CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – Fans, families and players have known for months that the Southeast Tropics were nearing their end as a team. But now the final days are here.

The Southeast Tropics entered the Babe Ruth World Series as defending champions on Friday, August 9, after defeating Puerto Rico 18-0 in four innings.

But beyond the victory, it is the beginning of the end for a club that has become a dominant force in Babe Ruth League baseball. The Southeast Tropics will officially cease operations after the tournament.

Manager and team founder Dustin Schwartz made the decision after years of considering when to pull the plug. Schwartz had originally planned to close the Tropics after graduating from college, but his passion for the team kept him running it long beyond that.

The turning point was ultimately the birth of Schwartz’s son. At the end of summer 2024, he announced the closure of Tropics.

Players and especially their families expressed their gratitude to Schwartz on Friday.

“It meant a lot to the kids. I mean, they had a blast,” said Donny Benthal, a parent of one of the players. “They’ve grown up a lot and now they’re all separated and going to other colleges and playing. But it was still great.”

“It’s theirs. Schwartz is a great guy. A great coach, and he takes really good care of his players,” said Jon Warren, a parent of one of the players.

The respect is palpable across all rivalries. Michael Minner, manager of the Aycorp Charleston Fighting Squirrels, is one of those who will miss Schwartz and the Tropics the most.

“You know, you can’t have rivals without there being rivals,” Minner said. “So we had some really good battles. We enjoyed the camaraderie of both teams. It’s a fun rivalry, but both teams want to win. We don’t want to get beat by those guys. They don’t want to get beat by us and that’s why we hate to see them go. I wish Dustin the best of luck.”

While the tournament may be bittersweet for some, the team still has a clear goal: to end the Tropic’s existence with two consecutive World Series titles.

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