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SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. » Why Waipio? What makes the Hawaii team so special?
These are two questions that were asked the most by the people of Pennsylvania.
Well, you could look at a number of things.
Really, though, they had the complete package.
When most managers tell you that solid pitching and an even-better defense win at the Little League level, they are correct.
Hawaii is proof of that.
Yes, they probably had the best hitter in the tournament with Pikai Winchester.
But go beyond hitting statistics.
Waipio’s pitching rotation was deep. There was no other team at the LLWS that could use nine hurlers, each one equally effective.
There wasn’t much of a drop-off. Caleb Duhay was dominant. Khade Paris struggled a bit with his control, but struck out nine batters in 32/3 innings. And there was solid relief with Christian Donahue, Tanner Tokunaga and Trevor Ling.
Need an example? How about Louisiana?
Lake Charles was up 5-1 on Waipio in the top of the sixth, but starter Trey Quinn ran out of pitches. Ace Kennon Fontenot wasn’t available. It sent manager Charlie Phillips searching and, basically, there was no help in sight. Waipio scored six in the sixth, and got to the World Championship game.
Defensively, no one was better.
With the exception of a little miscommunication in the field Sunday, although the ball was still caught, pop flies were called out and players talked with one another.
The results were obvious. Hawaii only had three errors in six games. Mexico had three errors in Sunday’s championship alone.
Yes, Iolana Akau’s full-out extension to snare a ball in right field was pretty sweet. And Tokunaga fielding a ball in the gap at short and throwing out a runner was well done.
But what really stood out were the little things. The routine plays in the infield. Outfielders keeping the ball in front of them. Pitchers fielding their positions.
Washington coach Scott Mahlum said it best.
“They won’t beat themselves,” he said after his Mill Creek squad lost to Waipio in the U.S. semifinals. “You are going to have to play a perfect game to beat them. It’s going to take a good team to do that.”
And they had heart.
They fought through a nearly 90-minute rain delay against Connecticut. Going against what people sensed was the strongest team in the tournament at the time, Waipio powered past Florida.
Of course, the Louisiana contest doesn’t need much explanation, only to say it was the greatest Little League World Series game most in these parts had ever witnessed and it kind of served as a reminder.
No matter how big a team is size-wise, it’s the little things that win baseball games. Waipio proved that in the opener against Connecticut, which was a much bigger team. But on that night, the little guys did win with pitching and solid defense.
It’s a reminder to all Little League coaches. Sometimes, the little things can win titles.
It did for Waipio.
Mahlum summed it up.
“It’s funny because they aren’t the biggest, not the strongest and they don’t throw the hardest. But mentally and fundamentally, they are as solid as it gets. They are very impressive.”
One week later, the entire world knows that’s true.
