On the surface, Team Orlando Baseball 12U Winter Garden’s fall season looked like one defined by its wins, rankings and player capability. First-place tournament titles piled up and a national recognition followed.
The recognition meant more than ending the season as a top youth squad in the country; it meant the team earned a trip to Cooperstown, New York, aka the home of baseball itself.
In June, the Winter Garden 12U team will travel to New York to compete on one of youth baseball’s biggest stages. The field sits just miles away from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Head coach Mark Kirkland said it will be his first time attending the tournament, and he’s looking forward to visiting it not only for himself but also for the players. He expects the seven-game tournament will create an unforgettable experience for the 12-year-olds.
To help defray costs, the team is hosting a fundraiser that will end Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, to send all 11 players, coaches and parents to New York. The team is hosting a raffle for a haircare gift set, including a Dyson hair dryer, shampoo and conditioner and a traveling set. Every dollar donated will go back into the team to make their dream come true.
It’s an incredible opportunity, but the trip represents more than just playing in a large-scale tournament. It also is a chance to share the experience with teammates who have become lifelong friends.
“My son doesn’t have any brothers,” Kirkland said. “He told me, ‘Dad, I don’t have brothers, but I feel like I have 10.’ That’s how close they are.”
ROAD TO COOPERSTOWN
For Kirkland, success was never measured by the number of wins in tournaments. It was defined by the players’ growth. His mission is to develop young athletes to understand the game, believe in themselves and learn how to become phenomenal teammates.
“Yes, you want to win state championships and get rings for the boys,” he said. “But the reality is, we’re trying to develop players on and off the field.”
The philosophy was the foundation of the team’s fall season, which ended with Team Orlando finishing No. 1 in Florida and earning top national power rankings.
The Winter Garden 12U team’s fall schedule featured seven tournaments. The results — three first-place finishes and four third-place finishes — spoke for themselves.
In USSSA competition, the travel ball league, teams gather points based not only on their wins but also on the quality of opponents, run differentials and overall performance. When the fall season concluded, the team stood proudly at the top.
“You can say for the rest of your life, ‘I was No. 1 in the nation,’” Kirkland said he told his players. “Nobody can ever take that from you.”
It meant a lot to Kirkland to see his young players come to terms with that message.
“We take the picture; we enjoy the rings,” he said. “But we’re building something bigger.”
The bigger picture is the relationships they developed along the way.
Those relationships between the players are what allowed them to compete at such a high level throughout the entire fall season. The team boasts phenomenal talent, including left-handed pitcher Jack Adcock and an offensive powerhouse from Lucas Gallagher, who batted almost .500 with four home runs.
But the season’s success never relied on one player.
“You take one player away, and we’re hurting,” Kirkland said. “Take two away, and I don’t think we have the same season.”
The team thrived because every player understood situational baseball — where to throw the ball, how to back up a play, where to tag or advance. These details often decided close games.
“These things might sound small,” Kirkland said. “But over the course of the season, they’re huge.”
He and the other coaches intentionally trained their players to grow their baseball minds, especially at the 12U age.
“When these boys move on and another coach evaluates them, I want them to say, ‘That kid knows the game,’” Kirkland said.
MORE THAN BASEBALL
Central Florida is one of the most competitive baseball regions in the country, Kirkland said.
“This game takes thousands of reps,” Kirkland said. “You’re not going to go from amazing to great overnight. These boys are going to sit through thousands of hours of practices, lessons and games just to make a high school team.”
That reality means development at the 12U level is about more than just the mechanics of the game. The fundamentals and situational awareness are crucial, but Team Orlando places equal emphasis on tapping into the emotional side of the game.
Kirkland said a love for the game is the most important trait to have. Self confidence follows shortly after and chemistry and camaraderie are right behind it.
Kirkland described the dugout as a place filled with encouragement and energy.
“We’re having fun,” he said. “We’re supporting each other, and then when it’s time to compete, we compete. We lift each other up.”
Before every game, the team gathers together and follows their simple, but powerful, pre-game routine. They say a pre-game prayer centered around safety, attitude and belief, followed by a phrase that’s become the identity of the team.
“One team; one heartbeat,” the players and coaches say among themselves.
The saying was inspired by Florida State University and reflects the Winter Garden 12U team’s commitment to creating unity.
“If you don’t truly appreciate the person next to you, it’s just not going to work,” Kirkland said.
Kirkland’s mentality has come naturally. Baseball always has been a huge part of his life. He was raised as one of nine children, and his childhood memories are filled with church and long days on the baseball field at his father’s hip. He previously served as the Winter Garden Little League president before changing gears to focus strictly on Team Orlando Baseball when his son became of age.
He wants to shape them into better young men. Spreading that message and allowing them to carry something with them long after their final swing of the bat is exactly what is the true measure of success.
“The chances of any of these boys going pro are very low,” he said. “But there’s almost a 100% chance they’ll be husbands, fathers and have jobs.”
If baseball can translate to lessons outside of the field, teaching them how to work, fail and persevere, then his mission will be accomplished.
“If 15 years from now they come back, give me a high five and show me their families, then I’ve done my job,” Kirkland said.
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