A young Valmeyer baseball player experienced the thrill of a lifetime recently by playing in a tournament at Cooperstown Dreams Park near the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. 

The opportunity  allowed 12-year-old Jace Wuelling to etch his name in history alongside some of today’s big league greats.

Participating teams in the Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament consist of players ages 12 and under from all independent travel/select and sanctioned programs, with up to 104 total teams allowed per tournament.

Jace, the son of longtime former Valmeyer Lakers baseball great John Wuelling, plays select summer ball for the MOCO Tribe 12U squad but was invited along with three other Tribe players to join the Missouri Warriors 12U team in Cooperstown, N.Y.

The Warriors ultimately went 4-2 in the tourney, which ranked 28th out of 86 participating teams.

Also held as part of the tourney experience are skills competitions – including a “King of Swat” home run derby.

Jace, who bats from the right side of the plate, beat out 86 power hitters by smacking seven swings out of 10 over the fence to win the derby and break the previous “King of Swat” record set in 2004 by current Philadelphia Phillies MVP slugger Bryce Harper. 

In addition to Harper, other current MLB all-stars to have played in this tournament include Mike Trout, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso.

Jace, who has served as a batboy for the Lakers during the Mon-Clair League season, will enter seventh grade this fall. 

With his swinging success in Cooperstown, more opportunities are opening up for the young Valmeyer slugger.

Jace was invited to the 17th annual Power Showcase World Classic Home Run Derby scheduled for Nov. 23-24 and hosted by the Texas Rangers. 

This event will consist of the top hitters in each class from around the country and will be aired live on MLB Network.