RP softball, baseball teams hope to win in World Series in US

The International Little League Association of Manila (ILLAM) hopes that at least one of its teams will win in the World Series Championship games set for August in the United States. ILLAM's Junior League (with players aged 13 to 14) in boys' baseball and the Major League (11-12) and Big League (16-18) in girls' softball have earned spots in their divisions of the World Series. The ILLAM Junior League boys' baseball team topped its Asia-Pacific eliminations to earn a spot in the World Series set at Taylor, Michigan. They will travel on Aug. 10 to represent the region and the country in the tournament that runs from August 12 to 18. ILLAM's Major League in girls' softball team, on the other hand, will fly for Portland, Oregon, on Sunday for the 11-12 World series that runs from Aug. 9 to 15. ILLAM'S Big League in girls' softball team will follow their younger counterparts in a tournament that runs from August 13 to 18. The mentors of these teams believe that their wards have an even chance of winning against their more illustrious opponents. The Junior League team actually will try to repeat the victory of the Bacolod City team which won the crown in the 2003 tournament in Kirkland, Washington. "My team has been playing together long enough that I believe they will have no problem in teamanship," Big League head coach Karin Hollnsteiner said on Friday at the weekly SCOOP session at the Kamayan Restaurant on Padre Faura St. in Manila. "Out hitting could be a little suspect, but we will make up for that with a formidable pitching rotation, headed by World Series veteran Nelsa Delagente of UAAP champion Adamson University," Hollnsteiner added. Kathy Tanco-Ong, head coach of the Junior League boys' baseball team, said her team is competing for the first time in the World Series, but they are focusing on a podium finish. "The fact, however, is that we topped the Asia-Pacific elimination, beating all the teams that competed there. I think the boys have what it takes to fashion out a decent finish," Ong said. There are two other teams vying for top honors in the other World Series – Laguna in the Senior League (14-16) girls' softball from August 5 to 11 in Lower Sussex, Delaware, and Bacolod in the Junior League (13-14) girls' softball from August 12 to 18 in Kirkland. Unlike the ILLAM teams, members of both the Laguna and Bacolod contingents have yet to secure their US. - GMANews.TV