Sunset Community and Wrightwood Little Leagues have wrapped up their regular season play and have moved on to the highly competitive Little League All-Star Tournament. These are exciting times for players as this tournament is where teams could win the state championship or go on to the Little League World Series Tournament. Wrightwood and Sunset have each sent a team to compete in the 8- to 10-year-old and 9- to 11-year-old tournaments. Wrightwood also has a team competing in the Little League Tournament, and Sunset has a team competing in the Senior League Tournament.
There are six levels of tournament play in Little League Baseball and five in Softball. These levels are broken down by age groups between the ages of 8-16. Tournaments start at the district level. Sunset and Wrightwood are in District 49, along with 13 other high desert teams. Each Little League can send one team per level to compete in the tournaments. Teams compete and win their way to advance through their tournament’s level. The 8- to 10-year-old and 9- to 11-year-old tournaments conclude at the State Level, and the Little League, Little League Intermediate Baseball, Junior League, and Senior League levels all conclude at the World Series Tournament.
Teams are competing now at various ball fields across the high desert. Sunset Little League has been asked to host the 9- to 11-year-old Tournament this year. Games will be played at Phelan Elementary School from June 27, 2024, through July 3, 2024. Games are at various times, and because it is tournament play, team pairings are determined by who wins each game.
While this year’s regular season had an exceptional display of young talent, teamwork, and community spirit, the All-Star Tournament is here and bound to be a show-stopping competition. So, here’s everything you need to know about the tournament so far.
8-to 10-Year-Olds
The 8- to 10-year-old Little League All-Star Tournament is hosted at Lime Street Park in Hesperia. The tournament is currently ongoing, and four games have already concluded. Kicking off the tournament, Adelanto had a hard-fought victory against Victorville American, 21-11. Both teams were exceptional. Then Barstow Baseball faced off with Spring Valley Lake. In a nail-biting game, Barstow Baseball won 10-7. In a crosstown matchup, Wrightwood faced off against Sunset Community. After a very close match, Wrightwood won 4-3. Moving on in the bracket, the Victorville Ribbons faced off against Apple Valley National, winning 9-7. After that, Apple Valley American played off with a fantastic game against Adelanto and won 20-4. Once again, in another close game, Hesperia American went against Barstow Baseball, and Hesperia won 10-9. Finally, Hesperia National played Wrightwood and won 16-2. Both teams showed an exceptional amount of skill and hard work.
These young teams are full of energy and excitement and have been practicing to ensure they are ready for their big games. Games will continue through June 27, 2024, at Lime Street Park in Hesperia.
9-11-Year-Olds
At bat, the 9- to 11-year-olds lead off with a fantastic tournament hosted in Phelan, with Sunset Community Little League hosting this year’s 9- to 11-Year-Olds All-Star Tournament. All tournament games will be held at Phelan Elementary School. This bracket starts with two great teams, Apple Valley American and Apple Valley National, facing off in the tournament’s first game. The two teams will be facing off on June 27 at 5:15 PM. The winner of this match will play against the tournament host, Sunset Community. The game will take place on June 29 at 9:00 AM. Hesperia National will play Wrightwood on June 28 at 5:15 PM. Make sure to mark your calendars; you might be on the edge of your seat watching these incredible young talents. If you cannot attend, Tri-Community NewsPlus will be covering the Wrightwood and Sunset games.
Senior League
The Senior All-Star Tournament has come to an end. The tournament started with Victorville American versus Apple Valley. The well-played game concluded with a Victorville American 11-4 victory. In game two, Sunset Community took on the Victorville Ribbons. The Victorville Ribbons came through and won the match 9-7. In game three, Victorville American played against Hesperia National, and Hesperia National took home the win, 17-4. The first consolation game was Apple Valley versus Sunset Community, where Sunset Community won 11-5. Game five was the final match for the bracket, where the Victorville Ribbons took on the Hesperia National team, and Hesperia National triumphed. But this was not the end just yet.
The next consolation game had Sunset Community face off against Victorville American. Sunset Community went on to win the game 12-11. Sunset Community then had to go against the one team they had lost to in the tournament bracket, the Victorville Ribbons. Sunset came out triumphant with a 12-5 win, creating an impressive winning streak in the consolation bracket. Sunset Community then faced Hesperia National, and Hesperia National won 10-1. Every team in the senior tournament showed their hard work on the field, and Hesperia’s hard work paid off. It was a home run of a game; each team played their hearts out in this tournament and deserved respect.
Girls Softball
The first game of the Girls’ Softball tournament was played on Saturday, June 22, at 9:00 AM at Hook Park, Victorville. In the same place, Hesperia’s seniors won their championship. Soon, the park will crown another champion for the girls’ softball tournament. The first game of the tournament pitted Hesperia National against Victorville American, which won 11-0. Finally, Barstow Softball faced Sunset Community and won.
Please support these local young athletes by attending one of their games. These promising talents are sure to impress and play their best. To see a schedule for when local teams are playing and when the games at Phelan Elementary are scheduled, visit the Sunset Community Little League website or their Facebook page. Wrightwood tournament information can be found on the WW Little League Facebook page. See you on the field.
