July 2008 Archives

At the Nevada state tournament in Elko, Paseo Verde player Joey Kulla was due to lead off an inning. The only problem was, Kulla had something we will describe as a "stomach ache."

"I was coaching third base and he came up to me and said 'I have to go to the bathroom.'" Nevada manager Jim Kelly said. "I told him to either sh _ _ or hit." 

They take their baseball seriously in Nevada.  

 

Nevada manager Jim Kelly and assistant coach Josh McCollum will keep an eye on McCollum's ball-playing son, also named Josh.

Last spring at a huge travel-ball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., young Josh had quite an adventure, Kelly said. 

The Nevada player rose out of bed in his sleep, left the barracks, entered the barracks of the Utah team and got into the bed of a Utah player! 

Perhaps Nevada can get some restraints for young Josh here at San Bernardino.  

Have an amusing anecdote about a tourney player, coach or fan? Contact John Murphy at 909-633-4829 or berdooman@aol.com.  

 

All of the teams arrived at the Little League Western Regional Headquarters in San Bernardino. We stopped by the headquarters on Wednesday afternoon and it was a flurry of activity, you could hear the kids in the pool and volunteers were everywhere putting on the final touches.

Teams from Montana and Oregon could be seen checking out Al Houghton Stadium's field, which probably could rival any Major League field.

On Thursday, teams will get in some practice and there's a major barbecue planned that evening.

I

Umpires go over rules, procedures and the field at Al Houghton Stadium on Wednesday afternoon in preparation for the Little League Western Regional Tournament in San Bernardino.

We have a winner and it's Pleasanton American, a 4-1 winner on Tuesday night over Petaluma Valley. Pleasanton American will represent Northern California in the Western Regional, cinching up the final team to head to San Bernardino and Al Houghton Stadium.

Read the game story here from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Pleasanton American is 12-1, and its one loss was to Petaluma Valley on Monday in the first game of the championship series.

We're two days away from the first games of the Little League Western Regional Tournament, and there's plenty to like about the environment at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino. Here's a few that come to mind ...

The smell of barbecue, it's pretty powerful and you're hungry all day
The Ice Cream dudes, you never know what costume they will show up in
Dancing Umpires, to prove that this is still about fun, don't be surprised to see the Umps break out in dance.
The outfield, it's a week-long party out there with districts from all over camping out.
The 50-50 raffle, see a previous post below.
Final outs, it's a mixed one because you hate to see kids lose, but it sure is fun to see 'em win.
Home runs, they can scream out of Al Houghton Stadium and it's fun to see where they might land.

What's your favorite? Feel free to share.

We're still trying to track this down but these are the teams that we've identified with unbeaten records:

Southern California, Aliso Viejo, 13-0

Nevada, Henderson Paseo Verde, 9-0

Washington, Mill Creek, 8-0

Utah, Cedar City American, 4-0

I have to admit that if there's one form of gambling I'm a true sucker for it's the 50-50 raffle at prep football games and, of course, at the Little League Western Regional Tournament.

On Sunday, I watched the parents from Orange County fork over their spare change and loose bills for the 50-50 raffle at the SoCal Championship game down in Murrieta. By the end of the game, they had a jackpot of about $200.

I was standing in the outfield and there were some parents commenting about how that was a nice jackpot for a 50-50, and I had to interject. "That's nothing compared to the Regional."

So, the conversation progressed and when I said that on occasion there were two jackpots, the eyebrows started to raise. And when I said they've been known to be in the $1,000 range, well, that's when the jaws dropped. It seems to me that the parents from Hawaii had a knack for winning the prizes, but I could be wrong.

Without a doubt we will be keeping track of the first big 50-50 of the tournament.

One of the things that always amazes us is how the Western Regional just sort of creeps up on people. I think part of that is the sudden realization that you're playing in something that a lot of people pay attention to, including national television audiences. ESPN televises all 31 games at the Little League World Series.

Of course, there's also the challenge of making the trip to California and spending at least 10 days here. If you win, there's another two weeks in Williamsport, Pa. for the Little League World Series. Needless to say, this is an expensive venture that probably is not budgeted for by most families.

So, here begin the fundraisers. Here's an interesting note from the North Boise Little League:

"On Sunday, after North Boise won the 11/12 State Championship, a North Boise parent gave a donation to the team. A 10 year old boy named Quin Steubner saw this happening and asked what he was doing. He then proceeded to dig into his pockets and gave our team $13."

Boise fans were being asked to drop off donations around the city.

Down in Arizona, the team from Glendale was having a fundraiser at a pizza restaurant. Travis A. Johnson, who should probably become an adjunct member of this operation, gives this report:

Please bring the family and or friends out to Oggi's Pizza Today (Tuesday 07/29) from 5-8pm to help support the Arrowhead Little League Team, your AZ State Champs and wish them a successful and safe good-bye as they head to the West Regional Tournament in CA. Oggi's PIzza is located behind Paradise Bakery at 67th Ave/ 101. ALL ARE WELCOME!!! News channel 3 will be covering the benefit dinner on the ground and in the air!  Please come and show your support!! If you can't make it and wish to make a donation you can go into any Bank of America and deposit into the Arrowhead Little League Account # 45711807816.

No doubt, it takes a village to raise money for a Little League team.

It may seem a little warm to the Alaska Little Leaguers from Dimond-West, but an earthquake?

No problem.

"We have earthquakes in Alaska all the time," said Dimond-West assistant coach Sean Bradley after Tuesday's 5.4 temblor which struck Chino Hills and was felt in San Bernardino.

"In fact, they're larger in Alaska," Bradley said. "The kids were busy playing ping pong and Foos Ball and I was in the parking lot, watching our van bounce around." 

It has been a full day for the Alaskans. Today they also went to Cypress and visited Diamond Sports, which manufactures bats and other sporting goods. At 7 p.m. today, Dimond-West was scheduled to practice. 

By 10 p.m. or so, the Alaskans should be ready for a good night's sleep - assuming another earthquake doesn't hit. 

 Watch the video here ...

 

.

For all of you heading to San Bernardino for the West and Northwest Regional tournaments take a look at out photo gallery of the grounds of the Western Regional Headquarters, including Al Houghton Stadium.

View the pictures here ...

Anchorage Dimond-West won its sixth consecutive Alaska Little League title on Sunday afternoon with an 11-2 victory over Gastineau Channel. With Alaska's victory, the Northwest Regional field is now set with all six teams qualified and making their way toward San Bernardino. 

Staff photographer and deputy photo editor Jeff Malet was on hand Sunday to catch all the action from Sunday's championship came between Aliso Viejo and Tustin Eastern. Great stuff. Take a look at the gallery ... click here 

Western Region Director Jim Gerstenlager was in attendance at the Southern California Little League championship and said that Laramie Little League will, once again, represent Wyoming in the Northwest Region. 

Aliso Viejo celebrates its first trip to San Bernardino and the West Regional Tournament.

 

Photo by Jeff Malet/Staff Photographer

A 4-3 double play between Bryce Keeler and Calvin Westfall ended an impressive day for Aliso Viejo, who prevailed over Tustin Eastern 9-2 to advance to the Western Regional in San Bernardino. The regional starts Friday at Al Houghton Stadium.

It will take a miracle for Tustin Eastern to stay alive after the top of the sixth, as two Aliso Viejo runs in the bottom of the inning have it up 9-2. Calvin Westfall hit a seeing-eye single to knock in Bryce Keeler for the first run, while a Bret Sebade sacrifice fly brought in Justin Fowler.

Now to the top of the sixth.

After gamely keeping his team afloat, Tustin Eastern pitcher Robby Teel was relieved for Jake Hazard in the bottom of the fifth. After starter Brandon Guerts allowed the first four batters of the game to score, Teel kept potent Aliso Viejo to three runs, keeping Tustin Eastern somewhat in the game.

However, Eastern has a big task ahead of it, down 7-2 with only one at-bat left.

Tustin Eastern finally got on the board against Justin Fowler, as Brandon Guerts and Robby Teel led off the top of the fourth with singles, eventually coming around to score. Guerts scored Eastern's first run on a passed ball by Steven Harrison, while a Brett Mellon sacrifice fly scored Teel to make it 7-2.

Teel held Aliso Viejo scoreless for the first time in the bottom of the fourth, giving themselves a glimmer of hope going into the top of fifth.

After a perfect inning by Justin Fowler, Aliso Viejo scored a run in the bottom of the third to go up 7-0. Catcher Steven Harrison provided the RBI, dribbling a two-out single to left to score Jalen Walker.

Tustin Eastern avoided going down further though, as Robby Teel struck out Bret Sebade - who hit a monstrous homer in the first - with the bases loaded to end the inning.

After striking out the side in the top of the second, Aliso Viejo pitcher Justin Fowler hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning, increasing his team's lead to 6-0. Fowler has been masterful on the mound, striking out five and only allowing a walk.

Going to the top of the third, Aliso Viejo is up 6-0.

Aliso Viejo chased Tustin Eastern starter Brandon Guerts quickly, as Bret Sebade's monstrous three-run homer helped stake it to a 4-0 lead. First baseman Calvin Westfall had an RBI single immediately before Sebade's bomb as the first four Aliso Viejo batters came around to score.

Robby Teel came in for Guerts and stopped the Aliso Viejo onslaught, but Tustin Eastern has itself in quite a hole as the second inning starts.

Here we are in breezy Murrieta, as my notebook is flailing in my face awaiting first pitch. Can Tustin Eastern force a Game 3, or will tonight be Aliso Viejo's night? The starting lineups.

1. Alec Propp CF

2. Brandon Guerts P

3. Robby Teel C

4. Jack Brkich 3B

5. Brett Mellon 1B

6. Tyler Levesque RF

7. Jake Hazard 2B

8. Nate Bruno SS

9. Quinn O'Dell LF

 

Aliso Viejo

1. Justin Fowler P

2. Steven Harrison C

3. Calvin Westfall 1B

4. Bret Sebade LF

5. Nathan Cole CF

6. Kyle Molnar SS

7. Kenji Teshima RF

8. Bryan Firks 3B

9. Bryce Keeler 2B

Unpage.org is reporting that Arrowhead Little League out of Glendale defeated Cottonwood Verde Valley for the Arizona Little League title. No score was provided. More details to come. 

Unpage.org is reporting that North Boise Little League won its third consecutive Idaho Little League title on Sunday when it defeated Post Falls. The score has not been confirmed. The best-of-three game series was tied, and the deciding game was scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday in Boise.

Mill Creek, which endured a four-day layoff, easily defeated Richmond 10-0 in the championship game Sunday of the Washington Little League Tournament. Mill Creek finished the tournament 4-0 en route to the title and its first trip back to San Bernardino for the Northwest Regional since 2002. 

We'll have live updates from Game 2 of the SoCal championship series tonight in Murrieta. The game starts at 6 p.m. Check back here tonight for the updates.

Pleasanton American defeated East Turlock 8-3 on Saturday in the winner's bracket of the Northern California Little League Tournament, according to Unpage.org.

East Turlock faces Petaluma Valley today in an elimination game. Petaluma Valley defeated Woodcreek 11-9 in a game that lasted 11 innings.

The title game will be played Monday in Alameda starting at 5:30 p.m. If necessary, the championship series will conclude Tuesday.

Billings Boulder Arrowhead Little League swept Great Falls Westside to win the Montana Little League Tournament on Saturday.

Boulder Arrowhead will represent Montana in the Northwest Regional on Aug. 1 in San Bernardino. It's Boulder Arrowhead's first appearance since 2003 in San Bernardino.

Boulder Arrowhead won the first game on Friday 6-1 and then rolled 16-10 over Great Falls Westside on Saturday morning. Read the complete game story here.

Max Cannon is one of those rare people who will do anything for a cause -- in this case Little League baseball. He's giving up two weeks to umpire at the Western Regional and he's coming down from Montana to do it.

The Missoulian, the newspaper of Missoula, Mont., has a great story on Cannon and his trip here to the Western Regional.

Read the story here...

Juneau's Gastineau Channel forced a third and deciding game of the Alaska Little League Tournament by whipping five-time defending champ Anchorage Dimond West 11-4 on Saturday.

The two teams meet again today at 3 p.m. in Anchorage.

Alison Viejo rallied from an 8-6 deficit to defeat Tustin Eastern 10-9 in an epic first game of the Southern California Little League Championship.

After playing nearly three hours on Saturday, Aliso Viejo is now one win away from earning a trip to the Western Regional Tournament Aug. 1 in San Bernardino. Aliso Viejo is 12-0 in all-star action.

The second game of the best-of-three series is 6 p.m. Sunday at Murrieta's Los Alamos Park.

Tustin Eastern has an 8-6 lead through five innings over Aliso Viejo in the first game of the championship of the Southern California Little League tournament, according to reporter Clay Fowler, who is covering the game in Murrieta. 

Verde Valley defeated Tuscon Canyon View in the semifinals of the Arizona Little League tournament, and moves on to the state title game. Verde Valley needed four runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat previously unbeaten Canyon View, 11-10.

Verde Valley now faces Arrowhead in the championship game on Sunday morning. Verde Valley  is attempting to break a stranglehold that the larger cities and suburbs have held on the state title. Over the last 10 years, teams from Tucson, Scottsdale, Glendale and Chandler have dominated the tournament.

We've got four teams headed to San Bernardino and by the end of the weekend we should have almost all of the tickets punched for the West and Northwest regional tournaments.

Here's a roundup of what's going on in other states and regions. First off here's who's in:

WESTERN REGIONAL
UTAH, Cedar City American
HAWAII, Waipio
NEVADA, Henderson Paseo Verde

NORTHWEST REGIONAL
OREGON, Beaverton Murrayhill

ARIZONA
Arrowhead has advanced to the championship and is awaiting the winner of the Tucson Canyon View vs. Cottonwood Verde Valley game, which was played Saturday. The title game will be at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

WASHINGTON
Mill Creek will play Richmond in the title game on Sunday. Mill Creek trounced Richmond in the second round of the tournament 16-1, but Richmond has battled back to the finals winning  five consecutive games. Richmond is 6-1 in the tournament, while Mill Creek, which has been idle since Wednesday, is 3-0.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Pleasanton American and East Turlock play Saturday in the winner's bracket. Petaluma Valley and Woodcreek will try to stay alive in the loser's bracket game. That tournament wraps up Monday or, if necessary, on Tuesday.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
It's an all-Orange County final, the first time that's happened since 2000, and it pits Aliso Viejo National and Tustin Eastern at 6 p.m. at Los Alamos Park in Murrieta. Aliso Viejo National is 11-0 in all-star play, while Tustin is 11-1. Tustin's only loss came in the SoCal North Sectional tournament against La Verne. Best of three wins this series.

The last time OC teams met in the So Cal final it was between Huntington Beach Ocean View and East Yorba Linda. Ocean View lost in the West Final. An OC team hasn't been to San Bernardino since Anaheim back in 2002 and it's been 10 years since the last OC team won the regional -- Cypress.

ALASKA
Perennial state power Anchorage Dimond West needs a win tonight to claim it sixth consecutive state title and trip to the Northwest Regional. Dimond West defeated Gastineau Channel 7-2 on Friday night. The two teams meet again on Saturday night.

IDAHO
It appears that Post Falls and North Boise are tied 1-1 in their best of three series being played in Boise. Post Falls opened the tournament with a 10-7 victory on Friday, but on Saturday morning North Boise rallied for a 4-2 victory. The winner will be determined on Sunday morning.

MONTANA and WYOMING
It remains unclear which teams are playing in the state tournaments.

Bad weather in Flagstaff has apparently caused havoc with the Arizona Little League Tournament, but they managed to get a game in on Friday.

Arrowhead held off Randolf, 3-2, to advance to the title game, which will be played at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Arrowhead's Web site said Marco Burgarello and Degan Harte hit home runs in the first inning.

Arrowhead now awaits the winner of the Verde Valley-Canyon View game. That game was rained out and will be played Saturday at 10 a.m.

Beaverton's Murrayhill rolled past Klammath Falls South Suburban in the Oregon Little League championship game Friday night, 9-1.

South Suburban had defeated Murrayhill earlier in the tournament 3-1 but in the title game there was no doubt. This is Murrayhill's 10th state title and appearance in San Bernardino. Two years ago, Murrayhill reached the U.S. final of the Little League World Series.

Murrayhill joins Utah Cedar City American, Nevada's Paseo Verde and Hawaii's Waipio in San Bernardino.

Murrayhill, the perennial power, gets its shot at a 10th trip to the Western Regional when it plays Klammath Falls South Suburban in the Oregon Little League title game tonight at 7 p.m.

South Suburban defeated Murrayhill earlier in the tournament, but unlike other state tournaments Oregon doesn't have a double-elimination round. It's winner take all tonight. South Suburban is unbeaten.

Canyon View, Randolf, Verde Valley and Arrowhead are the semifinalists in the Arizona Little League Tournament and they play tonight in Flagstaff. The title game is 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Judging from the standings it looks like this will be the semifinals:

Arrowhead vs. Randolf

Canyon View vs. Verde Valley

All four teams are 5-1 in pool play.

 

Here's the overall standings from the tournament:

Pool A

Arrowhead 5-1

Verde Valley 5-1

High Desert 4-2

Douglas 4-2

Payson 2-4

Mesa Southern 1-5

Bullhead City 0-6

 

Pool B

Canyon View 6-0

Randolf 4-2

McCormick Ranch 4-2

Ahwautukee 3-3

Desert Ridge 3-3

Mt. Graham 2-4

Maricopa 1-5

Waipio held off Kaimuki in the final of the Hawaii Little League tournament on Thursday night, 4-3. Waipio's victory was its second consecutive state title and make it the first repeat team to earn a trip back to San Bernardino for the Little League Western Regional.

Read the Kauai's Garden Island's account of the thrilling game here.

After dropping a game to Klammath Falls South Suburban, Beaverton Murrayhill has moved on to the Oregon Little League title game after a 14-9 victory over previously unbeaten Herminston.

Waiting for Murrayhill, which has won the Oregon title nine times over the 15 years, could be South Suburban or Medford.

The title game is Friday night in Pendleton.

Waipio, the defending state champion, kept its hopes alive to win the Hawaii Little League tournament on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over previously unbeaten Kaimuki. The tournament will be decided Thursday night.

Read the story here in the Kauau Garden Island News...

This is easily Pete Esquivel's favorite time of the year.

The Barstow resident has never tired of Little League baseball, and on a warm Thursday morning he and a handful of other volunteers were working to manicure the field at Al Houghton Stadium.

"It's an honor to be out here," said Esquivel, who has been associated with Little League for 34 years, including the last three as a member of the grounds crew.

The Little League Western Regional tournaments begin Aug. 1 with 12 teams from 11 western states competing in the two regional tournaments -- West and Northwest. The winners of each earn a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

With a week left before opening day, dozens of volunteers scoured the grounds of the Western Regional headquarters and its adjoining stadium.

"When it's all done and opening day you just say 'wow,'" said longtime volunteer Bob Gordon, who is president of the Magnolia Center Little League in Riverside.

Gordon was busy working with grounds crews raking, scraping, watering and compacting the infield. Others were mowing, weeding and painting.

Getting the aging stadium and grounds in shape is always a labor of love for the many volunteers, who begin their work at least six weeks before the tournament starts.

"We do this for the kids," said Riverside's Tony Martinez, who was working the infield.
The 10-day tournament can attract more than 70,000 people during its run. Some games have attracted more than 10,000.

All of the grounds workers also volunteer as umpires, including head groundskeeper Xavier Gomez, a Colton resident, who has worked with the crew for 10 years. Gordon has been coming here for years and was hoping that he could finally come as the president of a league participating in a regional.

That, however, didn't happen because Magnolia Center lost a heartbreaker on Wednesday night in Murrieta.

Gordon, along with Martinez, came over to provide equipment that Magnolia Center purchased to maintain its fields.  

Teams from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii begin arriving Tuesday, July 29.

Teams from Cedar City, Utah, and Henderson, Nev., have already qualified for the tournament.

 

Take a look at some of the scenes from Al Houghton Stadium

 

North Boise and Post Falls will meet for the Idaho Little League state title starting Friday in Boise. North Boise is looking for its third consecutive appearance in the Northwest Regional. North Boise is 3-6 in regional games. Post Falls is looking for its first appearance for a team to appear in San Bernardino since the early 1990s.

 

Utah
Cedar City American is coming for the first time.

Nevada
Henderson Paseo Verde is making its first appearance.

Oregon

Washington
Mill Creek faced a tough task against Bainbridge Island, and still faces a tough road to San Bernardino against one of five teams still alive. Mill Creek's program is one of the state's best but hasn't been in California in 2002.

Arizona
Pool play wraps up Thursday, with the semifinals on Friday and the championship on Saturday. Arrowhead has been tough in Pool A, but look out for Canyon View and Scottsdale McCormick Ranch. Arrowhead is unbeaten.

Northern California
The tournament opened on Wednesday. Pleasanton had an impressive offensive effort with 18 runs in its win over Foothill. East Turlock American needed eight innings for a 1-0 win over Briarwood-El Camino. The winners bracket features Petaluma Valley and Woodcreek.

Southern California
It's starting to feel like an all Orange County final with Aliso Viejo already in the So Cal final, while Tustin needs a victory to advance.

Hawaii
The title game was played on Wednesday between Kaimuki and Waipio, which reached the West last season. Kaimuki was unbeaten but it had not played Waipio in the tournament.

Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming
It's uncertain as to which teams are in the state tournaments here but it would not be surprising to see the usual suspects: Missoula Southside (Montana), Dimond West (Alaska), North Boise (Idaho) and Laramie (Wyoming) back in San Bernardino.

A battle between Orange County teams for the Southern California regional title is one step closer as Aliso Viejo closed out the So Cal South Sectional on Wednesday 3-2 over Riverside Magnolia Center in Murrieta, while Tustin Eastern crushed Goleta Dos Pueblos 18-5 in Orange.

Aliso Viejo advances to the best-of-three games Southern California series starting Saturday at Murrieta's Los Alamos Park. Tustin Eastern has to defeat Dos Pueblos Thursday night to advance to the final.

Beaverton Murrayhill routed host Pendleton 12-1 in the final day of pool play of the Oregon Little League tournament on Wednesday. Murrayhill was defeated earlier by Klammath Falls South Suburban.

We know of three teams to qualify for the semis -- Murrayhill, unbeaten Hermiston, South Suburban and a team to be determined.

Mill Creek, the host of the Washignton Little League tournament, defeated Bainbridge Island 4-3 on Wednesday night to advance to the championship game on Sunday.

Bainbridge Island will now await one of four teams in the consolation round -- Salmon Creek, Larch Mountain, Greater Richland or Richmond.

Mill Creek is looking for its first appearance in the Northwest Regional since 2002.

We've got our second team headed to San Bernardino -- Nevada's Paseo Verde.

While we don't have a final score, Henderson's Paseo Verde defeated Las Vegas Mountain Ridge in the title game played Tuesday afternoon in Elko. Paseo Verde used strong pitching and offense to overpower the field.

Paseo Verde and Utah's Cedar City American are the first two teams in the West Regional.

Tuscon's Canyon View Little League is leading Pool B of the Arizona Little League Tournament being played this week in Flagstaff, Az.

While Southern California decides its champions, there are state tournaments going on around the West and Tuesday was a busy day to catch up. Here's a run down of what happened around the West Region.

WASHINGTON
Mill Creek and Bainbridge Island will face off at 7 p.m. in the winner's bracket finals of the state tournament on Wednesday. Of course, this is a double elimination tournament and the actual finals are not until Sunday, but this is a compelling matchup.

Still alive in the tournament are: Redmond North, Richmond, Larch Mountain, Walla Walla Valley, Salmon Creek and Richland.

Mill Creek has a big advantage in the tournament as the its host and top seed.

ARIZONA
In Pool A of the state tournament, which is being played in Flagstaff, Arrowhead, Douglas and Verde Valley are still alive to reach the semifinals. Arrowhead is 5-0 and off until Thursday when it faces one-loss Douglas. Verde Valley has one loss but has beaten Douglas.

In Pool B, Tuscon Canyon View is 4-0 and plays Wednesday against Awhatukee and Thuesday against one-loss McCormick Ranch. Two-loss Awhatukee is also in the mix and could disrupt the tournament after surging to back-to-back wins over the last two days.

OREGON
After stopping perennial powerhouse Beaverton Murrayhill, South Suburban of Klammath Falls has moved to 2-0 in the Blue Pool of the state tournament, but don't count out Murrayhill, which plays one-loss Pendleton on Wednesday.

In the Red Pool, Herminston is out to a 3-0 start with wins over Medford National Central, Sheldon and Corvallis National.

The tournament concludes on Friday.

NEVADA
It's Las Vegas vs. Henderson in the title game, which was decided Tuesday night. Henderson's Paseo Verde and Las Vegas Mountain Ridge were battling it out for a trip to San Bernardino.

Magnolia Center will play Aliso Viejo in the finals tomorrow at 7 p.m. Should Aliso Viejo win, it will advance to the Southern California Regional Tournament. Should Magnolia Center win, a second game between the teams will be played Thursday.

Magnolia Center ended Tuesday's semifinal for all intents and purposes in the top of the fourth, using two two-run homers and three Ken Hubbs errors to stretch its lead to 15-3.

Lucas Navigato and Caleb Perry each went deep to start off the inning for Magnolia Center, which sent 14 batters to the plate. Navigato also added a two-run ground-rule double and Perry an RBI single.

Unless Ken Hubbs pieces together three runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning, Magnolia Center will win via mercy rule and head to the finals against Aliso Viejo tomorrow night.

La Verne American fell to Tustin Eastern 13-3 this evening at Handy Park in Orange. The loss ends La Verne's season. 

Justin Roe led La Verne with a hit and a run scored.

Tustin Eastern faces Goleta Dos Pueblos at 6 p.m. Wednesday. If Tustin wins, it will have to beat Dos Pueblos again on Thursday night to advance.

Magnolia Center scored one run in the top of the third, but Ken Hubbs answered with two in the bottom to trim Magnolia's lead to 5-3 going into the fourth.

Perhaps still shaken by Jake Ayala's injury, Ken Hubbs made two errors in the top of the inning after a leadoff single by Caleb Perry, eventually allowing Perry to score. Steven Carranza struck out the side to avoid any further damage.

Clutch two-out hits by Robert Rivas and Joe Ayala knocked in Hubbs' runs, with Rivas' double down the left-field line plating Patrick Mejia and Ayala's two-strike single to right bringing in David Robles.

Ken Hubbs' Jake Ayala was hit in the head with an errant bounce from a warm-up throw prior to the third inning, lying motionless on the third-base line in shallow left before being taken to Rancho Springs Hospital in Murrieta by paramedics.

According to the Ken Hubbs coaching staff, the move was precautionary and Ayala was conscious, though fuzzy, as he was carted off on a strecher. Ayala had sat out Monday's win over Vista National after fouling a ball off his batting helmet late in Sunday's victory over Lemon Grove.

Action has resumed in the top of the third, Magnolia Center up 4-1.

Magnolia Center erupted for four runs against Ken Hubbs to take the early lead. Magnolia had four straight batters reach bases, including an RBI single by Joseph Santana, but the big play came on a sacrifice fly by Lucas Navigato.

Navigato's sac fly to deep center scored Cody Vaughan with Magnolia's second run, but two more runs scored when Hubbs catcher David Robles overthrew third baseman Patrick Mejia in an attempt to throw out Santana at third. The ball bounded into left, allowing Santana and Callen Lowery to both come in.

Hubbs got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Joe Ayala led off with a double and scored from third on a fielding error by Navigato at second. However, a potential big inning was nixed in one at-bat. With runners on first and third and no one out, Steven Carranza struck out on a low fastball that squirted through the legs of Magnolia catcher Caleb Perry. Cruz Duke took off from third to score on the wild pitch, but Perry recovered quickly to gather the ball and tag out Duke at home.

Now there's been a pause in the game, as Ken Hubbs' Jake Ayala is lying on the third-base line with an injury. The injury is unknown at this time, but Ayala was injured two days ago when he fouled a ball off his batting helmet. He sat out yesterday's game but was cleared to play today before the injury.

Pitchers Steven Carranza (Ken Hubbs) and Griffin Barnes (Magnolia Center) cruised through the first inning pretty well, with a single by Magnolia's Lucas Navigato being the only non-out. Barnes struck out two and Carranza one as we head into the second inning.

Ken Hubbs tries to evade elimination as they face Riverside Magnolia Center. Hubbs defeated Vista National 12-2 yesterday, while Magnolia Center was defeated 10-0 by Aliso Viejo. The winner of this game takes on undefeated Aliso Viejo in the title game.

Lineup for Magnolia Center

1. Lucas Navigato, 2B

2. Griffin Barnes, P

3. Caleb Perry, C

4. James Smith, CF

5. Jacob Giordano, 3B

6. Austin Roberts, SS

7. Cody Vaughan, 1B

8. Joseph Santana, RF

9. Callen Lowery, LF

Ken Hubbs

1. David Robles, C

2. Andrew Contreras, SS

3. Robert Rivas, CF

4. Joe Ayala, LF

5. Ralphy Martinez, 2B

6. Vidal Villarreal, RF

7. Steven Carranza, P

8. Adrian Hernandez, 1B

9. Patrick Mejia, 3B

Briarwood-El Camino Little League is one of two teams in the Northern California Little League tournament that has an unbeaten record. The Section 5 champions are 8-0 in all-star play. 

 

The Northern California Little League tournament has its field set and the six-team  tournament begins Wednesday in Alameda.

According to Unpage.org, the teams competing are: Petaluma Valley, Palo Cerdo Foothill, Pleasanton American, Roseville Woodcreek, Santa Clara Briarwood-El Camino and East Turlock American.

The games will be played at the Will C. Wood School in Alameda. The tournament runs through July 29 and the Northern California representative is the final one selected for the West Regional.

The records of the tournament teams breaks down like this:

• Petaluma Valley 9-1
• Foothill 7-2
• Pleasanton American 8-0
• Briarwood-El Camino 8-0
• East Turlock 12-2
• Woodcreek 7-1

No section has really dominated over the last decade, and like all Little League tournaments its competely difficult to have a sense of which team would be considered a favorite.

Arrowhead Little League rolled to an 11-0 victory on Monday against Bullhead City in the Arizona Little League tournament being played in Flagstaff. Arrowhead is now 5-0 in the tournament.

Results for the rest of the Arizona games were not complete on Tuesday afternoon.

It's another elimination round for Colton Ken Hubbs Memorial tonight when it faces Riverside Magnolia Center in the Southern California South Sectional tournament at Los Alamos Park in Murrieta.

Magnolia Center lost its first game of all-star season when it was handled 10-0 by Aliso Viejo.

Magnolia had rolled in its first 10 games with big offense, but all of that ground to a halt on Monday night against Aliso Viejo, which earned a spot in the sectional title series.

The winner of tonight's game faces Aliso Viejo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the title series. Hubbs has got to win its next three games in order to advance to the Southern California championship on Saturday.

With its 12-2 victory over Vista National, Ken Hubbs Memorial will play another day in the Southern California South Sectional tournament being played in Murrieta.

Hubbs plays the loser of the Aliso Viejo and Riverside Magnolia Center game, which was played Monday night. Hubbs plays at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and we'll have inning-by-inning coverage here on sbsun.com.

As we mentioned earlier, Magnolia Center is unbeaten and looking to make history. Yes, that's right -- history. No team, at least according to Unpage.org's records, from Riverside County has ever advanced to the Western Regional. They've come close, most recently Moreno Valley Canyon Springs in 2006.

Couple of interesting notes from around the West:

• Nevada will crown its champion -- most likely Henderson Paseo Verde -- on Tuesday;
• Hawaii will crown its champion on Wednesday;
• In Oregon it looks like Murrayhill lost to Klammath Falls South Suburban on Monday night 3-1, which is a big win for Klammath. According to Unpage.org, Murrayhill was 43-4 in state tournament games dating back to 1993. Murrayhill has dominated Oregon Little League since then, winning nine state titles.
  

Dos Pueblos defeated La Verne American 9-1 this evening in a Southern California Divisional North game at Handy Park in Orange..

Aaron Digimarino produced La Verne's only run with a solo home run.

It was La Verne's first loss of all-stars play.

La Verne American plays Tustin Eastern at 6 p.m. Tuesday as the tourney continues.

 

Jake Brynie and Billy Roth got Vista National on the board with solo home runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Monday ended up being Ken Hubbs' day, as it finished off a mercy-rule 12-2 win over Vista National to stay alive in the Southern California South Sectional playoffs.

Ken Hubbs will play the loser of tonight's Aliso Viejo-Magnolia Center game at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Los Alamos Hills Park in Murrieta.

Colton Ken Hubbs continued to pour it on Vista National in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to take a commanding 12-0 advantage. Unless Vista National scores three or more runs in the bottom of the fifth, Ken Hubbs will win via mercy rule.

Robert Rivas had the big hit of the inning for Ken Hubbs with a two-run single to score Patrick Mejia and David Robles. Rivas, who scored on a wild pitch later in the inning, has five RBI today. Robles knocked in Ralph Martinez with a single while Andrew Contreras scored his third run of the game on a groundout by Diamond Garcilazo.

Vista National made its best effort to get back into its game with Colton Ken Hubbs in the bottom of the fourth, using an infield single by Billy Roth and two walks to load the bases with two outs.

Ralph Martinez worked himself out of the jam though, inducing a grounder to shortstop Joe Ayala, who forced out Carston Nyenhuis at second to end the threat.

Ken Hubbs centerfielder Robert Rivas jacked a three-run shot off Vista National reliever Chad Woolsey in the top of the fourth, increasing its lead to 7-0. Rivas' shot, a line drive to left-center, scored David Robles and Cruz Duke.

Duke was pinch-running for Andrew Contreras, who has been noticably gimpy since being hit in the knee by a pitch in the third inning. Contreras is the third Ken Hubbs injury in as many days, as Ralph Martinez injured his ribs being hit by a pitch Saturday while Jake Ayala sat out today's game after fouling a ball off his batting helmet yesterday.

Now to the bottom of the fourth.

Steven Carranza hit a bases-loaded double in the third to score Jesus Santos and Diamond Garcilazo, staking the Colton team to a 4-0 lead.

Vista National threatened during the bottom of the inning, as a couple of Ken Hubbs errors and a single put runners on second and third. But Ken Hubbs pitcher Ralph Martinez induced his sixth groundout of the game, forcing Anthony Pallonetti to ground to short to end the threat.

After getting hit by a pitch on his knee, Andrew Contreras used two wild pitches and a fielder's choice to score Hubbs' second run in the top of the third inning.

The wildness of Vista National starter Jason Vanjen came to a head later in the inning. After two hit batters and three wild pitches, sandwiched by a double for Ken Hubbs' Diamond Garcilazo, loaded the bases with one out, Vanjen was pulled for Jon Cebreros.

Ken Hubbs starting pitcher Ralph Martinez has it going early, only using 18 pitches in two innings to retire the first six Vista National batters in order. Martinez has zero strikeouts, but has induced five ground-ball outs.

Ken Hubbs up 1-0, going into the top of the third.

Colton Ken Hubbs scored a run in the top of the first and retired Vista National in order to grab a 1-0 lead going into the second inning. Shortstop Andrew Contreras hit a one-out double and advanced the rest of the way thanks to two wild pitches by Vista National pitcher Jason Vanjen.

Contreras' run home was pretty impressive, as he made a nifty slide to evade Vanjen's tag. He also made a nice pick on a Justin Ennis grounder in the bottom of the inning, throwing out the Vista National right fielder by a step.

Thanks to the unpage.org, we're able to track the Hawaii Little League tournament and one team has emerged as the dominant force there -- Honolulu's Kaimuki, which has won its first three games.

Kaimuki opened the tourney with a 10-0 win over Hilo National, followed it with a 5-1 win over Kailua and then posted an 8-5 win over Central East Maui. Kaimuki faces either West Oahu, Waipio (which represented the state in the West last year) or Central East Maui in the championship series.

 

Here's a link to a story in the Maui news about one Kaimuki's games

And here's one more .. read here

Colton's Ken Hubbs Memorial Little League can keep its hopes alive of advancing to the Western Regional tonight if it can get past Vista National, but that won't be an easy task.

Tonight's game starts at 5 p.m. at Los Alamos Park in Murrieta.

Vista National walloped Ken Hubbs in the first day of the Southern California South Sectional tournament, 12-3. Vista National, however, got stomped 11-0 by Riverside Magnolia Center in a game on Sunday.

Whoever loses tonight's game goes home.

As for Magnolia Center it has now won 10 consecutive games and has done so in convincing fashion. Some Little League insiders suggested that this might be the best team in So Cal, but it's extremely difficult to tell with 11- and 12-year-old player.

However, consider this: In its last seven games, Magnolia Center has outscored its opponents 75-17 and has two consecutive shutouts; the offense has produced double-digit runs in five of those seven games.

Tonight, Magnolia Center faces off against Aliso Viejo National, which has shown some offensive muscle during all-star season. Aliso Viejo is 8-1 in all-star play, losing its last game in the District 24 tournament. In it nine games, Aliso Viejo has outscored its opponents 100-27.

 

Faced with elimination on Sunday, Colton Ken Hubbs rallied itself to post a 7-4 victory over Lemon Grove in the Southern California Southern Sectional tournament at Murrieta's Los Alamos Park. 

North Boise will play in the Idaho Little League tournament starting on Friday against either Post Falls or Coeur d'Alene in a best-of-three series in Boise. 

Murrayhill, which has been to nine regional tournaments in San Bernardino, is looking for its 10th appearance and got off to a great start with a 10-0 victory over St. Helens on Saturday in the Oregon Little League tournament.

Earlier today we posted the standings of the Arizona Little League, which is ongoing in Flagstaff, and we didn't have the score from the Verde Valley-Douglas game, which was won by Verde Valley, 11-0 on Saturday night. 

Mill Creek, the host of the Washington Little League tourney, opened the tournament by unloading its offense against Richmond in a 16-1 victory on Sunday evening. Mill Creek blew the game open in the second inning with seven runs. It was the second most runs scored so far in the tournament but it was also the biggest margin of victory.

Henderson Paseo Verde opened the Nevada Little League tournament by crushing host Elko in the first round 18-1. Washoe defeated Las Vegas Mountain Ridge 15-11 in the second game of the tournament. 

photo by Will Lester/Staff Photographer

LaVerne American stopped Tustin Eastern 6-3 in the Southern California North Sectional tournament in Orange on Sunday. La Verne will continue play in the winner's bracket when it faces off against Goleta Dos Pueblos at 6 p.m. on Monday back at Handy Park in Orange. The winner of that game advances to the sectional's championship series. 

View the photo gallery here ... 

Bainbridge Island topped Steel Lake 7-5 on Sunday to move into the third round of the Washington Little League tournament being played in Mill Creek. 

Pool A

Vista National pounded out a 12-3 victory over Colton Ken Hubbs on Saturday afternoon in the Southern California South Sectional at Murrieta's Los Alamos park. Hubbs will now have to battle back Sunday against the loser of Saturday night's Lemon Grove and Aliso Niguel game.

While Hubbs was being dealt a setback, La Verne American topped Torrance 10-3 in the Southern California North Sectional being played in Orange. La Verne American will play Tustin Eastern on Sunday at 1 p.m.

When it comes to covering Little League, the folks in Washington do a very good job of it with real-time updating and Webcasts. Pretty cool stuff.  Here's what we found on the Salmon Creek Little League Web site.

Salmon Creek opened play in the state tournament with a 5-1 win over Redmond North

Sam Walker, Alec Chaney and Ian Hamilton comgined to allow only 1 run on 2 hits and 13 strikeouts over 6 innings.

Salmon Creek began their scoring in the 1st with 1 out. Jordan Freese doubled and later scored on an infield hit by Brian Valentine.

Salmon Creek added 2 more runns in the top fo the 3rd. Curtis Perrin doubled, Jordan Freese walked, Ian Hamilton singled to load the bases. Sam Walker was hit by a pitch to force home one run and Brian Valentine knocked in a run on a fielder's choice.

In the 5th, Jordan Frees and Ian Hamilton both hit back to back solo homers to put the run total at 5.

Fot the game Freese was 3-3 with 3 runs socred. Ian Hamilton was 3-4.

Salmon Creek plays their second game at 3pm on the 20th of July.

Verde Valley opened the first two games of the Arizona Little League tournament by steamrolling its first two opponents with 33 runs. Verde Valley, located just south of Flagstaff, defeated Payson 11-2 in the first game on Wednesday. It then followed up with a 22-2 victory over Bullhead City on Thursday. The 22 runs were tournament high.

Playing in Pool A, Verde Valley is tied at 2-0 with Arrowhead, and the two teams were slated to play each other on Friday night. Results had not been posted on state tournament's Web site as of 11:40 p.m.

In Pool B, Scottsdale McCormick Ranch and Mesa Desert Ridge have jumped out to a 2-0 start. Both teams have used big offensive efforts to dominate in the first two games of the tourney. The two teams will meet on Monday afternoon.

McCormick Ranch is one of four programs with past Western Regional experience, but it hasn't been to San Bernardino in 10 years.

The first day of the Washington Little League tournament has finished with Bainbridge Island and Greater Richland posting impressive victories.

Bainbridge Island scored an impressive 13-2 victory over West Seattle on Friday afternoon. Bainbridge scored five runs in the first inning and was never threatened. Bainbridge is looking for its first return trip to the Northwest Regional since 2001. Bainbridge faces Steel Lake, which won the district that produced two-time Washington champ Kent, on Sunday afternoon.

Greater Richland posted a 9-0 shutout over Central Vancouver. Richland will play Spokane Southwest on Sunday.

The tournament gets really rolling on Saturday with three games, including a battle between Redmond North and Salmon Creek at 2 p.m.

Hubbs wins 8-0. Hubbs now advances to the SoCal South tournament in Murrieta this weekend. The Colton team is now two rounds away from earning a trip to the Western Regional tournament.

Andrew Contreras hits a two-run homer in the fifth inning - his second of the game and fifth of the tourney - as Hubbs increases its lead to 8-0.  

Hubbs adds three runs in the fourth, on a two-run double by Ralphy Martinez and a run-scoring single by Diamond Garcilazo. It is now 6-0 and the Colton team is threatening to run away with it. Upland Foothill coming up to bat.

It is now 3-0 in the top of the fourth with two on and one out and Upland Foothill starter Grant Hockin has been replaced by Matt Donley.

Colton team now ahead 3-0 after scoring two runs in the top of the third - on a solo home run from Andrew Contreras and a run-scoring single by Joe Ayala.  

Hubbs now leading 2-0 after shortstop Andrew Contreras leads off third inning with a home run over the fence in center field. 

Hubbs leads 1-0 in the bottom of the second after run-scoring single by third baseman Patrick Mejia in top of the inning.

An amusing element of Little League baseball circa 2008 is batters habitually asking for time out as they set themselves in the batter's box. They do it by raising their right hand (or left, if they're left-handed).

Years ago, there was none of this. Blame it on television.

Today's Little Leaguers may not even know why they are asking for a time out as they settle in. It's theoretically to avoid getting "quick-pitched." For those not in the know, a quick pitch is when an unscrupulous pitcher throws the ball before the batter is ready in hopes of getting an easy strike.

Truth is, it almost never happens. This is the fifth Section 8 game I've covered and nobody has attempted a quick pitch. Chalk it up as a meaningless Little League tic - the baseball version of a basketball player wiping non-existent dust off the bottom of his shoes. 

Colton's Ken Hubbs All-Stars stand for the National Anthem at Red Hill Park in Rancho Cucamonga. Therese Tran/Staff Photographer.

The fans have invaded Red Hill Park for tonight's Ken Hubbs vs. Upland Foothill Section 8 championship game like ants drawn to a picnic.

"I can't believe how many people are here," said one Little League official.

Parking was scarce, with the parking lot filling up quickly, as well as the streets adjacent to the park. Attendance estimate: 400. .  

 

 

"

Ran into Lisa and Tim Kelly at Wednesday night's Upland Foothill vs. Ken Hubbs Little League game. The Kellys formerly coached the girls basketball team at Silverado High School. They are also the aunt and uncle, respectively, of Hubbs third baseman Patrick Mejia.

Mejia ended Wednesday night's game by fielding a hard ground ball and retiring the final Upland Foothill batter to secure a 4-3 Hubbs victory.

Making an appearance at tonight's game is Western Regional director Jim Gerstenslager, who is already fired up for the regional, which begins on Aug. 1. 

Redmond North is coming out of the Washington District 9 tournament unbeaten heading into the opening games of the Washington state tournament, which begins Friday in Mill Creek, Wash. Redmond North was the last program from the state to reach the Little League World Series -- back in 2004.

 

Three former state champs in the mix for 2008 Washington title

Washington's Little League state tournament has had huge impact on the West and Northwest regional tournaments, because the winners have traditionally been one of the dominant teams to play in San Bernardino.

Since 2000, Washington teams are 36-8 in regional tournaments with four appearances in the Little League World Series. Last year's Washington representative, Kent, put on a spectacular offensive display during the regional before losing in the Northwest title to Lake Oswego, Ore.

This year, three programs in the state tournament have reached the regional in previous years. Redmond North, Bainbridge Island and Mill Creek have all played in the regional since 2001. Redmond North reached the Little League World Series in 2004 -- the last time a Washington team went to Williamsport, Pa.  Bainbridge Island advanced to the Little League World Series in 2001.

Eleven of the 12 Washington districts have qualified for the state tournament, which  begins Friday in Mill Creek, Wash. The teams are Mill Creek, Steel Lake, South Skagit National, Greater Richland, Larch Mountain, Centeral Vancouver, North East Seattle, Redmond North, Salmon Creek, Spokane Southwest and West Seattle. Only the District 5 representative is missing.

The tournament concludes on Sunday, July 27.

 

Murrayhill's 2008 bunch looks like a favorite to make its 10th appearance in San Bernardino since 1993.

Beaverton's Murrayhill Little League was a powerful bunch in 2006 and won the Northwest Regional, and it looks like it is in good position for a return trip to San Bernardino.

Murrayhill has dominated the powerful District 4 tournament by outscoring its opponents 60-3, including a 14-2 win over defending champion Lake Oswego. In 2006, Murrayhill reached the U.S. title game at the Little League World Series.

It looks like it will be the team to beat when the Oregon Little League state tournament begins on Friday. Murrayhill has dominated Oregon baseball since 1993 with nine regional appearances. Murrayhill reached the regional in four consecutive years from 2003 to 2006.

The Nevada Little League state tournament will be played in the Elko area starting Thursday. The four teams are set with Washoe, Paseo Verde, Elko and Mountain Ridge competing for a trip to the Western Regional.

This tournament marks a changing of the guard for Nevada Little League at the regional, because Green Valley is not in this year's field. The Henderson-based league has been a dominant player in the Nevada tournament, but this year was beaten by Paseo Verde in the District 4 tourney. All four of the teams competing this year will be first-time competitors in San Bernardino.

Teams are beginning the qualifying process for the Washington Little League state tournament, which begins Friday in the city of Mill Creek. Some of the programs that have already qualified are: Salmon Creek, Bainbridge Island, West Seattle and Spokane Southwest. The tournament concludes on Sunday, July 27.

Arizona's expansive Little League state championship is set to get under way starting Thursday in Flagstaff.

The 12-team round-robin tournament stretches for 10 days at the Continental Little League Complex. The championship will be decided at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. The winner, of course, gets a trip to the Western Regional in San Bernardino.

Arizona has won the last two Western Regionals and should be one of the favorites in 2008. Of the 12 programs competing, four have played in the regional in the last 13 years, including Phoenix's Ahwatukee, which won the 2007 regional and advanced to the Little League World Series.

Arizona has dominated the Western Region over the last five years by winning three titles and going 23-5. Arizona currently has a 10-game winning streak.

The teams in the tournament are Verde Valley, Payson, Mesa Southern, Bullhead City, Arrowhead (Glendale), High Desert (Anthem), Randolf (Tuscon), Desert Ridge (Mesa), Mt. Graham, Maricopa, Ahwatukee and McCormick Ranch (Scottsdale).

Arrowhead reached the Western Regional in 2002, McCormick Ranch in 1998 and Bullhead City in 1995. 

Follow the action by visiting the state tournament website here. 

Cedar American became the first team to qualify for the 2008 Little League West Regional Tournament by defeating rival Cedar National 8-4 in the Utah Championship on Saturday (July 12) in Cedar City.

The St. George Spectrum reported that Cedar American scored seven runs in its half of the third to pull ahead for good against Cedar National.

Cedar American's win means that for the first time in 15 years a team from Cedar City will play in San Bernardino at Al Houghton Stadium. It was Cedar National that was the last team from the southern Utah city to reach regional.

In recent years, Utah has struggled in the regional against powerful teams from Southern California, Northern California, Nevada and Arizona. Utah has lost 16 consecutive games dating back to 2004. Utah's last win, which came from a team from Taylorsville, was a 2-1 victory in 2002 against Laramie, Wyo. The state was not represented in 2003.

Since 2000, Utah teams are 7-22 in the tournament. However, only a small portion of Utah communities play Little League-sanctioned baseball.

Utah's first game will be at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 1 against two-time defending West champion Arizona.

Utah is currently playing its state championship right now in Cedar City. Read the coverage from the St. George Spectrum