-four teams compete in the RBI World Series, which is divided into three divisions: Junior Baseball (13-15 year olds); Senior Baseball (16-18 year olds); and Softball (19 and under). For more information about the series, check out the RBI World Series Website.
Follow live play-by-plays and box scores on the Venice team's GameChanger page.
The championship game occurs Saturday, August 5. Stay tuned to Patch for updates as the team progresses.
