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LLWS US final: Ohio hopes to upset Nevada in rematch for US championship

By Chris Masse 7 min read

Tim Nichting started coaching Little League Baseball 43 years ago. Along the way, he has helped the West Side Little League from Hamilton, Ohio capture 15 state championships and make five of its U.S. record six Little League World Series appearances.

But as great as those previous 42 years were, No. 43 has become the best. And now his team is trying to become the country's best.

Hamilton has won five straight elimination games and earned a spot in Saturday's U.S. championship against the Paseo Verde Little League from Henderson, Nevada. That is the same team which handed Hamilton its lone defeat this summer, rallying for a dramatic, 6-5 walk-off victory eight days ago.

All that matters now, however, is this game and this moment. It's one 43 years in the making.

"I'm proud ... Proud of my kids; proud of Hamilton," Nichting said. "I've done this forever. Wow, that's all I can say. It's hard to believe where we are."

The last time Hamilton reached this point came five years ago when it played Michigan for the national championship. That team was led by current coach Ken Coomer, who is here for a fourth time. So, while all 12 players are competing at the Series for the first time, they are led by the most experienced Series coaches in U.S. history.

Put it all together and Hamilton has come roaring back from that loss against Henderson. It has won five games during a six-day span, outscoring the opposition, 39-6. The games have come fast and furious and that makes it feel like a much longer time ago.

But what a game that was and what a rematch this could be.

"The craziest part is I don't even remember losing that first game now," Nichting said. "Kenny did that in 2021. His team got on a flow. I think we're on a roll right now. We're going to keep at the grind."

Henderson has defined itself through a similar grind, entering the national final undefeated this summer. The Mountain champions are trying to become Nevada's second straight U.S. champion after Summerlin South from Las Vegas took the crown last year. They also caught fire since that first Ohio game, scoring 23 straight runs from the fourth inning through the sixth inning of its third Series win against Iowa last Wednesday.

That the first game went the way it did is not surprising. It feels like these teams are mirror images, displaying balance, depth and tenacity. All those qualities helped Henderson follow up its Hamilton win by outscoring Washington and Iowa, 19-6.

"I think our team is capable of doing that against anybody. I have to have that confidence," Henderson manager Cory Edwards said following the Iowa win. "If we don't have that kind of confidence that it could be anybody (in the lineup) than I don't think we should be here."

Henderson has proven every game that it belongs here, erasing a 5-2 fourth inning deficit against Ohio and winning on Hudson Cowley's two-out walk-off single. And while some eliminated teams have been defined by superstar-like power, this team has been so dangerous because all its hitters are so dangerous.

All but one had a hit against Washington and Henderson has 23 hits in its last two wins. It is hitting a U.S.-best .351 and has a .440 on-base percentage. Equally impressive, nine of the 12 players are hitting .333 or higher.

As good as the offense has been, the pitching has been just as impressive. Again, that unit is defined as much by its production as its depth. Six pitchers have combined to post a 2.67 ERA. Before Iowa finished strong Wednesday, those pitchers also threw 13 2/3 straight scoreless innings. Just as exciting for Henderson is that all those pitchers are eligible to throw today.

"I think we have a lot of depth," Edwards said. "Pitching and defense wins, I think."

"Credit to that Nevada team," Iowa manager Mark Erwin said. "Their pitchers kept us off-balance."

Two years ago the Paseo Verde made its Series debut and won two games, reaching the country's Final 4. This team grabbed the baton from that super team and has now nearly taken its league and city the distance. Two big prizes remain out there, but this team certainly has carved out quite a legacy.

"It feels great because we've done one of the best jobs of all of our teams," outfielder Michael Guerrero said. "It's exciting."

Carving out a similar niche at West Side Little League is mighty difficult but this Hamilton team has done so, matching the 2021 national finalist as the league's best teams ever. Not surprisingly, it has done so in a nearly identical way as Henderson.

A ferocious offense is producing up and down the order and whoever the coaching staff has called up on the mound has delivered. The Great Lakes champions have produced 12 hits in consecutive games and are right behind Henderson in batting average at .336.

Henderson is a team which grinds out at-bats and Hamilton hitters have been some of the best grinders in Series history. In fact, they have drawn a Series record 40 walks, posting a .487 on-base percentage. Boone Treadway has drawn a record 11 walks and Josiah Infante and Jack McAdams each lead the Series with nine hits.

"That's our M.O. We're going to be patient," Nichting said. "If a kid is throwing strikes, we'll start swinging but we're going to test them out early and if he's not throwing strikes than we'll be more patient."

Hamilton saw more strikes in its last two games and went off, scoring four runs in the top of the first both times. It also has scored at least three runs in six innings during those games and Bryson Williams has five hits in those past two. He is one of six players hitting .333 or higher.

"Great Lakes 1-12 is a heck of a ball club. It was fun to compete against them," Alabama manager Case Rasmus said. "They hit the baseball. My goodness, they hit the baseball."

So does Henderson. And like Henderson, Hamilton features six pitchers who have shined, combining for a 1.78 ERA and 35 strikeouts. Staff ace Boone Treadway, also a sensational shortstop, is eligble to pitch today and has 13 strikeouts. He opposed Owen Guzman the first time, but each team dug into their bullpens in that contest as Henderson rallied for the win and taught Hamilton a valuable lesson.

"We just need to stay focused," Williams said. "Once we got the lead we started falling down thinking we were going to win."

Since then, Hamilton coaches have used more than that loss as motivation. It's been more about what would be coming if they lost one of those next five games.

"We tell them they could be at school tomorrow. It'll be fun being at school," Nichting said with a laugh. "They get a little antsy at that and say no, so we play games with them."

Now, both Hamilton and Henderson will be taking their summer as far as they can go. The winner plays Sunday against the International champion, either Japan or Curacao, for the world championship. The losers of those games will play for third place.

Either way, school is coming. But what incredible stories both teams will be sharing. The only question now is how both books end.

"We saw Great Lakes at Whitestown at regionals. They're a good team. They move the ball; have several pitchers and hit the ball very well," Erwin said. "Mountain is the same way. They move the ball and put the ball in play. They do all the little things.

"That's going to be a good game."

Starting at /week.