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Hinsdale Little League achieved just about everything out there the previous six years. The Illinois team from the Chicago suburbs captured four state championships during that time and reached the Great Lakes championship in 2017.
Only one box remained unchecked. Hinsdale knocked on the door but a Little League World Series berth kept blocking its way. Then this 2024 team came along.
Put a check mark in that final box. Hinsdale has kicked down the door, made history and reached the Series. Several great teams came before it, so being the first two achieve this for a powerful league makes this run even more special.
The historic run ended Sunday when New York defeated Hinsdale and eliminated it at the Series, but what a remarkable run this trail blazing team made.
"Hinsdale is an incredibly proud baseball town. The support from the teams who have come before us has been incredible," Hinsdale manager Chad Wanless said. "We have a great team and there have been a lot of great teams before us. But you have to have some luck along the way. You make your own luck, but we got some breaks that those other teams did not.
"We're Incredibly excited about representing Hindsale."
That feeling is reciprocal. The community not only appreciates the positive light Hinsdale has cast on its town, but the way it has done so.
"It's the time they put into it. We start going in November and December. You see in this summer run that we've been going for a few months but, really, it's been going for the last 8-9 months. The build-up is pretty special. It's been a lot of fun to watch them go through it."
There was a sense that this 2024 team could so something special. It captured state championships the previous two years at the 11 and 10U levels. Still, nothing is given and Hinsdale had to make it way through a difficult state tournament field which included last year's champion Elmhurst Park.
Hinsdale, however, made it look easy, beating Elmhurst twice, including in the state final. As impressive as the achievement was, Hinsdale wanted more. It wanted to go where none of its super teams ever had.
Hinsdale made history by twice rallying in the bottom of the sixth inning, edging Kentucky and Indiana for dramatic seven-inning wins. Finally, the Series was not just a dream; it was reality.
And highlighting how much it means to not just this team, but all of Hinsdale, it has been a community effort. Past Hinsdale all-star players and coaches have been helping this team prepare along every step of the way. Maybe those teams did not earn Series appearances the past seven years, but their fingerprints certainly are all over this appearance.
Hinsdale's regional championship and Series berth is for everyone there.
"Past coaches and have players have been helping and reaching out and are thrilled that this team became the first one. They are super happy for these kids and we're so appreciative of the support," Wanless said. "We've been getting support from opponents we played along the way and surrounding districts and it's awesome to represent them and all of Illinois."
"The town is pretty heated up. Football season is starting up, but all the coaches have been moving practice times to make sure everyone can get to watch parties. It's so special and everybody is crazy about it," Jaqua said. "A lot of league presidents have been emailing us and it's really cool seeing the surrounding areas in addition to Hinsdale being excited about what the team is doing."
When these all-stars gathered for the first practice, Wanless told them they could achieve something great. But that glory would come with a price and it would be paid in sweat, work and practice.
The players had little trouble anteing up. That is exactly what they did the previous two years and labor turned into championships. All that effort came bursting through in the comeback wins that knocked down that Series barrier.
And it took every player doing something big along the way. That is what the coaches and fans like most about Hinsdale. It is a team in every sense of the word on and off the field.
"We have incredible talent across all aspects of the game, but everyone did take their turn rising to the top and lifting the group," Wanless said. "It's amazing that 1-12, we know they can do something special to help the team win."
"Watching the games, I don't think it mattered where the lineup was," Jaqua said. "You could feel the energy that anyone could step up and any point and they've shown that with everyone getting hits."
Hinsdale has featured so many great teams, but this 2024 group now stands alone. Considering its league, that says about just as much as reaching the Series does.
And like state champion players that came before then, these Great Lakes champions are happy to do everything they can to keep the tradition growing. The way they have handled themselves all year, long before this Series run started, means that maybe what looks like the final end point could just be a large launching pad.
"Obviously, these are great baseball players, but you should see them around the park. I have younger and they look up to these 12-year-olds and they take them and all the younger kids under their wings," Jaqua said. "They are always supporting and encouraging the younger kids and treating them like they are brothers. So, it's not a surprise that Chad took this team to the next level, just because I know the crew he has on and off the field."