In 1989, Kevin Bagoyo had a chance for a return trip to Williamsport and the Little League World Series.

But Pearl City — with Bagoyo and one other holdover from the team that a year earlier was the first from Hawaii to make it to the LLWS championship game — lost by one run in the regional final in San Bernardino, Calif.

Bagoyo was, however, a member of two of the three Pearl City teams that later made it to the World Series of higher age-group but lower-profile levels.

There’s a display at Williamsport honoring that group of players from Hawaii. Bagoyo, now a wealth manager who lives in Aiea, never thought he’d be back to see it in person.

“It’s kind of out in the boonies,” he said. “It’s not a place most people would go to, unless you’re in the area for some other reason.”

Bagoyo has that reason now, thanks to his son Zack and his teammates on the Honolulu team at the current Little League World Series. Kevin can give himself a little credit, too, since he is an assistant coach of this team, comprised of players from various private schools in town.

Hawaii is 2-0 after beating Connecticut 9-1 and Nebraska 11-3. After two days off, it plays Michigan today at 1:30 p.m. Hawaii time.

Bagoyo said a lot has changed in Williamsport from 33 years ago.

“There are two stadiums now,” he said. “And there were no lights in ’88. One of the stadiums has lights now.”

He said the living facilities are improved, and the food is better.

“But the spirit of baseball hasn’t changed,” Bagoyo said. “The special-ness hasn’t changed. Everything is about sportsmanship, participation, appreciating the volunteers.”

Bagoyo said some of the “team uncles,” volunteers from the area, remember him and his 1988 teammates.

The Pearl City team was made up of small but fundamentally sound players that battled their way past every other U.S. team put in front of them in the West regional and then the World Series at Williamsport, which was then an eight-team, single-elimination tournament. The Hawaii team never lost until it was overwhelmed by Taiwan in the championship game, 10-0.

It was toward the end of an era of Taiwanese domination of the LLWS. There was talk of them being older than 12.

“One day I was in the bathroom and saw two of them shaving,” Bagoyo said. “I wondered what they were doing. Back then I didn’t even know what shaving was.”

This year there are no international teams because of COVID-19. Now the tournament has 16 teams and a double-elimination format.

Three Hawaii teams have won the LLWS: Ewa Beach (2005), Waipio (2008) and a team from the same Honolulu league that is here now (2018).

Zack Bagoyo, a 12-year-old who starts seventh grade at ‘Iolani as soon as he gets home, has been aware of his dad’s youth baseball accomplishments since seeing Kevin’s picture and trophies at his grandparents’ house.

He understands that his situation is historic, but probably not how rare yet. The 4-foot-8 leadoff hitter and second baseman is focused on the tournament and enjoying the ride with his teammates.

“Playing the game is really fun,” he said. “Most people don’t have this kind of experience. I’m trying to embrace it.”

The players get lots of free gear from Easton and Adidas, including bats and shoes. Some of the players stick with the bats that got them there, and the shoes, too, since it takes time to break in new ones.

“We didn’t have that, and we had to return our uniforms,” Kevin Bagoyo said. “All we got to keep was our caps.”

One constant is a ping pong table in the recreation room, but there’s not as much interaction with players from other teams, due to COVID-19, the Bagoyos said.

The Hawaii players wear masks even while they play. Everyone in the Hawaii group is vaccinated, except for the team’s two 11-year-olds, because they aren’t old enough to get the shots yet.

“We’ve been on the road three weeks and the boys are handling it well,” Kevin Bagoyo said. “Back in ’88 I remember some of the boys being homesick.”

Kevin isn’t the only Bagoyo back to Williamsport for a second time.

“It’s kind of empty compared to 1988, because everyone could come to the games then,” said Corinne Bagoyo, Kevin’s mother and Zack’s grandmother.

She and Felix, her husband and father to Kevin and grandfather to Zack, were hesitant at first to travel because of high COVID-19 numbers.

“We don’t want to come home and end up in the hospital. What a happy occasion, but not if he comes home and has to go to a funeral. We were worried about how they would handle the crowd,” Corinne Bagoyo said.

When they received information that made them confident there would not be large crowds to deal with, Corinne, 68, and Felix, 69, decided to make the trip. It would be expensive, especially with last-minute flight bookings.

“I told Felix the same thing as in 1988,” she said. “You can always make the money back, but you can never get the moment back.”