RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Las Vegas, Nevada Little League all-star players wave to the crowd during Wednesday’s opening ceremonies at Volunteer Stadium.

Prior to reaching the Mountain Region tournament, Summerlin South Little League all-stars rarely felt the media glare.

That all changed as the team from Las Vegas, Nevada stayed undefeated this summer and charged through regionals, outscoring three opponents, 45-15 and reaching the Little League World Series. Now the Little Leaguers are receiving Big League treatment.

As he has watched the media attention unfold, Las Vegas manager TJ Fechser has noticed something which makes him as happy as seeing his team achieve the ultimate Little Leaguer’s dream. Through every individual interview, it has remained about the collective.

“They are really team focused. Every kid on this team has had exceptional moments during the postseason run and they all believe in each other and all embrace each other as friends and teammates,” Fechser said. “That’s really what matters. They are all about the team.”

That ‘We before me’ mindset has helped Summerlin South become the first team in league history to reach Little League’s grandest stage. Las Vegas made its Series debut Wednesday when it played Clarendon Hills, Illinois.

This group has mostly been together since their baseball journeys began at 5 and 6-years-old. They have played a lot together, but also a lot against one another. That included during the league’s past spring and fall seasons.

Past success did not guarantee anything. Everything was earned during the regular season and now former opponents have come together to form the best team in league history.

“This year’s team put it together and earned their sports through hard work, dedication and success,” Fechser said. “And now, here we are.”

Ironically, playing against each other in the past and, especially this past spring, has played a major reason in the team becoming so strong once all were together. In a competitive league which also produced a 12U state champion four years ago, those players knew how challenging going against other could be.

That reinforced a belief that once they all were one, this could become a tough team to beat. And it certainly has. Las Vegas entered South Williamsport undefeated, going 10-0 and scoring at least six runs in every game. Along the way, it not only defeated Mountain Region runner-up Utah twice, but also defending regional champion Paseo Verde.

“They are strong opponents against each other and they have tremendous respect for each other,” Fechser said. “I think it can be easier to unify sometimes against someone you competed against because you respect them so much as baseball players and as competitors. It’s great to see these guys come together and bond; play as one and achieve what they have.”

Fechser and his staff knew from watching this group grow the last five years that it had the potential to be special. But Nevada is a baseball-rich state, proving it with three straight Mountain Region championships. It’s a grind just navigating that field, so coaches and families understood it would take a lot more than just talent to reach the Series.

The hard work was there too, but the secret ingredient may be the team’s selflessness. The coaches made it clear early last June when the team was selected that the only way to turn dream into reality was to play as one unit and not 12 individuals. That message reverberated and whatever is best of the team is that the players repeatedly strive to accomplish.

“We knew we had the right talent but what was so important was that everyone had to set aside individual expectations and buy into the team component and that’s what they did.”

That unselfishness comes through not just when looking at the positive plays, hits and/or pitches the team has made but what has happened when things have gone the other way. Players have accepted the next play, next pitch mantra and held each other accountable. If someone is down, another quickly picks him up. If someone briefly loses his focus, someone helps him lock back in.

That carries beyond the field as well. Playing in San Bernardino at regionals and now at the Series, these all-stars not only have played in big-game atmospheres but received a taste of professional baseball life. It’s been staying for long stretches away from home, playing nearly every day and rooming together.

As is the case on the field, off the field in this environment, the team has flourished as one.

“In a weird way, this is what the Big Leaguers do. You’re here for a week or so and play a lot of games and you have to learn structure, timing and responsibility,” Fechser said. “They are learning and are mindful of others and set aside their own personal things and understand that this is what a team does.”

This sure has become quite a team, too. All but one player had hit a home run through regionals and the one player who did not drove a ball to the wall. The lineup is as dangerous at the bottom is at the top, the pitching is deep and the defense strong.

Just as important, all 12 are baseball passionate. They have put in the work but, for them, it does not feel like work. Even when not on the field, players are still thinking about the game, thinking about how they can help the team. Put it all together and one has a Top 20 team in the world.

“These kids were practicing by themselves in the hallways in San Bernardino. They are ones that love the little nuances of the game and they’re only 11 and 12-years-old,” Fechser said. “They have that spirit and are absolutely hyper-focused and love the game.”

Their love of the game has translated to love from its community. At first it was through Las Vegas, but what started happening in Vegas now has gone well beyond the city. Although they have not been home in two weeks, the players have a sense for how big they are back home.

But they stay grounded. They look at themselves not as a bunch of stars, but as one big one. That has helped these Summerlin South Little Leaguers cast a bright light which will shine on throughout the league’s history.

Coming together has helped this team turn the tables on the dealers and turn up all aces.

“Making it to Williamsport is not something that just happens by chance. It’s very hard work that the families have put in, really, for the last 10 years,” Fechser said. “Perseverance has paid off. They have made so many Little League memories. This is an apex moment because this is their last year in Little League and they’re going out in a blaze of glory. There are 6,500 teams and two million players who start the year and now they are 12 of 240 players who are here.

“Those are some crazy numbers. We’re from Vegas and those are not good odds, so we just want them to savor the moment. It’s a rarified experience, that’s for sure.”