Tonight, Westport will play for a berth in the Little League World Series United States championship game.
Last year, it couldn’t even win its own district, the first step in the long road to Williamsport.
One wouldn’t be possible without the other, the undefeated Connecticut team of 11- and 12-year-olds believes.
“That was a pivotal moment, no doubt about that,” Westport manager Tim Rogers said on the eve of the showdown against West representative Chula Vista, Calif.
After winning District II two years ago, Westport (20-0) was shocked by Fairfield National in the finals last summer, blowing a lead going into the final inning and cutting short what they had hoped would be a long and productive summer. Nevertheless, it served as an early wake-up call, motivation the players used in the offseason, and prepared them for what has been nothing short of a dream summer as the only undefeated team left in the country after its first two games in the LLWS.
“It really humbled us,” star pitcher Chad Knight said. “It was a little shocking. It motivated us that we have to work really hard to come back and beat this team. We stayed really focused.”
It’s nothing short of a Cinderella story, this small Connecticut league — which never won a state title before this past July — three wins from a world championship. Westport had witnessed remarkable runs from nearby, seeing Fairfield American reach the LLWS in 2010 and 2012.
“They made it two out of the last three years. Ever since then, I was always thinking, ‘they’re in our district, we’re a neighboring town, we can do this, too,’” Knight said.
Getting past Chula Vista won’t be easy, of course. The California squad is coming off a 15-3 blistering of Newark, Del. (Mid-Atlantic), and Rogers said the consensus in Williamsport is Westport’s foe tonight is the best team on the United States side.
Though Rogers wouldn’t tip his hand, he likely will give the ball tonight to Knight, the hard-throwing right-hander who pitched Westport to Williamsport with a 14-strikeout, complete game shutout in the New England Regional championship game. Because he kept Harry Azadian at just 50 pitches, his co-ace also will be available.
“They’re loaded. To get [out of] California with the talent there says it all,” Rogers said. “We watched them play. They’re very good, they’re deep, everybody in their lineup can hit. They have several stud pitchers. It’s fair to say they’ll be the favorite, but we’ve played in this role before.”
Indeed, Westport was far from a chic pick to get to Williamsport when practices began in mid-June. Yet here they are.
“They think they can win any game they play,” Rogers said. “We’ll take the field [tonight] thinking we can win, and we’ll see what happens.”