Hartung plays in Cooperstown Tournament

Connor Hartung, 13 year-old 8th grader from Tamaqua, was chosen to play at the Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament at Cooperstown, New York with the Pottsville Pythons.

The Pythons placed third out of 103 teams from around the world in last year's tournament. The team also includes players from Oweigsburg, Pottsville, Hegins and St. Clair.

Hartung finished his last year with the Tamaqua Little League this summer and has also been playing travel ball for the Eckley Reds since the age of 8. He has competed in tournaments at the Cal Ripken Sports Complex in Maryland, Sports on the Beach in Delaware , EC&B and Wooden Bat in Reading.

In this year's Cooperstown tournament, the Pythons placed in a tie for ninth out of 104 teams and made it to the Sweet 16.

The Pythons finished 7-2, defeating teams from Buffalo, N.Y., the Walnuts (from N.J.), Bellevue, N.J., Boston, Mass., Farmington, IN., and Sand Hills, NC. Their two losses were against the Muddogs from California, including a 4-3 loss in eight innings in which Hartung pitched, had a sliding catch to force the seventh inning and threw out a runner at home plate from the outfield.

Hartung played first, third, right field and pitched (in seven of nine games) during the tournament, hitting five home runs. He also represented the Pythons in the Golden Arm competition.

Connor is the son of Ernie and Christine Rottet Hartung of Tamaqua.