In more than 20 years of coaching Little League baseball in Camp Verde, Craig Reddell has gone undefeated just once with a team in the Majors.
“I don’t know how many years ago it was, but this team is probably just as good that one was,” said the 62-year-old head coach of the Angels, Camp Verde’s best Little League Majors team. “It just didn’t work out at the end.”
Although the Angels [14-1] will still represent Camp Verde at the Tournament of Champions in Cottonwood, they fell just short of finishing their regular season undefeated Friday, May 29, with a 12-4 loss to the Verde Valley League’s Giants at Butler Park.
“We just didn’t show up that night, to be honest with you,” Reddell said. “A couple of our starters weren’t there, not that we’re using that as any kind of excuse. We should’ve done better than we did.”
The Angels, most of whom are playing their second year for Reddell, seek a final Tournament of Champions title for Reddell beginning Friday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. Reddell will retire as a Camp Verde Little League coach at the end of the Angels’ season.
For the full story and tournament schedule, please see the Wednesday, June 3, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
