Summerlin South needs 1 more win to reach Little League World Series

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Baseball is a team sport, and no one believes that more than Summerlin South Little League coach TJ Fechser.

Fechser avoids singling out his best players, instead heaping praise upon his entire roster. He knows that the biggest hits can come from the bottom of the lineup, and the biggest pitches can come from deep in the bullpen.

And that philosophy might just lead his squad to the Little League World Series.

The Nevada team is one win from a trip to Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Summerlin South will play Utah at 2 p.m. Friday in the Mountain Region tournament championship game at Al Houghton Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.

Utah defeated Wyoming 10-0 by the mercy rule Thursday to set up a rematch with Summerlin South, which overcame an 8-0 deficit in Tuesday’s 22-12 victory over Utah.

Fechser can feel the excitement, but he refuses to depart from the mentality that got his team this far.

“Every all-star team ever has had the dream to make it to the World Series,” Fechser said. “But our focus is on who’s up next. Teamwise, we don’t talk much about the World Series.”

Unstoppable offense

Summerlin South is 2-0 in the tournament, having outscored opponents 39-12 and winning both games by the mercy rule. The team whipped Colorado 17-0 on Sunday before rallying to defeat Utah.

The coaching staff plans to stick with its winning formula in its quest to get to Williamsport.

“We’re focused on staying within ourselves,” Fechser said. “We want to have good plate discipline and take advantage of (opponents’) mistakes. We want to be aggressive on the bases and throw strikes.”

If that strategy works, Summerlin South will be the third consecutive Nevada team to play at Williamsport. Paseo Verde went 2-2 in last year’s World Series, and Henderson went 2-2 in 2023. Mountain Ridge was the first team, going 3-1 in reaching the American championship game in 2014.

This year’s 11-day modified double-elimination World Series will begin Wednesday and include 10 teams on the American side of the bracket and 10 on the international side. Lake Mary, Florida, won last year’s championship.

The U.S. final will be played Aug. 23, with the championship game Aug. 24.

Fechser likes his squad’s chances in Friday’s championship game, noting that the strong pitching arms of Luke D’Ambrosio, Ethan Robertson and Garrett Gallegos will be available.

But hitting has gotten Summerlin South this far, with Cache Malan leading the way. Malan has hit two home runs in the regional, including a grand slam against Colorado, and drove in five runs in Tuesday’s win. D’Ambrosia and Gray Miranda added three hits apiece in that five-inning game, and the team finished with 16 hits.

‘Just play our best’

Fechser indirectly confessed his hopes for a World Series appearance, but said he will not measure his team’s success in terms of wins and losses.

“I’ve been on the winning and losing side of championship games,” he said. “I just want us to play our best, with little to no regrets. I’ll be proud if we do that, even if we get beat. It makes no difference.”

If his team makes the World Series, it will open against Clarendon Hills, Illinois, the Great Lakes Region champion, at noon Wednesday.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.