Fuego 14U (2029) Capture the Pineapple Express Championship
The Fuego Baseball 14U team put together a dominant showing at the Pineapple Express 2025, held February 1–2, going undefeated and taking home the championship behind explosive innings, consistent pitching, and big performances across the lineup.
They opened pool play with a 10-1 win over East Bay Bandidos. A seven-run fourth inning broke the game open, with Jacoby Matheny, B Wells, Dario Catalano, Colin Manago, and Andrew Lopez all driving in runs. Lopez led the offense with three RBIs while also collecting two hits. On the mound, Lucas Dullaghan, Miles Smith, and Takeshi Ibuki combined to hold the Bandidos to one run.
In game two, Fuego kept rolling with a 12-4 victory over Pleasant Hill Hawks. Manago had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, while B Wells and Catalano each ripped triples to fuel a seven-run third inning. Manago also started on the mound and threw two scoreless innings before handing it off to Matheny, who shut things down in relief.
Sunday started with a 7-2 win over Brentwood Blast. Matheny and Lopez sparked the offense with key hits in a three-run third inning, while Ibuki struck out six over four innings. Manago closed the door with two more shutout innings, striking out six of his own. Lopez led the way at the plate, going 3-for-3, and the team piled up 11 hits in total.
The championship game came against Central Coast Bulls, and Fuego rose to the occasion with a 10-2 win. After falling behind early, the offense erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning. Manago, Lopez, Sean Farley, Smith, and Dullaghan all drove in runs during the rally. Manago stayed hot at the plate with three hits, while Farley struck out eight over five innings to earn the win.
It was a complete team effort all weekend at the Pineapple Express. The pitching staff delivered in every game, the bats came alive in key innings, and the defense stayed sharp. Fuego 14U walked away with the championship, proving once again they can rise to the moment when it matters most.
