BOERNE, Texas — A Hill Country town has hit a home run! The Boerne Little League team is heading to the Little League World Series for the first time in history.
The all-star players and their families will leave for Williamsport, Pennsylvania, early Friday morning.
Boerne, which represented the Texas West district, captured the Southwest Region Championship on Tuesday with a 6-3 victory over the Greater New Orleans Little League, representing Louisiana.
The game was the culmination of a double-elimination tournament involving seven teams played in Waco over six days. The Boerne team was undefeated in the tournament.
Pitcher Julian Hurst kept the score close with 10 strikeouts, while Doc Mogford’s grand slam pushed them to victory.
"He threw me a knuckleball," said Mogford. "I saw a perfect pitch, but really none of it would have happened if my teammates weren't there. I relied on my teammates to get on, but I also got a really good pitch. Hard work pays off."
The young baseball players have become overnight sensations in their hometown.
"We got home and there was about five people outside my house with signs," said Hurst. "The attention has been overwhelming. After the game, I had about 800 notifications on my phone."
It's a feeling very few people will get to experience in their lifetime.
“It’s just such a big moment for us,” said Mogford. "Everyone was jumping up and down, it was so exciting. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Boerne's head coach, Justin Newson, says the community's support has been wonderful. Sending the team to the Little League World Series will cost about $100,000, Newson says. So, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help with travel expenses. To support the team, click HERE.
"I really feel like Boerne has always been a strong baseball community," said Newson. "This is an opportunity to show the rest of the country the good baseball that we have down here. We have to go and compete, and that's our goal; to give good attitude and effort in every game."
The Boerne Little League team will take on a Mid-Atlantic team at 6 p.m. on August 15. The event includes eight regional winners from across the United States, plus eight international winners representing different regions around the globe.