Uganda pitcher Tom Agaku had just one complaint after tossing out the opening pitch at Sunday's Williamsport Crosscutters game.
His small complaint was wishing the mound was a little closer, and who could blame him after playing two games at the Little League World Series.
But, despite the distance from the mound to home plate, which might have seemed like a short length compared to the 7,234 miles the team traveled just to get to Williamsport, Agaku reached the catcher to a standing ovation.
"The mound was too far," Agaku said with a smile. "It took a lot to push the ball from there. It felt good."
It was another display of the amount of support the Uganda team has received from the area.
"Every other person entering the shop is asking for Uganda stuff," souvenir shop employee Stefanie Steele said.
Prior to arriving last week, the team had played on all dirt fields and, at times, was forced to take infield in soccer cleats or in their bare feet. But, since landing in Williamsport, the team has been treated to near celebrity status.
"It's been the most popular team we have," Steele said. "We have had steady crowds all week and we probably sold out by the second day they were here. We are doing a re-order and stuff should be here today."
Throughout the week, Uganda has been a crowd favorite. And the support has not gone unnoticed by the team. Due to the price of travel, most of the players' parents were unable to make the long trip to Williamsport, which adds to the value of the hometown support.
"It's a very great experience in that it's one step to get here," Uganda manager Henry Odong said. "Now they can associate with other kids and explain how they got here. To bring them here is a sign that this is where I wanted them to be. Now they know if they can play well we will bring them here."
Uganda nearly missed out on its shot to become the first team to qualify for the Little League World Series out of Africa.
In the team's first regional qualifier, after it made the trip to Kutno, Poland, for the Middle East/Africa tournament, it fell to Saudi Arabia after a two-run home run in the top of the sixth spoiled a 1-0 lead it held throughout the contest.
The 2-1 defeat only seemed to add to the team's appeal and the unlikely story as Uganda rallied to drive through the tournament.
Uganda ripped off four consecutive wins, and defeated Kuwait, 5-2, to make history as the first team to qualify out of Africa.
The Uganda Little League team, made up mostly of 11-years-olds, outscored the opposition 33-5 in the four must-win games.
Due to Uganda Mehta Little League's short existence, it struggles at times to provide equipment and proper field conditions for the players.
In its brief time, though, the league has managed to support roughly 15,000 players with a mere 700 gloves that are shared between teams.
"I got to speak with their coach a little bit," Williamsport Crosscutters manager Andy Tracy said. "I told him congratulations and told him I hoped the team was having a good time. He told me they were still loving it over here and looked forward to working hard to come back.
"It's good for our kids to see how much those guys enjoy playing the game. They don't have all the amenities we have and I want to the guys to realize how lucky they are to be in the United States and have the opportunity to do whatever they want. And not just baseball, any activity they want."
After Agaku tossed the pitch out to a loud cheer from the crowd, Uganda passed around a baseball, which each player signed. The ball then was shipped to Cooperstown, N.Y., where it will be a permanent fixture at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
"It feels so good," Agaku said moments after tossing the opening pitch out.
