All Stars on Way to Junior World Series

The Manhattan Beach Little Junior All Stars beat a Central East Maui team 1-0 to take the Western Region championship Tuesday night and secure a berth in the Little League Junior World Series in Taylor, Michigan. World Series competition begins Sunday.

Tommy Bothwell pitched six scoreless innings and got relief help from Jackson Michalski in the seventh and final inning. Zack Chan drove in the game's only run with a two out single in the first inning and the MB defense didn't let a Hawaiian runner cross the plate.

"The kids played so well," said Jeff Proctor, coach, by phone after the win. "Tommy Bothwell pitched the game of his life and all the boys played so well for Ira Smith who's such an incredible manager."

The team is 19-1 in its post-season quest to qualify for the World Series and won District, Section, Sub-Regional and Southern California Regional tournaments on their way to the Western Region tournament held in Vancouver, Washington. 

Team members are Reese Alexiades, Matt Beserra, Tommy Bothwell, Zack Chan, Brett Davis, Trevor Franklin, Blake Hammerstein, Ryan May, Jackson Michalski, Rollie Nichols, Will Proctor, Hunter Tiedemann and Robert White.

Manager Smith is joined by coaches Keith Ramsey and Jeff Proctor.

The team will face as an-yet determined East Region winner at noon on Sunday in pool play. They will join four other regional winners in the United States pool, comprised of the champion teams in the East, Southeast, Central and Southwest. The U.S. pool champion will play the winner of the International pool [teams from Asia-Pacific, Mexico, EMEA [Europe, the Middle East and Africa], Latin America and Canada compete in the International pool] on Aug. 18 for the World series championship.