TEXAS THROWDOWN 11u is from Colleyville, TX (in the heart of the DFW metroplex). It is a special team named by a special girl with a special story. In 2020, Annabelle Grace (AG) Bartel was 10 years old & battling bone cancer. After the Covid pandemic shutdown baseball across the world in the spring of 2020, AG’s brother Sean Ryan & four teammates were looking for a new 8u team. AG’s dad, Eric Bartel, asked her for permission to coach her brother’s new baseball team, because he knew it would mean less time with her at the hospital. AG told her dad, “Yes you can coach on one condition. I get to name the team.” Coach Bartel smiled & agreed.

That night in the hospital, AG was enduring chemotherapy while her dad was on YouTube listening to a rant on select baseball by his favorite college baseball coach, Tony Robichaux of the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns. During the rant, AG heard Coach Robichaux talk about the best ball players have “throwdown”. She smiled & told her dad, “That’s it, dad! Name the team TEXAS THROWDOWN”. AG then helped design the jerseys & caps. At the end of 18 rounds of chemotherapy, AG rang a cowbell to celebrate remission and victory over cancer. The families of TEXAS THROWDOWN loudly ring cowbells in AG’s honor and to celebrate their players’ success.

In 2020, the team started 8u as AA team. In 9u, they went 40-17-4 and bumped to AAA. In 10u, they went 44-14-4 and bumped to Majors. At the end of 10u, TEXAS THROWDOWN traveled to Omaha & won the Triple Crown 10u D1 Slumpbuster World Series. Now in 11u, the team is currently 44-12. Locally in Texas they play “up” vs 12u Majors/AAA teams. Nationally they play vs 11u majors and have defeated many nationally ranked teams. In April 2022, TEXAS THROWDOWN traveled to St Louis for the Perfect Game Midwest Super Regional NIT. They went undefeated & punched their ticket to the PGI National Championship in Mississippi (July 5-11).

Follow team on IG @texasthrowdownbaseball #AAIT #BiggerThanBaseball #CowbellNation #AGtough