CAMDEN — Like most of his Camden-Wyoming baseball teammates, Makai Parker has never been to Maine before.
But the 16-year-old Magnolia resident understands there’s a lot to like about the Pine Tree State.
“They said they have good lobster up there,” said Parker. “I want to try the lobster, I’m not going to lie. They also said it’s not as hot up there.”
Most of all, though, the C-W Senior League all-stars are hoping there’s some more good baseball waiting for them in Maine.
The Delaware state champions begin their stay in Bangor, ME on Thursday when they face Rhode Island at 4 p.m. on the first day of the Senior League Eastern Regional.
For this group of Camden-Wyoming players in Little League’s age division for 13-16 year olds, getting the chance to take part in a regional has been a long time coming.
They’ve been in state tournaments at different levels of Little League without ever advancing.
Three years ago, Camden-Wyoming won a state championship in Junior League but the regional wasn’t held due to the lingering effects of COVID.
Current Senior League manager Mike Wilson was involved with the squad as a parent that season.
“That was disappointing,” he said. “They canceled the 12U season (the year before). Then to come back the next year and win states just to be told we’re staying, it was pretty disheartening.”
“It was sad to not go,” said 16-year-old Connor Heritage, a junior varsity player at Caesar Rodney High. “I was just excited (winning this year’s state title). Now I can finally go.”
Each of the last two years, Camden-Wyoming fell to Sussex County teams in the state tournament. This year, though, the Kent County squad topped Mid-Sussex, 11-9, for the title.
“It feels great to actually win it,” said Parker White, another 16-year-old CR JV player. “Especially for me and most of the team — this being our last year being able to play Little League — we finally made a run to make it this far.
“I’ve never been to Maine. Being able to travel far to play a sport I love playing, it’s great. I love it. We’re making memories.”
Even after falling short before, Parker said he and his teammates were confident when they had to face a second championship game for the state title last week.
“The motivation was there for losing four years in a row,” said Parker, who plays at Polytech High. “I wasn’t trying to make it five. I just tried not to think about it and play my best in that game.”
Camden-Wyoming’s players can assume they’ll face some really good competition in Maine. Of course, they won’t know what that competition looks like until they start playing games.
All C-W’s all-stars can do is focus on playing good baseball.
“We’re all friends, we’re all close in school,” said Heritage. “We work together as a team. ... I think the best thing to have is confidence — in yourself and in your teammates..”
In a world where a lot of players are on travel teams, keeping a squad together for an unplanned tournament like a regional isn’t easy.
Wilson said he has one player who will be flying to Maine from Georgia after playing in a tourney. Three others were supposed to be at a tournament in Florida but will go to Maine instead.
Now Wilson expects to have the full compliment of his players for the regional.
“I’m trying to just focus on the things that we can control,” he said. “It is what
it is. We’re still playing. Nobody else is.”
Extra innings
- Dover Little League and District I are again hosting the Intermediate baseball East Regional on July 20-25. The 10-team bracket includes squads from nine states competing for the chance to go to the World Series in Livermore, Calif.
- MOT has a berth in the tournament as the champion of host District I while Brandywine is the state champion.
- State champion Laurel will begin play in the Eastern Regional in DuBois, Pa. on Saturday. The Sussex County squad faces Maryland at 2 p.m. in its opener.
- The 11-team, double-elimination is slated to finish with the East title game on July 25. The Junior League World Series is held in Taylor, Mich.
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