The weather conditions for last weekend’s California District 42 Little League all-star championship games at Sweetwater Valley Little League were a bit on the harsh side, with temperatures pushing 100 degrees.
But, with a few tweaks to the schedule to avoid the hottest parts of the day, the games went on and the district crowned its three newest champions.
District 42 administrator Ernie Lucero was quick to make note of the many levels of support that go into running not only a successful tournament but also a successful season.
Players began tryouts back in late January when morning temperatures still hovered in the 50s.
Lucero has overseen four teams from the district advance to the Little League World Series, starting in 2009 with Park View and continuing in 2013 with Eastlake, 2015 with Sweetwater Valley and 2016 with Park View.
Park View will be on the road again to Williamsport, Penn. after winning this year’s 12U all-star championship.
Eastlake, the newly crowned 10U champion, and Sweetwater Valley, the reigning 11U champion, each have a chance to win Southern California Division III state championships.
All the teams gave it their best shot down to the last strike in last weekend’s district championships.
Park View finished runner-up in the 10U division, Eastlake finished runner-up in the 11U division while Sweetwater Valley finished runner-up in the 12U division.
“Over the years these tournaments are becoming more competitive with higher skills level being shown among the players,” Lucero said. “This demonstrates that while kids have fun playing Little League Baseball, they also take the game seriously.
“I believe the fact that four teams from our District 42 gaining a spot in Williamsport in the last nine years is a huge motivating factor for these players from the South County.”
Youth baseball has developed into a culture in District 42. The pipeline of talent continues to flow.
“It’s rewarding to see that some of the players in our under-6 and under-8 Tournament of Champions have come up through the ranks and now represent their leagues in this year’s all-stars,” Lucero said.
“I’m proud to see managers and coaches from past all-star teams who do not have a son on the team volunteer their experience for the all-star competition. This goes to show they have passion for Little League Baseball and a commitment to serving their community.
“More importantly our District 42 umpires know that despite the challenges associated with umpiring, the same ones come out year in and year out to umpire the games. We could never hold a successful tournament without these dedicated individuals.”
Lucero said all three newly crowned district champions are in capable hands.
“The Eastlake Little League 10s all-star team has a veteran at the helm of the team in manager Adam Villareal,” Lucero said. “He was the manager of last year 12s all-star team. I really respect Adam; he brings out the best in his players and is a very positive person.
“Even though he does not have a son on the team, he volunteers his time in helping these young players enjoy this experience. He and his wife truly dedicate their own time to Eastlake Little League. I have seen some of these same players when they were 6 year old. To see them grow up is amazing. They will be playing in scorching heat in Imperial Valley.
“The Sweetwater Valley Little League 11s all-star team manager is Mahoe Nakanelua. He is an outstanding manager. Mahoe knows his baseball having been a great player himself during his playing days. Mahoe is very good at strategizing during the game. He shows great leadership on the field and off. He also serves as the vice president of Sweetwater Valley Little League.
“The Park View Little League 12s all-star manager is Will Bleisch. Will knows his baseball and is a real teacher in our community. Being a teacher he communicates effectively with his players. He has some veteran coaches at his side, Jorge Alonso and Jorge Camarillo.
“Camarillo has been to Williamsport Penn. as a manager of the 2016 Park View team. Camarillo is well versed on how to prepare his players on their quest to play in sectionals, the 10-team Divisional all-star tournament in Los Angeles and then hopefully to San Bernardino.”
For updates, visit the district’s website at www.eteamz.com/cad42.
California District 42 Little League
2018 Parade of Champions
10U DIVISION
Champion: Eastlake Little League
Players: Josh Alo, Noah Flores, Noah Cook, Armando Mendivil, Hamza Hatahet, Jake Serrano, Reece Escuro, Angel Velarde, Landon Holtzapple, King California, Ryan Ferman, Luke Boliguen and Dominick Martinez
Manager: Adam Villarreal
Coaches: Tom Alo, Chris Holtzapple
Runner-up: Park View Little League
Players: J.P. Conero, Aaron Cordero, Andres Cordero, Danny Galicia, Lorenzo Harros, Elijah Perez, Tyler Maula, Adrian Figueroa, Mike Ruiz, Isaac Martinez
Manager: Mike Ruiz
Coaches: Sergio Harros, Oscar Cordero
11U DIVISION
Champion: Sweetwater Valley Little League
Players: Landon Lozano, Kapono Nakanelua, Ethan Otero, Daniel Sanchez, Yenatee Snoh, Joey Castillo, Alessandro Catano, Steven McDonald, Leo Mondragon, Brandon Murphy, Andrew Arnce, Jack Villanueva, Zack Vogel-Fooks
Manager: Mahoe Nakanelua
Coaches: Francisco Mondragon, Edgar Murphy
Runner-up: Eastlake Little League
Players: Santiago Galvan, Jake Robertson, Aiden Albaran, Adam Casanova, Stephen Ibarra, Anthony Jacinto, Aidan Flores, Isaiah Cook, Dante Milan, Dylan Ferma, Michael Bannon, Austin Stroberg, Ruben Del Busto
Manager: Shane Stroberg
Coaches: George Millan, Victor Flores
12U DIVISION
Champion: Park View Little League
Players: Jordan Bleisch, Allan Camarillo, Ivan Rodriguez, Atticus Gates, Kainoa Baptista, Matt Bjornstad, Conner Alonzo, Aidan Skinner, Joseph Anderson, Makai Corpuz, Jose Mendoza, Anthony Leyva, Michael Rodriguez
Manager: Will Bleisch
Coaches: Jorge Camarillo, Jorge Alonzo
Runner-up: Sweetwater Valley Little League
Players: Noah Betanco, Tyler Cabana, Sean Cannon, Ismael Castanon, Victor Diaz, Alexander Iniguez, Jacob May, John Paul Ortiz, Johnny Scott, Elijah Selga, Blake Schweer, Abigail Steffen, Adiel Torres
Manager: Ward Lannom
Coaches: Mike May, Arturo Maldonado
