Little League Insider: LLBB

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Utah: Dixie Little League (St. George, UT)

The first of our state champion previews starts with Utah which finished up this week. Based on the chatter out there, Dixie Little League may have a shot to be the first Utah team to reach Williamsport. It's a tall task, however.

Thirty-Year History: State champions – 1997, 1990, and 1989.

Number of Majors Teams: 8

Roster

Mason Creager
Boston Miller
Chandler Welch
Bronson Andrus
Wyatt Woodland
Blake Milne

Jayden Peterson
Brenden Blanchard
Collin Garrett
Bo Barben
Austin Hepworth
Landon Levine

Preview: Dixie last won the Utah state championship back in 1997 when the West included the Northwest. That year, Dixie made a great run through the tournament all the way to the winners’ bracket final. Utah is a single-district state which doubles as the state tournament. Dixie went 4-0 through the tournament while shutting out its first three opponents. Dixie averaged nearly 17 runs per game.

Dixie has home run power throughout the lineup and obviously a strong pitching staff. Wyatt Woodland hits three home runs in the last two games and Mason Creager added a pair of homers in the state final.

Dixie coach Nate Andrus won a state title for Dixie on the 1989 team… he was coached by his father, much like the current team with his son Bronson.

The Utah state champions will open up the West region with the first game of the tournament against Nevada on Friday August 2 at 11:45am.

You can find articles about Dixie from their local newspaper: The Spectrum

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Wayne National advances to New Jersey Section 1 Championship

Written by Kyle Stackpole, contributing writer

For the second game in a row, Washington Township played a thriller, although this one was of the high-scoring variety. To make matters worse, Township wasn’t able to pull off the late-game heroics.

Wayne National 10, Washington Township 8

Washington Township took a surprising 3-0 lead early in the game with Wayne National’s star pitcher Dominic Cancellieri on the mound. He exited the game early on with just 35 pitches keeping him available for the championship game.

Wayne National got on the board in the third, when Ari Field knocked in John Boscarino. After singles from Cancellieri and Field, things got even better for Wayne National. Steven DiPaolo hit a three-run bomb and Wayne National was on top 4-3. The kids from Wayne weren't done yet. Danny Murphy added a two-run shot of his own, giving Wayne National a 6-3 lead.

Washington Township stole one back in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 6-4. In the top of the fourth, it was Cancellieri’s turn to join the home run parade. He hit a two-run shot that left the yard quicker than any I have seen in this tournament so far.

Washington Township was not going down without a fight. They mustered three hits and three runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to just 8-7.

After a scoreless fifth, Wayne National received some much needed insurance. Hits by Boscarino, Cancellieri, and Field gave Wayne National two more runs and a three-run lead heading into the last inning. Washington Township threatened in the bottom half, but could only put one across, giving Wayne National the huge win.

Boscarino, Cancellieri, and Field were incredible for Wayne National. They were 8-for-9 with four runs batted in and five runs scored. With the win, Wayne National advances to the Sectional title game on Thursday. Washington Township is now forced to play tomorrow against Par-Troy East, who eliminated Somerset Hills in the late game.

On a side note, this was one of the best little league games I have seen. It was back and forth and full of drama. In addition, Dominic Cancellieri is a name to look out for down the road if Wayne National continues to advance. He is a star in the making.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Wayne National played without its third and fourth hitters tonight. Unknown reasons. Very impressive victory.