For many little Leaguers, the dream of one day making it to the World Series feels like something in the distant future. But, for the Loudoun South Little League team, that dream came true long before they were old enough to be drafted to the Major League. This summer, the NoVA-based baseball team beat out all other competitors in the entire southeast to represent the region in the 2019 Little League World Series.
This post originally appeared in our November 2019 issue. Stay updated on all the latest achievements of NoVA notables by subscribing to one of our e-newsletters.
The Loudoun County team stepped up to the plate in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in August and nearly went all the way. Justin Lee (pictured above, left) pitched a no-hitter in the team’s second World Series game to take out the Coon Rapids team from Minnesota. Ultimately, Loudoun South’s run ended in a face-off with Louisiana’s East Bank Little League, which went on to win the World Series title. But despite not making it all the way, the team—the first team from Virginia to compete in the World Series in 25 years—had reason to beam with pride. As the team’s official Twitter account noted: “There are 7,400 Little Leagues and 2.3 million kids playing. Eight … just eight U.S. teams make it to the [Little League World Series].” We’d say that’s a dream realized.
