This year, the High Plains Little League sent four All Star teams to compete in the 2010 Colorado District 5 Little League All Stars Tournament held July 10 through 16 in Cherry Creek, Colo.Teams comprised of 9-10-year-old boys, 10-11-year-old boys, 11-12-year-old boys and 13-14-year-old boys competed in double elimination play. Three of the teams, 9-10-year-olds, 10-11-year-olds, 11-12-year-olds; were eliminated early in the tournament. It was the first competition for many of the boys. “They were really nervous, but I was very proud of their effort,” said Chuck Segotta, coach for the 9-10-year old boys’ team.The junior team of the HPLL, comprised of 13-14-year-olds, made history by winning the Junior League District 5 Little League Baseball Tournament for the first time. Led by coaches Bob Parker and Chris Howard, the team won a close first game and came back to win six straight games. The win sent the junior team to Denver to compete in the Colorado State Little League Championship Tournament held July 24-28.”Unfortunately, the team wasn’t able to practice between tournaments because of rain and was a little off the first couple of games [in Denver],” Howard said. But a lack of practice didn’t deter the team. The juniors walked away with the state title after defeating Westminster (Colorado District 2 Little League) by a score of 18-5.”The boys really pulled it together during the championship game, hitting and fielding the ball well,” Howard said. And the pitching performances were fantastic.”Strong performances from several players contributed to the team’s success. Blake Howard, Jerad Parker, Stevie Vigil and Eddie Williams were among them, with Vigil hitting a home run, Howard said. “Noah Schafer, our catcher, kept runners from advancing,” he said. “He’s got a really strong arm and was able to throw runners out.”The HPLL Junior All Star team will be in Midland, Texas, to compete in the Southwestern Region Tournament, which began Aug. 6 and runs through Aug. 10.HPLL has offered T-ball, softball and competitive baseball since 2005. The group serves youth ages 5-14 in the Falcon/Peyton area and has grown from 75 players to 380 during the organization’s five years. For more information about the league, visit www.highplainsll.com.
