Submitted Photo Members of the Jamestown host team for the upcoming Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old World Series are pictured. The tournament begins next Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN — Jose Cruz has been tasked with helping a group of area baseball players represent Chautauqua County when the Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old World Series begins next week at Diethrick Park in Jamestown.

Cruz has coached locally for the Jamestown Knights and as an assistant at Jamestown High School.

“I’ve been coaching 13U for a couple of years,” Cruz said Thursday evening. “I feel like I can make it happen.”

The 15-player host team was selected earlier this year through a tryout process.

“It was hard,” Cruz said. “We got like 64 kids trying out and picked the best 15.”

Assisting Cruz will be Michael Navarro, Andy Tobias and Tim Cowan, the Fredonia High School coach.

“He’s got the experience,” Cruz said of Cowan. “He’s helped me a lot.”

The team is made up of seven players from Jamestown, five from Fredonia and one apiece from Frewsburg, Southwestern and Dunkirk.

Jamestown’s contingent is made up of middle infielder/outfielder/pitcher Brayden Crawford, outfielder/catcher/pitcher Riley Garvin, outfielder/second baseman Max Miley, third baseman/pitcher Luca Mistretta, outfielder/pitcher Evan Parinella, outfielder/pitcher Owen Parinella and middle infielder/pitcher Jacob Piazza.

Fredonia’s quintet includes middle infielder/pitcher Jaxon Bolton, left-handed first baseman/outfielder/catcher/pitcher Josh Cowan, third baseman/pitcher Dominic Kubacki, outfielder James Oakes and middle infielder/catcher/pitcher Logan Simpson.

Frewsburg outfielder/catcher Tage Mazzurco, Southwestern outfielder/pitcher Ethan Smrekar and Dunkirk middle infielder/pitcher/outfielder Jaxon Watts round out the team.

The fact that 12 of the 15 are listed as pitchers is noticeable.

“It will help a lot when everybody can pitch,” Cruz said. “I have three — Jacob Piazza, Luca Mistretta and Logan Simpson — that will be our top three.”

The host team has practiced together several times — including once at Diethrick Park — and had played four games together, prior to a tournament this weekend.

“It was hard the first couple of practices coming together,” Cruz said. “The last two practices and games have been a lot better.

“We’re coming into a good team right now,” he added.

While Cruz has a nine-man lineup in mind, he said all 15 players will see action in four games of pool play.

“We put the ball in play a lot from what I’ve seen so far,” he said. “We run a lot. We play small ball.”

The 13-year-old age level is the first year most players play on the bigger diamond — 90-foot base paths and 60 feet, 6 inches for the pitcher’s mound.

“It’s going to be a different game,” Cruz said. “It’s a bigger field so you have to play small ball.”

Cruz hoped to play in a World Series during his youth, but is glad to be taking advantage of the opportunity to coach in Jamestown next week.

“This is something special for these kids and their parents — even for me,” he said. “I always wanted to play in one and now I have a shot as a coach.”

Jamestown will take on Midwest Plains Region champion Centennial, Colorado, in its first game at 7 p.m. next Saturday, following Opening Ceremonies at Diethrick Park. Game 2 will be Sunday at 7 p.m. against Southwest Region champion Eagle Pass, Texas, and Game 3 will be Monday at 7 p.m. against Ohio Valley Region champion Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Following an off day Tuesday, Jamestown will close pool play Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Pacific Southwest champion Price, Utah.

“Like I told the kids, it’s going to feel different when the games start,” Cruz said. “Some of the kids have said they’re going to be nervous. I told them, just have fun. This is baseball. It’s just a game.”