WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. >> Honolulu Little League will play its final game of the summer today as it takes on Curacao in the Little League World Series Championship in Williamsport.
A win will crown one of the tournament’s most dominant teams. Honolulu has given up one earned run, scored 47 runs, and received contributions from all over the field. Honolulu might very well be the favorite as it prepares to take on International Champion Caribbean at Lamade Stadium today at 9 a.m. on KITV.
That hasn’t changed the message that has been the same since forming the team at the beginning of the summer.
“We love each and every one of these kids as all coaches do,” Honolulu manager Gerald Oda said. “It’s about letting them know whether they are the starting pitcher or the No. 14 player on the team you’re just as important. As coaches we really try our best to treat all the players with that same type of fairness and respect.”
It worked for Honolulu.
Players have started and contributed or come off the bench and contributed. It has all worked for Honolulu, but today’s matchup will feature a different challenge.
An interesting matchup awaits the Honolulu boys, who pushed their record to 5-0 with a 5-1 win over Southeast champion Nolensville, Tenn., to claim the United States Championship. Moments after the victory, Honolulu was presented a banner and celebrated by more than 26,000 fans at Lamade Stadium.
“You can tell myself and coach Keith and Willis are tired,” Oda said. “This is a grind. We’ve been traveling since our state tournament. We are very grateful, but we have to remember these are 12-year-old kids. It’s a grind.”
Oda has passed that message on to the players throughout the tournament and they have responded.
>> PHOTOS: Honolulu captures U.S. title
Playing through and winning means competing in fewer games, but that requires management of pitchers, substitutions, and preparation with coaches.
Honolulu has flourished at those tasks to set itself up perfectly for today’s championship contest.
All pitchers will be available today with the exception of tournament standout Cohen Sakamoto, who delivered another top performance in the United States Championship.
“Awesome game by Cohen on the mound,” Oda said. “He really buckled down when we needed him. He almost pitched a complete game. That really helped us out.”
Sakamoto threw exactly 85 pitches against Tennessee Saturday, striking out seven and giving up one unearned run.
A scoreless inning streak that dated back to Honolulu’s opening victory over Washington ended with the run. Sakamoto didn’t even blink as he recorded two strikeouts to end the inning.
“Getting those two strikeouts I wasn’t really pressured, because I knew I had a good defense behind me,” Sakamoto said. “Even if I didn’t, I knew somebody was going to pick me up and get my back.”
Someone will certainly pick Sakamoto up for today’s championship. The tournament’s ace will not be available, but every other pitcher who has seen action will be ready.
Jaron Lancaster, Jonnovyn Sniffen, Luke Hiromoto, and Ruston Hiyoto will be available to pitch.
Lancaster has pitched 41⁄3 innings for Honolulu and will likely be called on for innings today. He’s given up one hit and has eight strikeouts, trailing only Sakamoto’s 24 on the team. Hiromoto threw 14 pitches in 11⁄3 innings in Saturday’s win to help finish off the the game.
Honolulu’s pitching will be countered by the top pitching staff that competed on the International side of the bracket.
Six pitchers have combined for 67 strikeouts in seven games. Davey-Jay Rijke has fanned 31 batters in 121⁄3 innings to lead all pitchers at Williamsport. Jay-Dlynn Wiel has 13 in 102⁄3 innings.
Reangelo Decaster struck out three and helped lead the Caribbean in its 1-0 win over Asia-Pacific champion Chinese Taipei in the International Championship just a couple of hours before Honolulu took the field. Decaster was aided by a strong defensive performance that has become the calling card for Curacao.
Oda kept the message simple at the conclusion of the United States Championship. He stressed how today’s game is the final competition of the summer for the kids.
A chance to become the best Little League team in the world will hang in the balance, but Oda has pushed a bigger message to the players.
“We stress to the kids it’s great to have big goals and big dreams,” Oda said. “The important thing isn’t whether you accomplish it, the important thing is you never give up and keep trying.”
Oda also touched on some of the key reasons he’s been able to navigate a team of 11- and 12-year-olds to such heights.
“Find good parents,” Oda said. “That’s the most important thing. Coming to Williamsport is everybody’s dream. The reality is only 20 teams make it here.”
And only two remain as Honolulu will use the tournament’s top offense and defense to hopefully bring back another world championship.
A win would be Oda’s second as a manager for Honolulu. He led a Honolulu team to the 2018 title.
An unblemished record in two trips to Williamsport, recognition of managing one of the top Little League teams in the world, and completing one of the most dominant runs in recent memory will all be at stake later today.
For Oda, it’s still just about being there for his players. Making sure every moment will mean something to them, their families and all the fans back home.
“The best coaches aren’t Willis (Kat0), Keith (Oda), or myself, it’s their parents,” Oda said. “What we can do as coaches is reinforce what they have learned at home. For us, it’s just about loving each individual, each player, and letting them know they are important.”
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Honolulu 5, Southeast 1
SE 000 100—1 3 0
HLL 120 02X—5 6 2
Trent McNiel and Jack Rhodes. Cohen Sakamoto, Luke Hiromoto (5), and Kaeo Nouchi.
WP—Sakamoto. LP—McNiel.
Leading hitters: Nolensville, Tenn.: Jack Rhodes 2-3, run. Honolulu: Ruston Hiyoto 1-1, HR, run, 2 RBIs; Daly Watson 1-3, 2B, RBI. Kekoa Payanal 1-3, RBI. Jaron Lancaster 1-3, run.
Records: Southeast 4-2. Honolulu 5-0.
