WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The countdown is on. The Boerne Little League team will take the grand stage at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the U.S. crown and a berth in the Little League World Series Championship.
Boerne will be the home team when the players face Lake Mary, Florida in the United States Championship of the Little League World Series at 2:30 p.m. Saturday live on KSAT 12.
“On this worldwide stage, I just want to do good because this is Boerne’s first time ever making it to Williamsport — they have not made it past state — so it just motivates all of us to win it for Boerne,” said Boerne pitcher and outfielder Kaleb Christ.
The state of Texas, stemming from the Hill Country, has shown its support of Boerne during the team’s beaming LLWS run. Many have said that win or lose, Boerne has won in their hearts by reaching the national stage.
However, the Boerne Little Leaguers aren’t giving themselves that same grace.
“The feeling is great,” said Boerne infielder Aiden Munoz after the team’s batting practice Friday morning. “But we’re not done, and we have to win the U.S. Championship first.”
Boerne wouldn’t be the first Little League team out of Texas to win the LLWS, but they would be the first non-Houston team to reign supreme and the first in the state since 1996.
The All-Stars enter the U.S. title game undefeated, having played three fewer games than Lake Mary, Florida. Boerne has allowed only three runs in the tournament.
“We’re always just locked in ready to go,” said Boerne pitcher and infielder Gage Steubing. “We’re always practicing every day. We’re just ready to go. We’re not scared of anything. We’re just ready.”
“It’s just communicating and working as a team and we all do a part in the game, even our smallest guys get on base. We all have a job that we do,” said Boerne pitcher and catcher Caden Guffey.
Boerne’s coaching staff adds that the stiff competition in Texas has prepared them for what the team has faced in Williamsport.
Outside of Boerne’s impressive play on the diamond, the players are gaining invaluable experience through their interactions with players from around the world.
“My favorite moment was trading stuff with Japan and seeing all of the cool stuff they have from their country,” added Guffey.
“Trading pins and talking to the Japan(ese) kids,” said Munoz. “We use hand gestures to say what we want, or we use Google Translate.”
“We trade pins a lot, so that’s really fun,” Steubing said. “We get to learn some of their language. It’s fun.”
The players have traded pins with players from other teams, similar to the medals San Antonians trade and collect during Fiesta.
Steubing was reminded about the support he and the team have received since arriving in Williamsport. He watched a video from his science class cheering him on from Boerne Middle School South.
“Yeah, that’s my favorite teacher back home,” Steubing told KSAT. “She’s always rooting for me. That’s cool that they’re watching it there.”
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