The Capitol Hill Little League (CHLL) under-10 team are the DC State Baseball Champions! Now they’re in Rhode Island, playing in the Eastern Regional Tournament in Cranston.
On Saturday, they won decisively against Maryland 10-0, thanks to shut-out pitching by Brady T. And Rhys T.
Both games featured spectacular plays, said Coach Adam Meier. Even when they lost narrowly to Delaware on Sunday, there was tremendous baseball: William T. made a spectacular grab for an out in center field, while Darren C. threw a rocket from deep right field to catcher Lee R. for an out. The team managed to get the tying run to the plate in the last inning, but fell short.
But it’s not over —today (Tuesday) they play New Jersey at 11 a.m. —and you can follow them here.
If they win the next two games —today’s versus New Jersey and tomorrow’s versus Pennsylvania— CHLL 10U goes on to the Mid-Atlantic play-offs on Friday and the Eastern Regional Championships on Saturday (the televised International World Series is for teams aged 12 and up).
FOLLOW THE CHLL 10U GAME HERE & SEE THE BOX SCORES
SUPPORT THE CHLL 10U TEAM
Already Got Receipts
But even if they don’t advance, they’ve already proven themselves, Meier said. “So far our team has acquitted themselves really well; played very solid defense and in fact made several stellar plays in the field.”
That team will only get stronger Wednesday as player Loren H. joins the team, bringing them up to a full dozen in strength. She is the only girl on the team and, Meier believes, the only girl among the 150 players at the championship.
“The team is competing and they absolutely have a chance to advance,” Meier said, adding that they were not sure how they’d stack up against the other states.
“And even if they don’t, this has been an amazing experience for all of the kids.”
10 Year Return to Championship
Meier has reason to be proud. It’s the first time a DC team has been state champions in ten years. It was the only other time CHLL has won the championship.
Last week, nine players from that team practiced with the 2022 players. The now 19-year olds batted left-handed in a scrimmage with the 10-year-olds, Meier said, and wished the younger team well. “It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Meier said.
News from the tourney! Cap Hill LL squared off against the Maryland state champs yesterday and won 10-0! Next up, they take on the Rhode Island state champs later today! https://t.co/MmDSwUlPjr
— Charles Allen (@charlesallen) August 7, 2022
For the past 9 years, DC has been considered a part of the “region” of Maryland. But this year, Little League is considering DC a state. Coach Meier said narrowing competition down to the District did not make winning any easier.
CHLL defeated long-time nemesis Northwest Little League by a 5-3 score on Sunday, July 17 at Chevy Chase Recreation Center field/ The CHLL under 10 tournament team took a seven-game undefeated run through the six-team DC State Little League tournament, beating perennial champions Northwest Little League and Capitol City Little League two times along the way.
Meier said the triumph has been shared by entire league family. “There are a lot of people who have been rooting for Capitol Hill Little League to win the DC title at one of the levels for many years, and it has felt like a victory for everyone who has been part of this league,” Meier said. “Everyone has been celebrating that CHLL has broken through and been crowned champion.”
The 14-member team is composed of players age 10 and under who participated in Capitol Hill Little League’s spring season and were selected to represent the league. The group practiced together for more than a month to prepare for the DC tournament, said Coach Meier and every member of the squad made crucial hits and defensive plays during the championship run.
Now, they are at the East Coast Regional Championships in Rhode Island. They face off against the champions of states up and down the eastern seaboard.
Support Your Team
The trip to the championship was unexpected for the families of the dozen players and staff, Meier said. That means extra expenses. CHLL is organized some in-person fundraising events to help players and their families offset the cost of travel. Meier said there has been a huge outpouring of business support and from the families of the 600 families that are part of the Capitol Hill league.
You can help defray costs of this amazing surprise travel by donating to CHLL now.
Meier says thank you to everyone who has already generously supported our players through the online fundraiser. “We are floored by our community’s outpouring of support,” he said.
FOLLOW THE CHLL 10U GAME HERE & SEE THE BOX SCORES
