SAN BERNARDINO — The greater San Diego area has been well represented at the Little League West Region tournament over the past 25 years.
From Oceanside and Solana Beach to Bonita and Chula Vista, the region has produced 10 Southern California baseball champions since 2001.
The region’s first Little League World Series champion was Northern LL from El Cajon in 1961 before Chula Vista’s Park View LL brought the title back in 2009, but Oceanside American LL (2001), Rancho Buena Vista LL (2005), Solana Beach LL (2007), Park View LL (2009, ’16 & ’18), Eastlake LL (2013), Encinitas LL (2014) and Sweetwater Valley LL (2015, ’19 & ’26) have all played at Al Houghton Stadium with a shot to advance to Williamsport, Pa.
“It’s a lot to take in, but it’s really fun to represent our city,” said starting pitcher and leadoff hitter Noah Kirk, a key player for this year’s Sweetwater Valley team.
Bonita-based Sweetwater Valley Little League is back for the third time in 11 years this week after an unbeaten run through the Southern California tournament, defeating Encino, 9-0, in the championship game on Sunday.
Manager Steve Winnick’s team picked up a 2-0 victory over last year’s SoCal champion – Fullerton’s Golden Hill Little League – in the opener and posted back-to-back shutouts to start the tournament before going on to outscore opponents 21-2 over the five games.
“This group is incredible,” Winnick said. “I coached them last year (and) I don’t even have a kid on the team, but I’m here to help them because I love them and I love baseball.”
The blowout victory over Encino in the SoCal title game was played at Al Houghton Stadium, site of the West Region tournament, giving the SVLL players and coaches a preview of the week ahead already having experienced arrival, time in the barracks, the march to the field, warmups and games in front of an elevated crowd.
“We’re coming back here to win,” Kirk said.
It was 100 degrees at first pitch last Sunday and temperatures will approach triple digits again this week at the Little League Western Region Headquarters, which concurrently hosts the West, Northwest and Mountain Region tournaments beginning Sunday.
“It’s going to be hot so it’s a big mental thing,” Winnick said. “But if we say, ‘We’re good’, then we’re good. We can handle anything.”
SVLL takes on Northern California champion San Ramon Valley LL from Danville in the West Region opener at noon. Arizona’s Chandler National LL faces off against first-time Hawaii champion Kawaihai Community LL at 3 p.m. on the other side of the double-elimination tournament.
Hawaiian teams have won four of the past five West Region tournaments, with Honolulu LL winning three titles since 2021. Kawaihau Community is the first Hawaiian champion from the island of Kauai.
Lone Peak LL (Alpine, Utah) plays Coal Creek LL (Lafayette, Colo.) to kick off the Mountain Region tournament on Saturday at noon. Big Sky LL (Billings, Mont.), Paseo Verde LL (Henderson, Nev.) and Wyoming’s Laramie LL fill out the five-team region. Nevada has produced each of the past three winners.
In the Northwest Region beginning Sunday, West Valley (Eagle, Idaho) squares off against Abbott-o’-Rabbit (Anchorage, Alaska) before Soundview LL (Tacoma, Wash.) gets a cross-border battle with Oregon’s Bend North LL. Washington’s champion has gone on to capture each of the past five Northwest titles.
All games will be broadcast across ESPN networks.
Little League West Region
Game 1: Southern California (Sweetwater Valley, Bonita) vs. Northern California (San Ramon Valley, Danville)
When: Sunday, noon
Where: Al Houghton Stadium, San Bernardino
How to watch: ESPN+