Where they started... Where they finished... State champions!

Winning the World Series is every Little Leaguer’s dream.

In Wyoming’s little piece of the planet, where there isn’t even baseball at a collegiate level, an American Legion state championship is the next best thing.

For Alex Hedges, Lafe Files and Tucker Jackson, that dream came true during the final season of their baseball careers.

The Lovell Mustangs capped off a stellar performance at the Class A state tournament by hoisting the trophy from the top of a fire truck as they were escorted through town.

But they each started with a ball and a glove and learning to play catch. 

Then came the fun T-ball years, when the players tackled one another to field a ground ball and ran the bases in the wrong direction.

Next was coach pitch, where their baseball IQ began to grow along with their skills.

Through Minors and Majors, the trio continued to progress, and their dedication led them to all-stars and travel ball teams.

So, it’s no surprise that these three players stuck with the sport they loved and were able to lead their team to success.

Looking back on their baseball careers, their examples and experiences will be a highlight of our baseball community for years to come.

ALEX HEDGES

“I thought it was possible the whole year,” Hedges said on whether or not winning the title was feasible. “But, when we were hitting well that final week, I was pretty certain we could.”

He credits the comeback win in the first game against Wheatland of the tournament to be the motivation needed to believe it was possible.

“But it really sank in after we got a good cushion on Cody in the championship that we were going to do it,” he said.

When asked what gave this team the special combination to win, he said he thinks they were blessed with some baseball talent and how all of them have been playing hard since they were in the Minors, so it was a mixture of luck with talent and hard work.

If he could change one thing, he would go back and take better care of his arm so it stayed healthier and stronger.

“An impact I’ve made to this team is being a consistent player, and as an older kid, being a role model for the younger guys,” he added.

He gives a special thanks to all of his coaches, especially his dad, Stan, for helping him to improve and work on his swing so much during the off season.

“For Regionals, my hope is that we all keep our motivation to play and go down there expecting to win and also play like we want to win,” Hedges said.

If he could give some advice to current Little Leaguers, he would say, “Stick with it. Even when it feels like baseball is the worst sport you’ve ever played, stick with it. There will be many, many downs, but the ups make it all worth it.”

TUCKER JACKESON

“When we got back and saw the community there to support us on the fire trucks, that is when it all sunk in,” Jackson said.

He started to believe that the team could win the championship midway through the season, when the Mustangs would play competitively with any team they had on the schedule.

“This group of kids was able to achieve this goal because we’ve been playing together for 10 years and always talked about winning one,” he said. “We’ve played in some big games together and knew what it took to win them.”

Looking back, Jackson joked that he would definitely change his position to become a first baseman if he could. 

“It’s easy, and they don’t have to run as much at practice,” he said.

He credits this team’s comradery and their ability to joke and have fun with one another as a key factor in their success.

“We have a bunch of jokesters,” he said. “I think that’s what helps our team out, joking around and being able to key the mood fun.”

Jackson gave a shout out to all the younger baseball players that come up to the older kids and talk to them after the games. 

“It means a lot to us to see and experience that,” he said. “It makes us want to be better role models and examples to those that look up to us.”

If he could give those younger players any advice, he would say, “Keep playing; it only gets more fun. Don’t be scared to put in the extra work by yourself; it will show.”

As far as the regional tournament goes, he predicts that the team will face some good competition and hopes to prove to everyone that their team belongs there.

LAFE FILES

“I think it sunk in once we came into Lovell on the firetrucks,” Files said of the championship. “Seeing how many people were out there to support us and cheer us on definitely made it real, that we finally did it.”

For Files, the motivation and belief in their chances of winning came from the previous season.

“After the Cody game at State last year, we were so close to making the state championship,” he said. “We knew that this year with our team coming back, we had a huge shot to take the title.”

He credits the amount of time this group has played together as a key factor in their success. 

“With a few additions like Mac, Kannon and Dax, who hadn’t really played with us because of age, we were able to build a team with great chemistry and knew that together we could win it,” Files said.

He wishes that the team would have gotten the indoor batting cages going earlier in his career and found that valuable. 

“We could’ve gotten so much better in the winters and stuff like we did this year with having the indoor cage,” he said.

Files feels that he came through in the postseason as a pitcher for the team, and throughout his career he was able to pitch well and play many different positions to benefit the team.

“I’d like to give a shout out to all the coaches I’ve had,” he said. From Coach Nick Wilson and Greg Rael in Little League to Coach Munch and Mangus in Legion, they’ve all had a huge impact on me, not just baseball, but in my life overall.”

Knowing that baseball consumes a family’s whole summer vacation every year, he thanked his mom and dad for spending hours of time and endless amounts of money to provide him the opportunity to play.

He wants the future baseball players to remember to respect the game and never let anything change their love for baseball.

“Looking ahead, I think we’re gonna go have a good week,” he stated. “We’re gonna show everyone that Wyoming has quality baseball and hopefully continue the type of play we’ve had the last few weeks.”