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For the first time in history, the Alpine Little League 12 All-Stars are headed to the West Region Tournament after a long streak of wins. The young baseball players will be heading to San Bernardino on Thursday to compete against teams from Arizona, Hawaii and Southern California.
The Alpine Little League has been coaching Portola Valley, Woodside and Menlo Park youth since 1960. For the first time in 24 years, the All-Star team won the title of District 52 champions on July 1 — a momentous victory for the community.
Since then, the players have moved forward to win the Section 3 championship and recently the California State Championships in Petaluma. If they win the upcoming West Regional Tournament, they will be making local history at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.
Sangini Bedner, an Alpine Little League parent, said other families feel like the past few weeks have been unreal. The parents have grown close, communicating through group chats and organizing potlucks to support their children and their success.
“I think these boys just feel really ready in every way, not just ready as a baseball player, but I think they feel ready as excited 12-year-old human beings,” Bedner said.
On Wednesday evening, parents and supporters of the Little League team are hosting a send off party for the players at Ford Field Park in Portola Valley before they leave for the tournament. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink, said Bedner. She added that the color, which accents their navy blue uniforms, wasn’t part of their original uniforms but was chosen by the boys on the team and has since become their trademark.
Families attest the team’s success to the hard work and passion from the coaches, Dave Levinson, Mike Hourigan and Jamie Breslin. The head coach, Levinson, “lives, eats, sleeps baseball in the best way,” Bedner said. Through their leadership, the team and its families have developed a culture that embraces commitment, care and passion.
“After witnessing the past three years of extremely competitive baseball, I think what stands out to me is just the joy, sportsmanship and hard work,” Bedner added.
The team invites the community to support them in their journey toward the Little League World Series. The Alpine Little League’s first game will be against Arizona’s Arcadia Little League on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN Plus.
On Saturday, Aug. 2, the Dutch Goose in Menlo Park will be hosting a community watch party for the game. Visit @alpinelittleleague on Instagram for more information.
