Eliminated US teams got to live the dream this summer at LLWS
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Championship weekend is here and Henderson, Nevada will play Ohio for the national championship. That means eight U.S. teams have closed the books on their summer all-star seasons.
What stories all produced.
Those teams lived the ultimate Little League dream, reaching the Little League World Series. While the remarkable runs ended, the fun back home might just be beginning. And what all the players achieved will live with them forever.
The following is a look at those eight teams in the order they were eliminated.
Bridgewater,
Massachusetts
A run 74 years in the making, Bridgewater reached the Series for the first time, stamping itself as the best team in league history. The New England champions also captured the second state title in league history and displayed their tenacity and skill all summer, twice rebounding from defeats at sections and states to reach the world's biggest Little League stage.
Despite going 0-2 here, the love which its community has showed upon Bridgewater these last two months will not dissipate. Expect it only to strengthen.
"They're going to be local celebrities for a while," Bridgewater manager Tim Zachrison said. "The town has been fantastic. Everyone back home has been over the moon, coming out in buses; staying in hotels, selling T-shirts at home, having watch parties. I have no doubt when we come home they're still going to be riding high."
As well they should.
This group had been stopped in the Section 2 tournament the two previous years but knocked down that wall when they avenged a previous loss against former nemesis Hingham. From there, Bridgewater outscored two state teams, 17-0 after taking a loss and parlayed that into a five-game winning streak.
Bridgewater dominated the New England field, outscoring opponents, 26-1. Now, a league which has seen its growth increase the last few years could see the numbers take off like a rocket. All things now seem possible.
"For me, being with the kids all summer was a privilege," Zachrison said. "We made it here and the kids had a blast."
Bonita, California
Surviving rugged fields at every stop, Bonita enhanced its league's rich tradition, reaching the Series for a second time since 2015. The West champions entered the Series undefeated and going 0-2 here does not diminish all the team achieved.
"To accomplish this; to be the top 20 in the world and to go on this run is amazing," Bonita manager Steve Winnick said. "I told them there are so many kids in your city; in your state, in the United States and in the world that want to be in your position and you guys should be super proud of that."
Bonita made quite a statement when it bulldozed through the West Region, outscoring three teams, 33-3. Noah Kirk and Leo Gonzales then combined on a brilliant one-hitter against Iowa, but lost a 1-0 thriller in Bonita's Series opener.
Winnick also coaches high school baseball and hopes he can continue coaching these players as they continue their baseball journeys. He listed coaching them as the highlight of his summer, above all the other memories created which speaks volumes about the team this impact made.
And that impact will continue long after the Series ends. That goes for both the team and the league.
"They're going to remember this incredible run; this incredible atmosphere out here," Winnick said. "It's special. It's the Disney Land or Disney World of baseball and it's something that can't be replicated anywhere."
Boerne, Texas
Prior to 2024, Boerne Little League had never won a state championship. This year, it made its second Series appearance in three years. This Boerne team continued the league's astronomical ascent, conquering rugged state and Southwest Regional fields to again reach South Williamsport.
Along the way, Boerne also made history. It became the first team in Southwest Region history to win the championship after losing its first three games. Boerne stormed back in Waco; outscored its next three opponents, 17-3 and let its own unique mark.
"They kept fighting. I was proud of their fight. They never give up," Boerne manager Greg Yost said. "Overall, the message to the team was they had a heck of an all-star season. They played baseball from June 1 all the way till now. Texas is a long path to get here. They fought hard and won a lot of great games, so I could not be more proud of them for that."
Boerne did not play bad in its two Series games either. It was just the timely hits it so often produced this year stopped coming. Boerne nearly erased a two-run deficit against Washington but left the bases loaded with no outs in the sixth inning of a 4-3 loss.
Two days later, Boerne outhit Ohio, but left 12 runners on base and lost, 6-1. In true Boerne form, however, a resilient team went down fighting, generating a two-out, sixth inning run.
"I think it shows a lot of character. It goes to the character of the team. The boys are fighters," Yost said. "They have a never give up mentality. We've been asking that of them all year and they even exceed those expectations sometimes."
West Chester,
Pennsylvania
East End Little League had never won a state championship before this year. But once they achieved that goal, the players from West Chester just kept going. More history was to be made and now East End has left a mark on its league which will never be forgotten.
East End followed that state title up by dominating the Mid-Atlantic Region and reaching the Little League World Series. An 0-2 mark here cannot diminish all this trail blazing team achieved.
"They're soaking everything in. They feel like rock stars out there," East End manager Bob Hennessey said. "They're embracing all the fans and the kids coming up to them. They're having the best times of their lives right now."
East End played well at the Series, but lost a 3-1 heartbreaker against New Jersey and an extra-inning thriller against Alabama. That second game had social media on fire as both teams traded big hits, plays and pitches.
East End fans grew accustomed to its team performing well in those moments all summer. The Mid-Atlantic champions won five games in six days to capture that state crown, avenging its lone loss there by sweeping two games from Blue Mountain.
Three wins later, East End reached Little League's grandest stage, outscoring three regional teams, 21-2. Now, a team 30 minutes from Philadelphia has earned a taste of what it's like to be a Major Leaguer.
"It's fun to watch. Obviously, baseball is primary but it's also fun to see them go out there and enjoy this moment; something that is never going to happen again." Hennessey said. "It's been fun to see them be treated like superstars around here."
And expect that to grow exponentially when the Mid-Atlantic champions return home and are celebrated.
Tacoma, Washington
The Soundview Little League had once captured a state championship ... 56 years ago. These all-stars knocked down that wall and ran all the way to South Williamsport, making quite a run once here.
Soundview won its first two Series games, defeating Alabama and Texas, before dropping the next two games. Still, a top six finish in the United States proved quite memorable for a group which embraced the underdog role and made a super run at becoming the country's top dog.
"I feel like it fired us up. I know our team is a really good team and we battled back at states and regionals." pitcher Frankie McCabe said following a spectacular pitching performance in the Alabama win. "Once we saw everyone was saying it's Southeast or West winning and putting us straight out of the conversation and those things (ranking) where we were dead last, I knew that would light a fire in us. I know we're better than that."
They proved it.
Soundview fought back from an early tournament loss at states and regionals, avenging those losses with emphatic championship rematch victories. The Northwest champions then won thrillers against Alabama and Texas which highlighted both the team's skill and will.
Kasen Workman hit a two-out, two-run single in the top the of the seventh against Alabama in a 2-0 win. He then worked out of a bases loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the sixth as Soundview defeated Texas, 4-3. Look at all the games during this run and it was different players producing in similar pressure situations.
Because of that, there is no more left to prove. Soundview emphatically showed why it is one of the world's top teams.
"I was watching this when I was a little kid and I was like always thinking I want to be there so bad," Winston Weaver said after earning the pitching win against Alabama. "The feeling that we're there is amazing. All these kids asking for autographs felt awesome."
Bayonne, New Jersey
A passionate fan base followed the Metro champions wherever they went and made Lamade Stadium feel like their home field. This team took Bayonne where it had never gone before, winning the first state championship in league history before reaching the Series and winning two games here.
Along the way, Bayonne captivated its community and bus loads of fans arrived at both regional and Series games despite all being hours away. What a show they gave them, starting 15-0 and finishing among the world's top 12 teams.
"It was amazing that all those people take their time to support us and stuff like that," third baseman Adam Tapia said following a 3-1 win against Pennsylvania. "We're in Williamsport making history and they're coming to watch us play."
Bayonne's motto from the start was, "Bayonne vs Everybody." The shirts were such hot sellers that the league could not literally not produce them fast enough. And a team which long perceived itself as an underdog became both its state's and region's best team.
It dominated many opponents, but Bayonne also displayed its toughness after erasing two four-run deficits to beat Connecticut in the Metro Final. Mason Rincon blasted a walk-off home run in a 2-1 Series opening win against Massachusetts and Chace Klimkowski produced a super pitching performance against Pennsylvania.
Every player made his mark at some point this summer and Bayonne took its city on a journey it will never forget. And so many took that journey literally. Ironically, while one journey is now over and another soon begins for a team which is expected to receive invites from the Yankees, Knicks and Nets.
"Its' going to be bananas. It's never going to end," Bayonne manager Justin Smith said. "Even though we're done here I have a feeling it's not completely done yet. I think there's still a lot for the kids to enjoy.
"We all have that story of what we did in high school or Little League. They have a better one than most of us have. They played in the Little League World Series. That's something they can keep in their back pocket for a very long time."
Phenix City, Alabama
Phenix City became the first Alabama team to reach the Series since ... Phenix City in 1999. Like that team, this one won three straight elimination contests following an opening loss. The Southeast champions finished fourth in the country and the core of this group continued a fabulous run which started when they first joined Little League.
Most of these players were on Phenix City's USSSA Rec League World Series team and kept improving from there. It culminated with this summer as Phenix City rolled through districts, states and regionals, entering the Series undefeated and going 3-2 here.
"We battled; we fought. Our team is super gritty, super tough, super confident, all of the above." Phenix City manager Case Rasmus said. "I couldn't be more proud of them. From the small town of Phenix City, to come up here in the bright lights and play the way they did is amazing."
Phenix City authored one of the tournament's best comeback stories in its third game, rallying from down five and edging Pennsylvania, 6-5 in seven innings. Brooks Cameron hit a walk-off single and became the latest hero on a team filled with them.
Jerry Taylor pitched the game of his life to help Phenix City reach the country's Final 4 and Phenix City received strong contributions throughout the order to win those three straight games. A year ago, eight of those players were on the state champion which went 1-2 at regionals.
This season, they and four other all-stars helped Phenix City climb that ladder and reach the top. What a view this team enjoyed. The growth will continue as all 12 players continue developing moving forward. More good times are likely coming but these players also created some of the times of their lives this summer.
"We have some bright futures ahead of us," Rasmus said. "It's been a heck of a year. I learned a lot this year. It's a special group. I've been watching them grow since they were seven. It's been fun."
Davenport, Iowa
This was the third time, Davenport Northwest Little League appearance. But it was the first time, the league has won here.
And becoming the league's best-ever team sure is quite an achievement, considering its tradition.
Davenport finished third in the country, the state's best finish at the Series since Davenport East Little League in 2000 when only four U.S. teams played here.
"What a great run. What a great experience," Davenport manager Mark Erwin said. "These guys will have these memories forever."
That includes a dramatic comeback Midwest championship win against Wisconsin and shutout Series victories against California and New Jersey. Cooper Thissen and Anthony Johnson Jr. combined on a no-hitter against California; and Johnson and Kannon Kane a one-hitter against New Jersey.
Thissen threw 10 2/3 no-hit innings at the Series with 25 strikeouts and Johnson struck out 17 in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
So many other players delivered clutch performances all summer and took their league on its deepest run ever. That is just one of so many reasons it became so special.
To run through this and finish third in the United States, they have nothing to hang their heads about," Erwin said. "We played 20 all-star games; that's pretty special. Not a lot of teams get to do that. To come out where we did, that's just awesome."