Summerlin South studying up on 1st LLWS opponent: Clarendon Hills

Summerlin South Little League coach TJ Fechser has always believed in focusing on one game at a time.

But that’s not easy once a team hits the postseason, as coaches know little about the opponents they play next, especially early in a tournament. They come from faraway lands, and media coverage is minimal.

Fechser’s squad defeated Utah 6-3 in the Mountain Region tournament Friday to qualify for this week’s Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, leaving the coach with more questions than answers. The Nevada team will face Clarendon Hills, Illinois, the Great Lakes Region champion, at noon Wednesday, with no real way to create a game plan.

On the bright side, the coaching staff knows that their opponents will be in the same boat.

“Once you get out of the friendly confines of Las Vegas, there’s not much information out there,” Fechser said. “It’s hard to get good information on these guys. You don’t know who they’ve played and they don’t know who you’ve played.”

Coaches know only for certain that there are nine other teams in the U.S. bracket and all will have 12 players. Aside from that, limited internet searches will have to do to glean bits of information.

Clarendon Hills went 3-1 in the Great Lakes Region tournament, with victories over Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, and a second-round setback to Ohio. The team was actually outscored 20-19 in the tourney due to its one lopsided loss, scoring an average of 4.75 runs per game while giving up five.

By contrast, Summerlin South went 3-0 with two wins against Utah and one against Colorado. The team outscored opponents 45-15 and twice scored more than 10 runs.

The Great Lakes team averaged 6.25 hits per game. Leadoff hitter Brody Herold led the way with two multiple-hit games. Infielders Connor Lazar and Matthew Kalish each had a multiple-hit game with a double. The team did not homer in the tourney.

Though some statistics are unavailable due to a software glitch during the Mountain Region tourney in San Bernardino, California, Summerlin South’s offense was led by Cache Malan, Ethan Robertson and Luke D’Ambrosio. Malan had two home runs and a double to provide the power, while Robertson had a pair of three-hit games in the leadoff spot. The team averaged 13 hits per game.

Herold and Jack Kaczmarski each had strong pitching performances to lead the Great Lakes team, which is loaded with lefties. Right-hander Garrett Gallegos is the clear ace of the Summerlin South staff, closing out the tournament by striking out nine while giving up four hits in four innings in the clinching win over Utah.

Nevada has the statistical advantage. But anything can happen in baseball, especially when it’s 12-year-olds on the field.

The winner of Wednesday’s game will advance to play Bonney Lake/Sumner, the Northwest Region winner from Washington, at noon Thursday. The U.S. bracket championship is scheduled for Aug. 23, with the international championship to be played the following day.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.