Smithfield LL has proven itself as a tough team
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Smithfield, Rhode Island lost standout second baseman and leading hitter Henry Begnoche during the state tournament. It also lost its opening tournament games there and at the Metro Regional.
But here Smithfield stands at the Little League World Series, becoming one of the world's top 20 Little League Baseball teams. Begnoche has provided moral support, the players have kept fighting on, the coaches have pushed all the right buttons and Smithfield has made history, reaching the Series for the first time after capturing the league's first state championship since 1967.
Smithfield long ago proved itself as an outstanding baseball team. It has spent this summer proving that it is a mighty tough one as well.
"We might lose a game, but we're never out of a game. We learn from mistakes that we made, moved on and we're here," Smithfield manager and league president Eric Gibree said. "I wasn't surprised at all by the toughness these kids have shown."
This core group has played together the last four years and captured the district title in 10U before winning states and reaching the regional semifinals last season at 11U. Smithfield had only 17 12-year-olds in its league this season but all of them can play and they never shied away from competition, often playing bigger teams in inter-league games or scrimmages against excellent travel ball squads.
Six players also are tremendous basketball players who have helped Smithfield capture three straight state championships. In that sense, Smithfield has become callous to big-game situations and environments. Still, considering the ramifications, what this team has done this summer has provided its best showcase of both its tenacity and resilience.
Its 7-0 record in elimination games the past two tournaments drives home that point.
"One of things that impresses me the most about this team is their mental toughness. They believe in themselves and, most importantly, believe in each other," Smithfield lifetime board member Charlie Kando said. "Many of them have been playing baseball, in addition to other sports, together for years and are a close-knit group of friends. If someone gets injured, the next player steps in to take over."
That is exactly what happened following Begnoche's injury. Instead of falling part, Smithfield players rallied around each other and kept going strong. Each player has done his part and all have their fingerprints over this historic run.
Above all that, each player has revealed his character and refused to let adversity defeat him. Cranston Western, the 1996 U.S. Champion, edged Smithfield, 2-1 in the state tournament opener. Battling a loaded field, Smithfield refocused, regrouped and won the next four games, two in thrilling fashion.
Cranston Western led Smithfield 3-1 in the sixth inning of the semifinals before Smithfield rallied for a 5-4 victory. Smithfield then swept two games from undefeated South Kingston, winning both by one run and taking the final game, 2-1 on a walk-off hit.
"They have confidence in each other. At this level it's not unusual to see players yell at each other when something goes bad, but I rarely see that with this group," Kando, a former league president, said. "They pick each other up when things go bad and they battle back as a team, not as a group of individuals."
Smithfield showed that again at the Metro Regional. Defending champion Massapequa, New York, routed Smithfield, 10-1 in the opener, again forcing it to have to navigate the long road toward a championship. Again, Smithfield was unfazed. The players rolled up their sleeves, went back to work and defeated Connecticut and New Jersey to earn a rematch against New York.
New York had its ace ready, but Smithfield again seized on its second chance and dominated the game, scoring three first-inning runs and cruising to a 7-1 victory. History and a Series berth were theirs.
Nobody wants to lose, but if it's not a season-ender, then the show goes on. Smithfield learned, improved following each defeat and came back a better team and, ultimately, a champion again.
"They've had so much success in previous years so that sometimes you need to get kicked in the rear end a little bit and realize people are coming after you," said Gibree, also the basketball coach for those three consecutive basketball state championships. "They were a little bit complacent and kind of a sleep for a couple innings of a game and maybe would fall behind 1-0 and then put up a 15-spot. It took us a little while to get kids to realize you just can't flip the switch that way. You have to be ready when you get out of the car. Losing those games at states and regionals was a wake-up call and they came back strong."
Smithfield has had some strong teams in the past but it plays in Rhode Island's most competitive district, District 4. That district includes Cumberland American and Lincoln, teams which have combined for four Series appearances during the 2000s.
Now, the district has a new powerhouse and iron sharpened iron, preparing Smithfield well for what it would see at states, regionals and the Series. Smithfield had some of the pieces in the past, but with Gibree and his staff leading the way and the players embracing their roles, everything finally fit this season.
"In terms of this year's 12-year-old all-stars, this is the most impressive group all-around that I've seen, both a skill level and from a mental toughness level," said Kando who has been a member of the board for 25 years. "Over the years Smithfield has had many talented teams, and I've heard many people proclaim that, 'This year we're going to Williamsport,' but that has never happened until this year."
At the heart of that breakthrough is this team's collective heart. Smithfield revealed it yet again in that regional final against New York. Catcher Connor Queenan suffered a fourth inning injury and temporarily exited the field. An inning later, the team's lead-off hitter was back and belted a two-strike pitch the opposite way into left field for a double. That double ignited a two-run rally and Smithfield went up, 7-1.
Smithfield has absorbed some blows, but it keeps moving forward and time after time has been the one which ultimately lands the knockout punch. A hard-working group which reflects its town's values has been embraced by not just Smithfield, but all of Rhode Island.
What a show these fighters have provided their countless fans.
"The support they've gotten has been huge, just huge," Gibree said. "We have so many friends who coach in other leagues and in other programs who have been texting us and telling us what we're doing is absolutely crazy. It's truly amazing.
"Everybody wants to be get here and we're the ones that have made it here."