Stella Weaver is a solid ball player, period
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Coming off the bat, it appeared Florida slugger James Feliciano might have launched a game-tying, two-run home run. If not a home run, it surely was going for an RBI double off the wall.
The Nolensville, Tennessee left fielder had other ideas. The 12-year-old read the ball well off the bat, hustled back and made a spectacular catch against the wall. Instead of Florida tying the game or pulling within a run, that left fielder preserved a two-run lead and Nolensville soon clinched its third straight Little League World Series berth, winning, 4-1.
Oh yeah, the left fielder just happens to be a girl.
Stella Weaver is her name and she will become the 22nd girl to play in the Series Friday afternoon when Nolensville plays its first game. Really, though, gender is insignificant.
The bottom line is Weaver can play, period.
"That was the turning point of the (Florida) game. They have a couple runners on and she makes that catch for the third out on the warning track and she had to go a long way. It looks a lot easier than it was because of how good she is," Nolensville manager Randy Huth said. "That play is a very difficult play to make. She made it look routine and it's not routine, but Stella did her thing."
Weaver doing her thing has helped Nolensville make history, becoming just the second U.S. team--and the first in more than 70 years--to reach the Series three straight years. Weaver is the first female to play Little League Baseball in Nolensville and has made quite an impact during her rookie season.
It's a team effort and ever Nolensville player has done his and her part. Still, take away Weaver and Nolensville is likely not playing in South Williamsport today. She's that big a difference-maker.
Nolensville Little League president Dave Jones knew it the first time he watched Weaver play.
Weaver, the youngest of four siblings, and her family moved from Virginia during the offseason. When Weaver hit the field at tryouts, Jones realized an already elite league was adding another weapon.
"From the first day we had evaluations, I told Randy she's something special," said Jones, who, along with Huth, coached Weaver's regular-season team. "I said she's going to do something special and she did just that."
Weaver has done it wherever she has been asked to play as well. She can play virtually any position and has shined as a pitcher, first baseman, shortstop and outfielder all spring and summer. That was again obvious at the Southeast regional where Weaver was overpowering on the mound, while hitting .364 with a triple.
A five-tool threat who started playing baseball a few years ago because she found it more fun than softball, Weaver is one of her league's fastest runners and turned a slow roller toward the mound into a key infield single against Florida. Five days earlier, Weaver touched nearly 70 miles per hour and helped Nolensville open its title defense strong, throwing a brilliant two-hit shutout, while striking out seven with no walks in a 10-0 win against Alabama.
Nolensville faces a tough road just getting through District 7 in Tennessee since two-time U.S. finalist and 2012 national champion Goodlettsville also plays there. Weaver helped Nolensville vault past that perennial giant when she made a diving catch which saved two runs while also going 2 for 2 with a double and two RBIs in the district championship.
"She can play any position you put her at and be as good or better than a lot of the boys there," Jones said. "She's a phenomenal athlete."
Three females have played at the Series since Mo'ne Davis took the world by storm in 2014 when she used her mighty right arm to help the Taney Youth Little League from Philadelphia finish third in the U.S. Ironically, she became an International superstar after throwing a brilliant two-hit shutout in her Series debut against Nolensville, a performance which landed Davis on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
As good as those females who have followed in Davis's footsteps since then have been, none has captivated the worldwide audience quite like Davis, now a college graduate who is interning with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A lot of that is because those players were not pitchers. The Series had never seen someone like Davis before but Weaver has the same dual threat pitching-hitting combination and could become a breakthrough star.
"I'm sure it's questioned by several people because of the hype and press Mo'ne Davis got that they could think this is a publicity stunt for us but, obviously, that's not the case," Jones said. "Her play proves her point just like Mo'ne Davis's play proved her point."
"The fact that it's been nearly 10 years since we've seen a girl of this caliber says it all," Huth said. "Because of the exposure she got, Mo'ne's World Series appearance changed her life. She received opportunities she might not have had without playing here and the same thing may happen with Stella. I think when it's over you're going to see her on a Wheaties box."
That's quite a compliment, but it's not hyperbole. Huth is the only manager in U.S. history to lead three straight teams to a Series, so is not only a tremendous coach, but also an excellent talent evaluator.
He and Jones watched Weaver become one of the best players in one of the country's best Little Leagues throughout the season. She was among the league's hitting and pitching leaders and also one of its fastest runners. Watch her pursue a flyball and/or hustle down the baseline and good luck finding someone who will get there quicker.
The film doesn't lie and the only difference between Weaver and the other all-stars at the Series is her gender. The team calls itself "The Nolo boys and Stella." Huth introduced his team on national television as "Stella and the Fellas." At the end of the day, all understand they are bonded as one. For lack of a better phrase, Weaver still is just one of the boys.
"We know it's going to get a lot of attention because she's a girl and there are not a lot of girls who do what Stella does, but we don't consider her any different inside the circle. She's just one of the baseball players," Huth said. "We understand the significance of Stella playing in these big games as a female. We never want to overlook it and take it for granted, but we never treat her any different."
"Stella is inspiring," Nolensville mayor Halie Gallik said. "We have a very active youth sports community and we are so proud of the kids."
Weaver can do and essentially has done it all this summer. Now she gets to show her stuff on the biggest Little League stage possible. However the tournament plays out, Weaver has made her mark and become a role model for aspiring younger players everywhere.
"I told Stella 'You're on this team because you deserve to be on this team. Don't ever forget that,'" Jones said. "Just like any other team, we take the best 12 players for any kind of district, state or regional game and she is, without question, one of the 12 best players in the league."
Now Weaver is one of the best Little League players in the world.