If you’ve spent any time in the Lone Star State, you know there’s just a few ways to stop the swagger of Texas athletes. The Arcadia Rat Pack can detail them for you if you ask.

In their last tournament together as a club, the Rat Pack went out in style last week, beating a bunch of Texans en route to the Baseball USA “The Yard” Texas Invitational championship in Houston.

Arcadia went 6-1 in a tournament that featured every top 14u team in Texas, including several past Triple Crown Sports title-winners in Omaha, numerous USSSA Elite World Series champions and the legendary Banditos Black, winners of 27 national championships.

The Rat Pack run-ruled the Banditos 9-1 in the semifinals before blanking the Austin Wings 6-0 in the championship game. There are six former Wings currently playing for the University of Texas.

“The ending couldn’t have been scripted any better,” coach Craig Coppola said. “Our boys from Arizona could not have played any better and proudly represented the State of Arizona. The boys, parents and coaches have so much to be proud of.”

It not only was an impressive tournament field but a famous one, as well. Roger Clemens’ and Andy Pettite’s sons were on teams entered.

Arcadia and the Wings were scoreless until the top of the sixth. Charlie Coppola led off the game-winning rally with a walk. Michael Westra followed with a single, and Connor Messman was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Michael Lucero, who had 10 RBI in the tournament, then drove a double to the wall that scored Coppola and Westra. After Griffin Jax was intentionally walked to load the bases again, Max Schuman hit a line-drive single to score Messman and make it 3-0.

Lucero was tagged out at home on a grounder by David Forker, but Jimmy Roren followed with a perfect suicide squeeze to score Jax and give the Arizonans a 4-0 lead.

That was enough for the pitching staff. Forker threw the first three innings, fanning five and scattering three hits. Roren pitched the final four frames, giving up just two hits.

Westra was 3-for-4 in the title game and 8-for-18 in seven games. He drove in six for the tournament.

Messman, Lucero and Schuman all went 2-for-3 in the championship. Lucero was 9-for-16 for the weekend with his 10 RBI, and Coppola was 10-for-20.

The Rat Pack won five 14u championships to cap a successful five-year run that saw them grow from neighborhood Little Leaguers into slayers of top Texas teams.