Henderson cranks out talented teams
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Paseo Verde reaching a second Little League World Series is impressive enough. Still, one other stat shines an even brighter light not just upon Paseo Verde, but its hometown, Henderson, Nevada as well.
Because since 2022, Paseo Verde has either captured the Mountain Region championship and come to South Williamsport or been eliminated by the team which did. This is the fourth straight year a Nevada team has reached the Series.
Any guesses on the team which started the streak? It’s Henderson Little League. One town has produced three of the past four Mountain champions. Talk about impressive baseball being played there.
Just call Henderson, Nevada’s Little League capital these days. And Paseo Verde continues enhancing its reputation, winning its first two Series games and reaching Wednesday’s winner’s bracket final.
"Henderson is a great city. It’s a credit to the talent that we have here," Paseo Verde Little League president Mike Fairweather said. "A lot of kids in Henderson; they pride themselves on their baseball. They do a great job developing as players and putting themselves in a position to be here."
Paseo Verde is the latest example. It won the 2022 state championship before losing to Utah in the Mountain Final. A year later, Henderson knocked out Paseo Verde in districts on its way to the Series before Paseo Verde came back a year later and made history, playing at Lamade Stadium.
Last year, Paseo Verde won another district championship, but ran into Summerlin South from nearby Las Vegas. Summerlin South knocked out Paseo Verde at states before capturing the U.S. Championship and reaching the world title game.
Throw in Spring Valley which Paseo Verde defeated to win this year’s state championship and that Henderson/Las Vegas region has become quite a juggernaut.
"People don’t realize that the Vegas/Henderson area is a baseball city. These kids see each other and compete against each other and there’s definitely competition to kind of one-up each other in terms of leagues," Paseo Verde manager Cory Edwards said. "We always say it’s going to be a fight in districts against Henderson and we anticipate playing Summerlin or Spring Valley in states. It’s good baseball year-round and people are just getting after it."
They have no choice. The competition is so stiff there that one must be dedicated and committed if it hopes to make a deep run. Just getting out of districts proves difficult.
After all, it’s not often one district can say it has sent three teams to the Series during a four-year span. That stiff competition has brought the best out of both Henderson and Paseo Verde. Now, they represent 60 % of the Nevada teams to ever reach the Series.
"When you go through districts and play Henderson Little League and some other good leagues and get through there, that in itself is a big deal because baseball in Southern Nevada is very underrated but very great," Fairweather said. "Then you go to states and play Summerlin South and leagues like that, so once you make it through the state you feel pretty good about being able to compete with anybody at regionals. There’s a lot to be excited about getting out of states."
Despite it having not won a state championship at the younger levels, there was a lot for Paseo Verde to be excited about as it started constructing its 12U all-star team. The talent pool was deep but what Edwards, managing this group for the first time, wanted most was a group which played for the team and not themselves.
It’s hard enough navigating the District 2 field and getting past Henderson Little League without being an excellent team. It’s nearly impossible if that team is focused on anything but team goals and winning.
Through practices when it was 113-degrees outside, 12 players formed one tight connection. This became a selfless team with players not caring where they batted or played. If they had to bunt instead of swing away, that was fine.
Whatever it takes to win is what players embraced. Along the way, Paseo Verde grew into a tough-minded team which continued moving forward even when things went wrong. Doing so made them state and regional champions and one of the world’s best Little League teams.
"I wanted to change the tone and I appreciate the kids flexibility and adaptability in changing the style and the way they perform. To do that in a 2 ½-month time frame is impressive," Edwards said. "We talk about how we control our emotions. If you’re emotional range stops production from you being the best version of yourself then it’s not the right call. We challenge the players to not get in their own heads and move onto the next moment and they have done a great job with that."
Staying cool through both the literal and proverbial heat has brought Paseo Verde back to South Williamsport. Paseo Verde entered the Series undefeated which speaks volumes about its talent and character, considering the challenges it faced immediately at districts.
Nevada teams have played well at the Series throughout their Series appearances which is not surprising considering all have come from Henderson or Las Vegas.
"Give credit where credit is due. Summerlin South is the defending U.S. Champion and because of them, that helped turn us into the team we are," Fairweather said. "It helped us build for the future. All the success throughout the area has definitely helped us grow."
It’s a 15-minute drive between the two cities but what really connects Henderson and Las Vegas is some tremendous baseball.
Paseo Verde has proven it yet again. It also has proven to be the area’s and state’s biggest winner this decade. That is quite an honor.
And now this group will soon pass the torch to the next one. What lessons they have provided; what mountains they have climbed. And Paseo Verde sure enjoys the view.
"It feels very surreal. I grew up watching this with my dad, but I grew up in a town without Little League, so I never got the chance to play," Edwards said. "I’m excited for the families and the kids to be on the biggest stage possible in Little League. It’s all a lot to take in, but in the best way possible."