Fogelberg – Mike Schmidt turned to his wife when he woke up and asked: “Did Sunday really happen?”

The Wildcats and their fans awoke Monday to the realization that Jenks stood alone as All-Star Baseball Classic Champions for the first time in the club’s history after Sunday’s 18-17 triumph over the McCall Mudhens.

“I’m not sure if it’s completely sunk in yet,” Schmidt said at Monday morning’s news conference at the convention center in Fogelberg. “It seems like as the minutes go by, it slowly does.

“Our victory yesterday was the culmination of years of hard work, fighting through a lot of adversity, ups and downs and more importantly than that, representing a city that has been through so much,” Schmidt said.

“We look at it as a responsibility. Our city, our fans, gave us strength and we owe this to them. That’s made all the difference. … There’s no people that you would want to win for more than the city of Jenks. So it’s an honor.”

As Schmidt spoke, coach Joe Medwick sat off to the side, elbows on knees, face buried in his hands. When it was his turn to speak, he leaned on the podium, clutching the ASBCL trophy in his right hand.

“I am not sure there are words…”

Medwick then smiled and added that he had the trophy in bed with him while he slept early Monday morning.

“You can’t get enough of this,” Medwick said. “Rolled over it a couple times. I probably drooled on it. But man, there’s nothing like it. There’s no people that you would want to win for more than the city of Jenks.”

Medwick said when all was quiet in the team hotel around 3 a.m., he offered a prayer of thanks for his team and his experience in Jenks, where he became a manager for in 2003.

“When I was hired in 03, it became apparent to me that baseball was obviously very important but it was much bigger than just baseball” Medwick said. “The people here are special. The Cats’ add so much to this city.”

Their run to the All-Star Baseball Classic Championship captured the attention of baseball fans everywhere. The Nielsen Co. says the Championship game got its highest overnight ratings in 3 years, meaning there’s a strong likelihood it will be the most-watched ASBCL Championship game when the final numbers are released later Tuesday.

“I keep thinking of the word ‘magical,’ ” analyst Joe Gordon said. “When you think about the relationship between the Wildcats and the city of Jenks.”

Fogelberg – The Jenks Wildcats captured their first ever All-Star Baseball Classic Championship on Sunday afternoon by defeating the McCall Mudhens in a nail-biting Championship content that came down to a ninth inning Wildcats rally. The victory sealed a perfect day of baseball for the Cats’ as they blasted through the winners bracket of the double elimination tourney and sealed their third title.

The Cats’ offense was paced by lifetime player Mike Schmidt who provided timely hitting, including several game changing home runs. Other notable performers were Jack Clark, Luke Appling, Charlie Keller and Eddie Collins.

A game-by-game write-up of the Wildcats path to victory will follow in the next few days. The Jenks victory parade is planned for Tomorrow afternoon.

Mudhens place again
The McCall Mudhens placed for the third time in All-Star Baseball Classic play. Earning their second second-place finish, the Hens’ are the only team to finish in the top three in every Classic.

Ruth leads Sketchers to Third Place
With a late charge through the losers bracket, the Aginville Sketchers and single-season juggernaut Babe Ruth earned third place in this years Classic. This was their first top three finish in the Classic.