‘Ageless Arm’ helps oust Stars at NBCWS

HUTCHINSON Kan. —- Rod Tafoya is better known by the title of his book, “The Ageless Arm,” as the 57-year old seeks a milestone 500th career pitching victory in amateur baseball.

For the San Diego Stars, you might just call him a ringer.

Added as one of five “wild card” players to the roster of the Mid-Crest (Ill.) Pumas prior to the start of the 87th annual National Baseball Congress World Series, Tafoya came into the game in the sixth inning with his team ahead, 10-3, and pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit, while striking out two Stars batters.

Mid-Crest downed the Stars, 11-3 in eight innings in a first-round, challengers bracket game.

In the first inning, Pumas’ starter Devin Dodson allowed an unearned run, then a 2-run home run by the Stars’ own veteran, 30-year old Dallas Seidel. After that, he yielded just a handful of singles while striking out five Stars over his five innings to earn the run-rule victory.

Mid-Crest, located in the greater Chicagoland area and laying in the Midwest Collegiate League, countered with 11 unanswered runs to win, including four in the bottom of the first. The Pumas are an off-shoot from the Crestwood (Ill.) Panthers.

The story on Tefoya in a 1989 graduate of Newman University, can be found here, or follow him on Instagram.

The Stars finish their season at a disappointing 16-13 overall record, yet was the only local ballclub to qualify for the NBC World Series. The Stars placed fifth nationally in 2018, then third nationally in 2019before missing the 2020 tournament due to the pandemic.