LL: Mid-Atlantic Preview

State champions have been crowned and now it’s on to Bristol, Connecticut for four teams competing in the Mid-Atlantic tournament! The winner will represent the region in the Little League World Series, which begins on August 14 in South Williamsport. Teams from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. begin competition on Sunday, August 4 on the campus of ESPN. Let’s take a look at the four teams and how they got here.

Delaware: M-O-T(5-0)

Distance to Bristol: 260mi

Last State Title: 2023(1-2 at Mid-Atlantic tournament)

Last Mid-Atlantic Title: N/A

Perennial power M-O-T(standing for Middletown, Odessa, Townsend, three towns separated by about ten minutes each in a triangle shape in the northern part of the state) is back again with some unfinished business from last year. Ultimately falling 1-0 to Washington, D.C. in the elimination bracket final, Delaware was one win away from a region championship game appearance.

This year’s squad is headed up by some powerful bats. Cleanup hitter Kyle Bailey has cracked four home runs in five postseason games, racking up 10RBI. Dawson Soldo is a .643 leadoff batter and Billy Windley is hitting .385 right behind Soldo. Windley is a stud pitcher, striking out 29 over 18.2 innings and yet to have an earned run go against him.

MOT’s run to the regional began in District 1, with a 10-0 victory over Camden-Wyoming, from just south of Dover. Windley, along with Evan Anderson and Jonah Coker combined for a one-hitter. A couple of bases loaded walks got the scoring going and 5RBI from Bailey on two home runs.

Next up was Milford. MOT built a 4-0 lead in this one on a 2-out rally in the top of the 3rd. Soldo hit a 2RBI double to right and Windley hit an RBI single up the middle. Bailey led off the next inning with a solo shot to center. Milford promptly responded with four in the bottom of the fourth, tying things up.

Tripp Harding got the MOT lead back for good on a 2-out RBI single. MOT tacked on three more in the sixth and Evan Anderson only allowed one runner on base in the final two innings(and he was quickly erased on a double play), closing out the 8-4 win.

In another matchup against Camden-Wyoming for the district title, the game was scoreless through six innings. The most significant threat was when MOT got the first two on in the top of fhe fifth, but the next three went in order. In the top of the seventh, Camden-Wyoming intentionally walked Bailey with one out to load the bases, trying to avoid the big bat. Liem Fitzgerald made them pay, hitting a 2RBI single into right. Daniel Radovanovic followed that up with a 2RBI hit to deep center. Windley got the final three outs, completing the seven-inning shutout in 84 pitches and striking out nine along the way.

MOT opened the Delaware state tournament with a 5-3 victory over Lewes. The game was scoreless into the fourth. Cole Boulden led off the inning with a double from his 12-spot in the lineup. Windley scored him two batters later on a grounder to second base. Bailey then knocked his fourth home run of the postseason in a key spot, increasing the lead to 3-0. Coker’s RBI sac fly with the bases loaded in the fifth made it 4-0. Coker would end up striking out three in the bottom of the sixth to secure a 5-3 victory.

In the Delaware state title game, Windley threw a complete game three-hitter, striking out ten Naamans batters. Soldo led off the game, singling up the middle. He was doubled home by Windley for the quick 1-0 lead. MOT tacked on two more and took home the state banner with a 3-0 victory. They will open Mid-Atlantic play Sunday at 10:00AM against West Salisbury, MD.

Maryland: West Salisbury(8-0)

Distance to Bristol: 332mi

Last State Title: 2014(0-2 at Mid-Atlantic tournament)

Last Mid-Atlantic Title: 2007(0-2 at LLWS)

When West Salisbury won the Mid-Atlantic tournament in 2007, they opened play with a victory over M-O-T, Delaware. The two will faceoff again this coming Sunday morning. West Salisbury has been led by some extremely strong pitching. Callen Senft and Michael Baim have combined to strike out 85, while walking just five and giving up two earned runs over nearly 40 innings of postseason work.

The District 8 tournament kicked off with an 8-0 West Salisbury victory over Delmar. Baim doubled home Luke Holder and Noah Inocencio singled in Baim and Senft for the early 3-0 lead. Senft struck out 13 in a row and 17 of 18 batters faced in his all-star debut.

East Wicomico was the winners bracket semifinal opponent and led West Salisbury 5-0 into the fifth inning. That’s when West Salisbury exploded for 23 runs over the final two innings. Seven walks in the fifth inning alone helped build a 7-5 lead, before Baim hit a bases clearing double to extend the lead to 10-5. Four hits and two East Wicomico errors in the sixth led to ten more runs and West Salisbury won going away 23-6.

Stellar pitching returned as the theme in the winners bracket final versus Berlin. Senft fanned thirteen batters and he combined with Baim on a one-hitter. Kolbie Lecates knocked in the game-winning RBI in the second, scoring Coleson Wiggins. Senft struck out five of the final six batters he saw to help lockdown the victory.

Baim threw a complete game two-hitter in the district title game against Fruitland. A lopsided, seven-run second inning led to a four inning 10-0 victory for West Salisbury. Senft’s three-run home run in that inning made it 9-0 and West Salisbury batters walked nine times in the game.

The state tournament opener was another Senft gem. This time, he threw a four inning one-hitter and struck out eleven Hub City batters as West Salisbury went on to win 10-0. A hit-by-pitch and two walks loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning. Rowan Cherrix hit a 2RBI single into right along the way.

Baim threw the winners bracket semifinal game against Hughesville and struck out ten, giving up three hits over 5.2 innings. Consecutive RBI singles by Baim, Inocencio, and Gehrig Scott capped a three-run fourth inning and locked up a 4-0 victory, sending West Salisbury to the winners bracket final.

It was here that West Salisbury played its closest game of the postseason, getting by Rising Sun 2-1 despite being one-hit. Ryan Dunn scored on a wild pitch in the fifth for the game-winning run and West Salisbury batters walked seven times. Senft did what he does and struck out 16 Rising Sun players on a 79-pitch complete game effort. In the rematch for the state title, Baim tossed a complete game four-hitter, fanning nine. His thre-run home run in the fourth was the key hit in a 4-2 state championship victory. West Salisbury will face M-O-T(DE) Sunday at 10:00AM in the Mid-Atlantic opener.

Washington, D.C.: Capitol Hill(4-0)

Distance to Bristol: 330mi

Last State Title: N/A

Last Mid-Atlantic Title: N/A

Capitol Hill Little League is making its first trip ever to the Mid-Atlantic tournament. The D.C. tournament has historically been dominated by Capitol City and Northwestern D.C., but CHLL broke through this year and looks to have a successful regional.

Despite the small sample size, Capitol Hill has shown they have the power and pitching depth to make a run. Rhys Toney has struck out 23 batters and given up just six hits over 12 innings. Players like William O’Rourke had a stellar tournament, as he batted .667 in the leadoff spot. In just four games, all twelve batters registered at least one RBI.

The D.C. tournament was played at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, where prior clearance was needed to attend the tournament, making it one of the most unique state tournaments in America this season. Capitol Hill got things started with a 6-2 win over Capitol City. Toney threw four innings and fanned six, giving up just three hits. A four run fourth broke the game open for CHLL, as all four runs were scored with two out. Ian Ratner came in on a passed ball, followed by George Ashley on a wild pitch. Nick Guthrie tripled to left and William O’Rourke scored from third. Darren Cauley also scored in the inning on an E2.

The Capitol Hill offense exploded in their next game, beating Banneker City 14-1. Banneker batters struck out 13 times and CHLL scored nine runs over the first three innings. Nick Guthrie scored the first run on a wild pitch. William Craddock was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in another run. William O’Rourke hit an RBI sac fly to left and George Ashley came around to score on a passed ball, bringing the Capitol Hill lead to 5-1 in the second inning. The team added four in the third, all scored with two outs.

In the winners bracket final, Capitol Hill got by Northwest 5-2, again relying on pitching and striking out Northwestern batters 12 times. Another two out rally was the difference, as well, as an RBI single by Toney and 2RBI single from Ratt made it 5-0 in the third.

Rhys Toney started the D.C. title game against familiar foe Capitol City and he did not disappoint. Toney was hit just twice and struck out ten batters. O’Rourke, Brady Thomas, Nathaniel Hoppes, Ian Ratt and Casey Meier all had an RBI in the 6-0 victory, sending CHLL to Bristol, where they will face Council Rock Newtown Sunday afternoon at 1:00.

Pennsylvania: Council Rock Newtown(15-0)

Distance to Bristol: 193mi

Last State Title: 2010(5-1 at Mid-Atlantic tournament)

Last Mid-Atlantic Title: 2005(1-2 at LLWS)

Note: Read more about Council Rock Newtown’s trip through sectionals and the PA state tournament on this site by clicking “Inside LL All-Stars at the top of this page.

Fresh off their Pennsylvania state title victory over Back Mountain National, the boys from Newtown are heading to Bristol with a 15-0 postseason record, coming through very challenging district, section, and state tournaments.

Sav Longo leads his team, batting .667 at the state tournament and has struck out 71 in the postseason, with just four earned runs and eleven hits against him in over 30 innings of work. Pitching depth continues with the likes of Tyler Neeld, Tyler Wexler and Dean Hamilton.

Council Rock Newtown began their journey with an eight game district tournament that included pool play. They outscored opponents 93-7 and defeated Council Rock Holland for the district title. In Pennsylvania Section 6, Newtown first defeated Franklin Township 5-2 and then faced off with Southern Lehigh in a nailbiter. That game was decided on a play at the plate, in which obstruction on the infielder allowed the game-winning run to score in Greyson Gage, who came around on his RBI triple that initially scored Longo. Newtown then defeated Franklin Township 4-1 again to advance to states.

At states, the team reignited its offense, scoring 28 runs in their first three games to reach the championship game against Back Mountain National. Newtown survived a late rally and Tyler Neeld pitched his way out of a two on, no out situation to finish off the title run.

Council Rock Newtown opens Mid-Atlantic play on Sunday at 1:00 against Capitol Hill.