BHC Little League Minors claim third at state tourney

The Big Horn County Little League program hosted the 2025 Majors and Minors state tournaments last week at the Northeast Little League Baseball Complex. The four teams competing for the Minors title were Lovell, Cody, Gillette and Douglas.

After clinching the district championship and number one seed from the West a couple of weeks prior to State, the Mustangs were matched up against the East’s second-seeded Gillette in the opening round on Wednesday afternoon, where the Mustangs won 9-2.

The Mustangs carried a 9-0 lead into the top of the fifth when Gillette managed to score their only two runs of the game.

Gus Guccion led the Mustangs at the plate, going 3-for-3 in the game, while Kooper May and Jace Grant had two hits each.

Esson Anderson, Kali Jameson and Lincoln Miller added a hit apiece.

“Our team came out swinging and never let up,” coach Stephen Anderson said. “We hit the ball well and made plays when it counted. Our defense kept Gillette off the board. It was a good team win because each player did their job, no doubt about it.”

The strategic move of pitching May, Anderson, Logan Timpany and Grant at minimal pitches to be available to pitch again in future games proved to be the magic combination for the Mustangs. They gave up two runs on five hits, walked five batters and struck out 11.

The win advanced the Mustangs in the bracket to take on the other top-seeded team from Douglas on Thursday. The game was a nail-biter from start to finish as the pitching duel kept the scoring low. Douglas pulled off the comeback and defeated Lovell, 3-2 via walk off in the bottom of the sixth.

The Mustangs struck first with a run in the opening inning, but Douglas matched it in the bottom of the second, locking the score at 1-1 until the sixth and final inning. Lovell took the lead 2-1 and was merely three outs away from claiming a spot in the championship, but Douglas rallied and got enough momentum that propelled them to victory.

The Mustangs only had three hits in the game coming from May, Guccion and Hudson Morgan. 

On the mound, the duo of May and Anderson put on an impressive display of pitching. They combined for seven strikeouts, walked four and allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits.

“This was the best game of the tournament,” Anderson said. “Both teams pitched well and battled hard, and we played our hearts out.”

Coach Anderson added that the pitchers both had great outings, and defense was all-around solid to be able to hold the teams to a single run through five innings of play. The Mustangs never trailed Douglas until the very last play, which he said was nearly a double play.

“We just barely came up short on the scoreboard, but not with our effort,” said Anderson.

The heart-breaking loss forced the Mustangs into an elimination game against Gillette on Friday, hoping to bounce back for another shot at Douglas in the championship.

Unfortunately, the Mustangs didn’t appear to be as sharp in the field, and Gillette was able to bust the game open with a 10-run fifth inning when the score had been 5-4 in favor of Lovell until that point. Although the Mustangs continued to fight, they came up short, 14-8, at the end of the game, eliminating them from the tournament.

At the plate, Timpany had the hot bat as the lead-off hitter went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Thayne Walker and Jameson had two hits, while Guccion, Anderson and Asher Leonhardt each connected for base hits.

“We were consistent at the plate, and our pitchers all did well,” Anderson said. “We wanted Gillette to hit the ball because we have confidence in our defense to back our pitchers up and get outs.”

Timpany got the start on the mound and pitched through the first inning before Grant came in and carried a big load of pitching responsibilities and lasted four innings. Leonhardt and Walker closed out the rest of the game.

“I was slow to adjust in the fifth inning, and Gillette took advantage of it,” Anderson added. “We got in too big of a hole, but our team never gave up and fought to the last out. I couldn’t be more proud of how they played tough all the way until the end.”

The Mustangs’ pitchers struck out six Gillette batters and walked seven, allowing 14 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits.

Douglas eventually beat Gillette in the championship game to claim the title.

“Overall, our Mustangs proved they belong among the best teams in the state,” Anderson said. “This group has something special, and the scoreboard doesn’t show the determination these kids brought to every inning.”

Anderson bragged on his players’ hard work throughout the season and how they represented Lovell well at every tournament.

“It is going to be exciting to watch them continue to develop and grow as players and individuals over the years,” he said.

He wanted to thank his assistant coaches, Stormy Jameson and Justin Timpany, for the hours they put in to help coach this team along with the parents and community for the support and rallying behind the team.

Anderson also wanted to give a shoutout to the umpiring crew who volunteered their time to make the games possible. He credited his wife, Leah, for all of the hours she put in behind the scenes to organize meals for the players between games, running GameChanger and much more.