Teams eliminated at LLWS got to live the dream this summer
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Only two American teams remain at the Little League World Series. Win or lose, though, all 10 teams have lived a dream this summer and being eliminated does not diminish their achievements.
With that in mind the following is a final look at those American teams eliminated thus far. The California-Washington loser is not included since that game ended after the paper went to press. The teams are listed in the order they were eliminated.
Gray, Maine
When Gray, Maine coach Mike Amergian checked his phone following his team's Series games he would see 130 or more messages.
That reveals the impact this team had on the Gray/New Gloucester/Raymond community. This team became just the second from Maine to reach the Series and the first since 2005, going undefeated on the way to South Williamsport.
"Those fans are fantastic. So many people came down from Maine to see these boys play. School teachers, kids I haven't seen in a long time, distant relatives coming from Florida and New Jersey and from all over to be with these boys and show their support," Amergian said. "I know that at our home base in GNG/Raymond that place must have been going nuts. It's amazing."
Before this memorable run, Gray had never won a district championship. That was the initial goal and once achieved, Gray just kept going and left a mark which never will be erased. Gray steamrolled its way through the state tournament before winning a 2-1 thriller against Massachusetts and taking the New England championship.
Gray lost against Washington and Pennsylvania at the Series but never wavered in its effort. Along the way, this team brought out the best in themselves and in the community. What a celebration they are receiving back home now.
"We picked from 50 kids for all-stars this year. There are other states that have 200 that come to try out." Amergian said. "It's amazing what they've got going there in Gray. It's a great group of kids. They're so special."
New Albany, Ohio
New Albany manager Tim Bush feels the same way about his decorated team. Like Maine, New Albany went winless at the Series. That was insignificant, however, since this team already had achieved so much and broke new ground for its league.
New Albany captured the program's second state championship and first since 2018, while also reaching the Series for the first time. This team also won its third consecutive state crown at a different age division, while dethroning perennial power and 2021 U.S. Finalist Hamilton in two walk-off state final games.
"We're at the Little League World Series. I told the boys, 'You're in the top 20 in the world. That's pretty good. You should keep your head high because you're going to be a big deal when you get home,'" Bush said. "These are memories they will never forget."
That is doubly true because these players enjoyed every minute along this journey. Bush said workers at the Great Lakes Regional commented about how his players always seemed to be enjoying themselves and living in the moment.
What moments they created along the way. New Albany went undefeated until regionals before avenging its lone loss there and blanking Illinois in the final. The run is now over but what a legacy New Albany leaves.
"We told the boys you're going to be in each other's weddings some day in 15 years and you're going to be talking about this. They'll be talking about how much fun they had and everything they did along the way," Bush said. "You just want to understand you had a good time, you learned a lot, you met new people and everything about the experience was awesome."
Fargo, North Dakota
The Fargo Little Leaguers could not take their field until April 25 following a harsh winter. But they sure made up for lost time and became the best Little League team in their state's history.
Fargo became the first North Dakota team to ever play at the Series after defeating two-time qualifier Sioux Falls, South Dakota in a riveting Midwest final. Fargo then gave U.S. Finalist Texas a battle in its opener before battling hard against Nevada in its final Series game.
"To have 13,000-14,000 people there is huge for us," Hanson said after his team played in front of a big crowd last Sunday. "We play at a field that probably holds 100. It's special for North Dakota."
Although it did not win a Series game, Fargo was competitive in both games and was tied with Texas 2-2 late in its opener. North Dakota was hoping to show it belonged on the big stage with other states which traditionally have enjoyed more baseball success and did just that.
And based on what this team did, the good times may just be getting started.
"We had fun. That was our game plan, have fun and compete and battle every pitch and we did that tonight," Hanson said "It was proud of my boys."
Media, Pennsylvania
Media won its league's first state championship since 1957 before making more history and capturing the Mid-Atlantic championship. Trevor Skowronek hit a walk-off, two-run home run to send Media to South Williamsport and Media became the local favorite, drawing more than 20,000 fans for both of its weekend games.
Media also won its first Series game in league history, defeating Maine. And when the Phillies came to down for MLB Classic, they were among the team's most vocal fans last Sunday.
"That's all they talk about (back home). Everybody, wherever they go, whether the super market, the laundromat ... No matter where they're at, they're talking about us," Media manager Tom Bradley said. "I'm told it will be a lot bigger when we get back and we'll actually live it and see it and everybody will be congratulating them."
And that likely will last quite a long time.
Media not only became its league's first to reach the Series, but just the third from Delaware County to do so. The Mid-Atlantic champions played excelled while playing in front of more than 2,000 fans at the state tournament, running roughshod over that field.
This team also entered the Series 14-0 and finished its run with 15 victories. The wins are nice, but the mark Media leaves means more. A town 15 minutes from Philadelphia embraced this team of fighters which overcame injuries all summer to do something historic.
"Think about what they accomplished," Bradley said. "We had a great run. We won a lot of games; a lot of different games. These kids are tough. They really battled. It's awesome."
Henderson, Nevada
Manager Ryan Gifford played on the first Henderson Little League all-star team 36 years ago. Little did he think he would someday manage a Little League World Series participant. But he, his staff and the players helped this team reach new heights.
Henderson had never won a state championship before this season. It now crossed off two huge check marks and gave future Henderson teams reason to dream as big as possible. Henderson captured that elusive state title, dominated the Mountain Region tournament for that crown and won two Series games as well.
What a journey it was.
"When we started this back in May we knew we were pretty good, but this has been a lot of fun. They're great kids, great families, played great baseball. They worked their butts off and it showed," Gifford said. "We definitely exceeded our expectations when we started, so that's my message to them. Keep working, keep battling and get better every day."
Henderson kept grinding and became just the second Nevada team to reach the Series. It defeated perennial power Paseo Verde to win the district championship before romping through states and regionals.
Despite losing its first Series game, Henderson kept focusing on its next opportunity, improved and won two straight games before dropping a 2-1 heartbreaker against Tennessee. The production was spread throughout and the fun was enjoyed by all associated with the team and so many throughout Nevada.
What Gifford is especially excited about is what this experience taught his players. The memories made and lessons learned could last a lifetime.
"It's definitely a journey; it's one as a coach you love to take and what an experience it has been," Gifford said. "They're just great people. Baseball teaches you a lot of life lessons and we hope that through that they have learned life lessons that will help them later on in life and they'll be good fathers and husbands and good citizens. I think a lot of them have learned that by being good teammates and working hard together. I love these kids and I just am grateful for the opportunity to have done this with them."
Smithfield,
Rhode Island
There were just 17 12-year-olds playing Little League Baseball for the Smithfield Little League this summer. And 12 of them helped it make history and reach the Little League World Series for the first time. Talk about a small town doing big things.
There are only 270 players, period, in the Smithfield Little League but it still did something no team from its league has ever done. This talented, resilient group of fighters captured the league's first state title since 1967, won nine straight elimination games in three consecutive tournaments and won two Series games. Smithfield also tied the record previously held by district rivals Cranston Western and Cumberland for most Series wins by a Rhode Island team.
"Coming from where we came from, as small as we are, to fight the way we fought, it's special," Smithfield manager Eric Gibree said. "I think they understand. We were out there at the end (on the field). It was take a last look and then it started to click with all of them. It was like what we did was pretty crazy."
The core of this historic team was formed four years ago. What Gibree likes most about his team is that it was a team, period. Smithfield dethroned defending Metro champion Massapequa Coast, New York for that championship before downing Nevada and Pennsylvania at the Series.
And all those players had their fingerprints all over that success.
"It wasn't just one kid. Every single kid, top to bottom, played a role in getting us here, not just this year, but over the last four years," Gibree said. "Every kid has played a role in some role of fashion to help us get to this exact point. It's been special for every kid at a different point in time in the last five years."
Nolensville, Tennessee
Making the Little League World Series one time is both remarkable and difficult. Doing it two straight times is twice as hard. Doing it three consecutive years feels impossible.
It's something which had not happened since 1949 in the United States. Until Nolensville achieved it this year. Nolensville made history and manager Randy Huth became the first American manager to ever coach at three straight Series.
What a run it was for a league which seemingly grows stronger every year.
"I would love to say it's all me but it's all these kids. My whole thing is just stay calm. Don't get worked up, don't get nervous, don't get frazzled because when you do that, chaos ensues. My whole thing is if I can stay calm these people will stay calm and feed off that and I think they did that," Huth said. "If they saw me get frazzled and worked up, I'm sure they would be right there with me. Our goal is we're going to stay calm; we're going to keep fighting until the last pitch and usually good things will happen."
Great things happened once again as Nolensville finished fourth at the Series, won multiple games and navigated difficult district, state and Southeast tournament fields.
What Huth liked most about his team is how selfless every player was. This was a team as unselfish as it was talented. Each player did his and her part, with Stella Weaver breaking the American record for hits (4) at the Series.
Playing as one helped make this team one Nolensville will never forget.
"I've been here three times in a row, so I've pretty much seen the whole spectrum of what can happen and this team celebrates the other people on the team than they celebrate themselves," Huth said. "They get more excited when somebody else does something else than when they do something good. That's something special to see from a bunch of 12-year-olds. I can't remember it ever being like that. I really, really love seeing it."