HUGHESVILLE, Md. — Hughesville Little League isn’t the largest organization around, but they are certainly making a run at being the mightiest. Out of eight baseball and softball teams the district sent to represent the league this year, five teams took home District 7 titles.
The 10- to 12-year-old boys’ team is playing in the state championship starting Saturday, July 19, in Salisbury at 11 a.m. The girls’ 8- to 10-year-old team just concluded their tournament, placing second. State tournaments run three to five days depending on how the team does — the Hughesville team is set to face a team from Montgomery County.
The postseason tournaments this year were also plagued by weather delays, scheduling changes and long travel times — all of which made winning their titles an uphill battle for these kids.
“It’s been really special to watch this season and I could not be more proud of not just these all-star teams but all the Little League teams this year,” said league President Danielle Lehman.
The league saw record signups this year — the regular season had about 500 participants, fielding 43 teams across age groups that span T-ball to senior levels. Lehman said this year’s players were an incredibly talented group of young people, both on the all-stars teams and during the regular season. This is Lehman’s first full year as president, though she’s been on the board for several years. She attributes the teams’ success to the dedication and talent of the players.
“Usually we have one team that really stands out, but this year across the board we had eight out of eight teams who are extremely passionate and determined to take it as far as they can,” Lehman said. “It’s incredible to see them all shine.”
She also emphasized how the bonds players make with one another can lead to success. “They spend a lot of time together, practicing, there’s travel time, weather delays. We captured a lot of great behind-the-scenes footage this year that showed how close they got building those friendships on and off the diamond.”
Lehman will stay on as president for the next season and is excited to continue meeting families in the community. Little League is great for the players, but also serves as a way for everyone to get involved. Often, kids will sign up for T-ball and stay in the league until they age out, and families really get to know each other with kids in the league.
This season was a special one, but hopefully it won’t be the last of its kind: registration for the fall season is open until Aug. 3.
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