At the end of August, the 12U Desert Dingers team placed third in a strong showing at the 99th Annual White Mountain Apache Tribe Fair & Rodeo Youth Baseball Tournament in Whiteriver, on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

The Dingers finished the tournament with a 3-2 record and scored 34 runs while allowing 16. They opened the tournament with a loss to the Flagstaff Underdogs but went on a run from there, winning three games in a row by a wide margin.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community players for this tournament were Kane Grey, Wazzie Fulwilder, Casey Toya, Levi Lewis, and Damon Adams. Their teammates represented a number of Tribes.

Fulwilder was dominant on the mound, striking out six over two scoreless, hitless innings. His teammate Mace Tovar hit two inside-the-park home runs as the Dingers beat the Aztecs 12-1.

They continued the momentum, defeating the San Carlos Apaches 5-1. Then came a rematch with the Flagstaff Underdogs that the Dingers won 9-2. The Dingers outhit the TC Kings in the next game 6-4, but defensive mistakes hurt the team and they fell short, 8-5, despite competing hard.

“What I’m most proud of can’t be measured by a stat sheet,” said Desert Dingers coach Whitney Grey.

“These boys battled through game after game with very little time to recover. They were tired, sore and tested physically and mentally, but they continued to answer the call every time they stepped onto the field.”

The whole team contributed to a well-played tournament, but Zion Westbrook, Tovar and Fulwilder particularly delivered on the mound and at the plate. Julian Shafler produced big hits and RBIs, and Grey drove in two runs in the rematch vs. Flagstaff while contributing on the mound in relief.

“We may not have walked away with the championship, but I walked away extremely proud of these boys,” said Grey.

The Dingers played next in Guadalupe at the Pascua Yaqui 48^th Annual Tribal Recognition Little League Baseball Tournament, which was at the end of September. After dominating their first three games in the tournament, they lost the next two games, ending up with a record of 3-2.

Grey said that the team is continuing to look for more opportunities to compete throughout Arizona and Indian Country.

How the Desert Dingers Came to Be

For as long as Grey can remember, baseball has been part of his life.

“I started playing when I was in T-ball, continued through Little League and played through high school,” said Grey. “So, when I eventually got into coaching, it gave me a way to stay connected to a game I had grown up playing.”

When the opportunity came to represent the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community on tribal land and coach in the triple-A division of the Arizona Diamondbacks Inter-Tribal Tournament in 2019, Grey swung at the first pitch.

For his nephews Bob and Mikey Maez, who are now coaches on the present-day team, Grey gave them chance to bridge the gap as they were finishing Little League and getting ready to move into junior high and high school. They still wanted to play.

“I wanted to make sure they and other kids their age had an opportunity to continue playing baseball,” said Grey.

His son Kane Grey was always around the team, and even though he was too young to play at first, he absorbed the game as the team’s batboy. Kane has since aged a few years and now plays on the squad.

“It’s pretty special to look back and realize that something that started because I wanted to give my nephews an opportunity to keep playing has continued with my son and so many other kids,” said Grey.

When that first team entered the Inter-Tribal tournament, they needed an identity. Grey, his wife Leah and nephews were sitting around the table throwing out ideas when the name “Desert Dingers” was spoken into existence. According to Grey, Leah is “the brains” behind the name.

Next, it was time for a logo. The family chose the shonick, a traditional O’odham war club.

“That choice had a deeper meaning for us,” said Grey.

“We wanted something that represented our culture and reminded our players that we still come from warriors. Our battles today may look different. For the Dingers, our battlefield is the baseball diamond, and our war club is our bat.”

Now, Desert Dingers is an intertribal baseball program for kids ages 9 to 18 from Salt River and several other tribal communities. Grey plans to continue adding teams and age divisions as interest grows.

Grey wants to make sure families can afford to send their players to compete with the Dingers.

“I try to make our organization as affordable as possible, if not completely free, for every player and family,” he said.

“Baseball and travel sports can become expensive very quickly, and I never want finances to be the reason a kid doesn’t get an opportunity to play.”

Organizations like Salt River Devco and Artisan Research Network have helped sponsor the program and create opportunities for Dingers players. The Salt River Children’s Foundation has also been a tremendous help, according to Grey.

“I’m extremely thankful for every organization, business and individual who has supported the Dingers,” said Grey, who is open to additional sponsors and community partners as the program grows.

“Whether it’s equipment, uniforms, tournament fees or travel, every sponsorship allows us to create another opportunity for these kids.”