Soundview made people aware of Washington baseball
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Nearly everyone can point out Tacoma upon a Washington map. It is the state's third largest city behind Seattle and Spokane, so most from Washington know plenty about Tacoma.
It's just that few knew much about Little League Baseball there. That is, until now.
The Soundview Little Leaguers have let the state and the world know there is some pretty great baseball being played there. Soundview has played it better than any Northwest Region team this year.
Soundview made its Little League World Series debut Wednesday against Alabama, following the team's first state championship victory since 1970 and first ever Northwest championship. The secret is out.
These Tacoma kids can play.
"Tacoma is a big city but we're not known for a lot of things, so it more or less puts us on the map for baseball which is really great," Soundview Little League president Dave Mihulka said. "They'll always remember it and always remember that they put Tacoma baseball on the map; put Soundview on the map."
Making history has helped Soundview become the talk of Tacoma. When the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple A Seattle Mariners affiliate, announced that Soundview had defeated Idaho, 8-5 and won the Northwest championship last week, a huge cheer broke out.
Many might not have known much about Soundview before this summer, but they sure do now. That includes the Mariners who have watched their games in the clubhouse and so many throughout the state who have flooded the league's website and social media with congratulatory messages.
"For us to get it done for Tacoma and Pierce County is pretty special," Soundview manager Kyle Yarbrough said. "You feel the love from the people back at home. People I haven't talked to in a while are reaching out and wishing us well and things like that. It's special to see that love."
One could say it is a labor of love which made Soundview the Northwest's best team and the league's best team ever.
This group sensed it could do something big entering the 12U season, so the players attacked the offseason hard. Many also play other sports, but they still could often be found working indoors. There, they swung at the batting cages, did mounds and fielded grounders. When the weather changed and became brutally hot this summer, the work continued and nobody complained.
Add that to the talent and strong coaching which exists and Soundview found the right Series recipe. It won the District 10 crown, a big achievement with that area producing three of the previous four Washington Series qualifiers. It then bounced back from a loss and won four straight state games by a 29-1 margin. For the first time since the league's inaugural season, Soundview was Washington's best.
"We had a vision a few years ago, knowing there was a decent talent pool in the area. A group of us feel like Little League is special for reasons like playing for your community and with your buddies and we wanted to preserve the specialness of what Little League has to offer," Yarbrough said. "These families committed to the league and these kids play a lot of baseball. They were working indoors, so it takes place pretty much all-year round, so they were ready to rock and roll when the spring time came."
And when the summer arrived, Soundview really started busting out some sweet tunes. Even a loss to Gig Harbor at states did not sour the team's melody. It kept producing melodic music from there, and swept two games from Gig Harbor in a championship rematch, winning 5-0 and 4-1. Given a shot at history, Soundview pounced, again displaying its ability, work and resilience at regionals.
There, Soundview erased a late two-run deficit and defeated Oregon, 3-2 in its opener before Idaho beat it, 9-3. That seemed to just make Soundview better as it again rallied from two down, beating Oregon, 8-2 and getting revenge on Idaho with its championship victory.
Soundview put itself not just on the Washington map, but the world one. All that practice, sacrifice and work paved the way.
"All these kids have that aspiration to play high school ball and beyond," Mihulka said. "Their drive to want to get better and be competitive is definitely there."
That showed up early and often. This team is not the same as it was when it played 10U as 9-year-olds but a championship foundation was being laid, although it was not yet evident.
That squad lost both District 10 games before taking a huge leap forward and finishing fifth in the state a year later. At 11U, Soundview kept climbing the ladder and finished as runner-up.
Now it has reached the top, taking that final step. But even, then this team kept grinding and now it has done what seemed impossible when the journey started, reaching Little League's grandest stage.
"The growth in these kids over the last few years is amazing," Mihulka said. "To see where they started and where they are now really is incredible. To fight their way through and claw back and win hard-fought games after getting knocked down says a lot."
It also bodes well for the league's future. State championships are hard to come by, so Soundview not having one since 1970 was never an indictment. Good baseball was being played, but more important was how it was being played there.
"When I became president of the league, people asked me if I was trying to win the World Series and I said, 'No, I'm trying to make sure all the kids develop baseball and life skills, have fun and have a good overall experience,'" Mihulka said. "We want them to enjoy the game and we want them to continue to play the game and grow their skills, so they can continue and move on. As a result of the kids and coaches putting in the work, it shows them and others what's possible. The kids will remember this forever and it will help the league to continue to grow and prosper."
Soundview has enjoyed quite a prosperous journey this summer. The Northwest champions want to keep winning, but as big as these moments in South Williamsport are, they also are ones of so many they will experience as they continue on their lives' paths.
But what great memories they are making. Whatever they do; wherever they go, these Soundview Little Leaguers will forever be the ones who showed how good Tacoma baseball is.
"Hopefully, they'll remember this as the greatest summer of baseball of their lives. It's hard to beat hanging out with your buddies and hanging out in the hotel rooms and dorms," Yarbrough said. "Washington state doesn't start school until after Labor Day, so I tell them you have to soak this up and live it up because three weeks from now, you'll be looking out window wishing back you were back in San Bernardino or Williamsport.
"It would be awesome for someone a little mor technology-savvy then me to make a compilation together for the kids because that's a pretty sweet memory they'll have."