Unique Alaska-Hawaii matchup adds special flavor to AZ Spring Championships

Hundreds of youth programs and their families rely on Triple Crown Baseball to fire up the season at the Arizona Spring Championships, which hold sway over six sessions in March every year. Part of the charm of playing in metro Phoenix is knowing what you’ll get – terrific weather, great facilities, MLB Spring Training games and more.

But something unexpected is always possible in the great game of baseball, and in 2025 the event welcomed what is believed to be a first – a matchup between teams from Alaska and Hawaii.

On March 18, in the 11u division at the Cactus Yards complex in Mesa, AZ, the Flyin’ Hawaiian Baseball 808 squad took on the Alaska Glacier Bears. The final result saw Flyin’ Hawaiian secure a 14-4 victory.

“Coming from Alaska to face a team from Hawaii was an unforgettable experience for our boys,” said Glacier Bears coach Brynn Harris. “We knew we were up against a tough team, but our kids played with heart, grit and never gave up. Games like this are what help us grow – not just as players, but as people. We’re proud of how we showed up, and we’ll be back stronger.”

The event saw the Hawaii team make a run in the 11u D1 championship bracket on March 19, with victories over MBA Green (South Jordan, UT) and Wasatch Black (Heber City, UT) by scores of 9-0 and 9-2, respectively. In the championship game, Flyin’ Hawaiian fell to LVR of Las Vegas.

“It’s awesome, just to know we get to compete here at this tournament, coming from like 2,800 miles away,” said Flyin’ Hawaiian coach Mike Victorino, Jr. “It’s a pretty cool situation to get to play a team from Alaska; many of boys might not even know where Alaska is. That’s a great team, well-coached, good kids. We knew like every game we had to compete and be mentally prepared to play our best and try our hardest.”

The 2025 Arizona Spring Championships welcomed 806 teams to metro Phoenix from 24 states and Canada.

“I’ve been scheduling baseball tournaments for 20 years now; never have I had an Alaska and Hawaii team signed up to play in the same tournament in the same age group,” said Matt Pilcher, director of the Arizona Spring Championships. “When penciling out this tournament schedule, I noticed the opportunity to match up these two states to play against each other, so I did it. It doesn’t matter who won the game, I just know these kids will never forget this game and that’s what’s important. I’d say it’s doubtful I’ll ever get an opportunity to do this again.”