AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
The Mountain Region champion Little League team from Henderson, Nevada, rides in the Little League Grand Slam Parade in downtown Williamsport, Pa., Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. The Little League World Series baseball tournament, featuring 20 teams from around the world, starts this week, in South Williamsport, Pa.
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023 | 2 a.m.
The best advice Ryan Gifford can give the players on his Henderson Little League team ahead of their biggest game ever: Be yourselves.
Gifford, the team’s manager, hopes the boys representing Nevada in the Little League World Series take the message to heart.
“I don’t need any of them to do anything spectacular or anything crazy that they’re not doing on a regular basis,” he said. “I just need them to play their game.”
Henderson begins play today against Rhode Island at Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa. The game will be televised starting at noon on ESPN.
If the Mountain Regional Tournament in San Bernardino, Calif., last week was any indication, Henderson might be tough to beat.
Henderson went 3-0 in the tournament, beating Montana 6-1 in the opening round, then Snow Canyon, Utah, twice — 6-3 in the semifinals and 10-0 in the championship game.
A key to the team’s success has been Gifford’s son Nolan, a pitcher who had 16 strikeouts in the win over Montana. He followed that with 11 strikeouts in a four-inning no-hitter in the regional championship game.
“It’s special. He’s pretty dialed in right now,” Gifford said of his son. “It’s been amazing to sit back, look and see what he’s been able to accomplish.”
Gifford said the team overall was even-keeled and could hit throughout the lineup as well as any team in the country.
This marks only the second time a Nevada team has reached the Little League World Series.
The Mountain Ridge team from Las Vegas was the Cinderella squad of the 2014 tournament.
Mountain Ridge was eliminated by Jackie Robinson West of Chicago, which advanced to the championship game but lost to Seoul, South Korea.
Mountain Ridge was later awarded the U.S. championship after it was determined Chicago used ineligible players during the tournament.
Nine years later, Henderson has the chance to go all the way.
“We’re trying to stay humble and trying to be successful and play to our full purpose,” catcher Jaxson McMullin said.
Support from the Southern Nevada community has been strong.
The Vegas Golden Knights and Henderson Silver Knights foundations donated $10,000 to the team to help cover expenses. The Oakland A’s, who are awaiting MLB approval for an expected move to Las Vegas, donated $15,000.
Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero is making the trip to Williamsport, along with parents, for what Gifford called “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
He expects the players to soak up the moment and have fun, on and off the field.
But when it’s time to play and that first pitch crosses the plate, the players’ excitement will settle down and nerves will subside, Gifford said. “I think they’ll dial it in when they need to,” he said.
The Henderson team is made up of players Cruz Lester, Mason Walther, Liam Wells, Joe Joe Carque, Truman Morris, Jojo Dixon, David Edwards, Logan Levasseur, Jaxson McMullin, Nolan Gifford, Chase Daley and Arlie Daniel IV. Coaches are Arlie Daniel and Chris Petty.
