The pop of a dozen baseballs hitting leather mitts cut through the cool summer air.

It's a familiar sound that resonates throughout ballparks across America during the summer, and one this team of boys from Federal Way has likely heard a thousand times.

Standing in the dust and dirt of the Thomas Jefferson High School baseball infield, the state's best Babe Ruth ball players stretched their arms during a mid-week practice.

To acheive the level of success they've attained this season, this team of 18-year-olds has sacrificed much of what teenagers cherish in their summer after high school graduation. Instead of long, lazy weekends and idle time with friends, these young men spent their vacation working on hitting and fielding drills, and traveling around Washington nearly every weekend on a quest for the title of Babe Ruth World Series champions.

With a year-round practice schedule that included Wednesdays and Sundays during the off-season, you may as well call this team the boys of fall, winter, spring and summer.

So when a year's worth of preparation culminates in a regional tournament in Silverdale, each hour of practice in the upcoming weeks takes on a greater degree of intensity, with the palatable buzz on the field outshined only by the Buzz embroidered on their crimson caps.

Each player knows they have a real shot at winning it all.

Head Coach and General Manager David Richardson likes his team's chances as well, particularly if hard work is any guarantee for a successful outcome.

"They certainly have worked very hard to achieve the success they have attained thus far," said Richardson, whose team just returned from the Washington State Senior Babe Ruth tournament in Ephrata.

The Buzz opened the tournament with a 9-3 victory over Ellensburg on Wednesday, followed by a high-scoring 10-9 triumph over Wilder of Port Angeles. On Saturday, the boys from Federal Way defeated the Tacoma Tides, 4-3.

In the finals, the Buzz knocked off the Columbia Basin River Dogs to earn a berth at the Northwest Regional tournament in Silverdale. Since both teams qualified for regionals, the Buzz didn't play their final opponent.

In lieu of a battle on the field, the Buzz won a coin toss for the number one seed in their bracket.

There, Richardson said they'll face the best Senior Babe Ruth teams from Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Canada.

They'll also get a chance for redemption after losing in the finals last season.

Richardson gathered his team that chilly Wednesday night in late July to begin the mental preparation needed to endure the five-day tournament in Silverdale.

"I wanted them here so they could get back into real life and refocus," Richardson said from the dugout as his players worked out on the field on situational hitting and fielding.

"It gets pretty demanding on them mentally," the coach added, "especially in the post season."

But the Buzz hope they have enough preparation to match the natural talent on their roster, which runs as deep as the centerfield wall at Thomas Jefferson High School.

With players like slugger Cory Stevens of Milton, whose two-run homer helped the team advance to the finals at the state tournament, the Buzz will have plenty of power at the plate and on the mound.

"(It's been) a very successful season to say the least," said Richardson. "This years Buzz team is arguably the best Buzz team since its inception in 1994."

Update:

Federal Way Buzz competed in the Babe Ruth Northwest Regional tournament in Silverdale from July 23-27, finishing a respectable third place among a pool of talented teams.

The Buzz openend the tournament Wednesday, July 23, with a resounding 16-2 victory over Missoula.

The Buzz won via a forfeit on Thursday, and then knocked off Port Angeles, 6-1, on Friday.

On Saturday, the Buzz advanced to the finals with a 6-3 win over Calgary.

But on Sunday, host Kitsap handed the Buzz their first loss of the tournament, 8-4.

The Buzz finished the season with a record of 39-9. The boys from Federal Way earned the titles of Puget Sound Baseball League Champions, Canadian Classic Champions, Senior Babe Ruth Washington State Champions, and third place in the Senior Babe Ruth Northwest Regionals.

2008 Federal Way Buzz

Brian Vanwert - Fife HS

Cory Stevens - Fife HS

C.J. Poole - Fife HS

Allan Cushing - Rogers HS

Cole Zamira - Lincoln HS

Josh Hudson - Auburn Riverside HS

Blake Folsom - Auburn Riverside HS

Spencer Graham - Kentridge HS

Shane Elliott - Federal Way HS

Heath Hart - Federal Way HS

Taylor Stark - Thomas Jefferson HS

Jordan Beers - Thomas Jefferson HS

Spencer LeCompte - Thomas Jefferson HS

Jerett Hardy - Thomas Jefferson HS

Luke Goodgion - Kentlake HS

Manager:

David Richardson

Coaches:

Bob Hardy

Dan Richardson

Ed Spahr