FARMINGTON – Enthusiastic crowds, highlight-reel moments (and yes, the occasional traditional interruption of weather delays) filled the week at Ricketts Park during the 2025 Connie Mack World Series.
The World Series was filled with great games, featuring some of the top amateur athletes in the sport. And while not every team can go home with a championship, those who did participate hopefully fulfilled a dream of playing in front of large crowds appreciative of their efforts.
Richard Neely, president of the American Amateur Baseball Congress for 18 years, feels as if the tournament really reached a high point with this year’s event. That’s no small feat, considering this was the 60th playing of one of the most prestigious amateur sporting events in the nation.
“The level of competition and the level of play has been awesome this week,” Neely said. “The talent level is definitely up and there’s been some performances in the field that have been amazing.”
Of the highlight moments Neely enjoyed perhaps the most this week was presenting the Hall of Fame plaque to AABC executive Mike Dimond, who became the newest inductee into the Hall of Fame.
“Mike and I have been friends since we were in little league together,” Neely said. “Mike has put his heart and soul into this event and is still active to this day and was a no-brainer for the Hall of Fame.”
This year’s event looked no different than previous editions in terms of the action on the field, but there was a notable change as it related to the presence of a so-called host team.
The Albuquerque Baseball Academy, making their fourth appearance in the CMWS, qualified after winning an eight-team tournament last month made up of teams from across the state of New Mexico. Previously, the role of the host team was made up of a squad almost primarily from San Juan County.
Despite winning a berth into the CMWS via a qualifying event, the ABA didn’t fare much better than previous host teams, eliminated after losing both their bracket play games just days after going 2-1 in their pool play division.
“They were a good team, and they were in a lot of games,” Neely said. “I’m very pleased with how they performed. You’ve got a lot of very talented teams and you want to get the best teams on the field and that’s what we got from top to bottom.”
Despite some angst from local and county residents and business types about the absence of a host team from this year’s event, crowds for the evening games have been tremendous throughout the event.
“People here love baseball, and they love Farmington,” Neely said. “They want to see Farmington baseball do better, but they also want to see some great games and that’s what we’ve been able to give them.”
There have been several players, representing both San Juan County and the state of New Mexico, that found themselves competing for a CMWS championship.
JW Bayless, from Piedra Vista High School, coming out of the bullpen for the Renegades, earned a win in a bracket play victory last week over the Midland Redskins.
Cleveland High School’s Anthony Del Angel, playing for Dulins Dodgers, has a batting average well over .400 and is playing like a definite candidate for most valuable player consideration.
“There are so many pure athletes playing in this year’s event, and he’s the perfect example,” Neely said of Del Angel. “Watching him play out there has been incredible.”
Neely indicated there are some more changes that may be forthcoming to the World Series, including a re-examination of teams receiving automatic bids. And while that may be something to discuss within the AABC executive offices in the next couple of years, Neely said that the response across the board to the event has been worth the effort.
“I’ve met some really great coaches this week, college coaches and high school coaches who have been impressed by the talent across the board,” Neely said.
