Host Sunnybrae favorites to grab district title
After coming so close to wining the District-12 title last season, the Sunnybrae Little League All-Stars are determined to get over the hump this time.
The Sunnies may just be the favorite with a group of players who won the district crown at both the 10 and 11-year-old age groups.
“They won as 10s, won as 11s, and now, they wan to finish it up as 12s, especially being as close as (the 12s) were last year,” manager Antony Zuccarello said. “Right from the time that 12-year-old team made its third out in that last game, as heartbreaking as that was, they knew they were on the clock. This is what they’re working towards.”
The eight-team double elimination tournament, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to get underway on Friday with two games at Sunnybrae LL and two at Nottingham LL. All games after Friday’s opening round will be held at Sunnybrae, with the championship round set to begin on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Sunnybrae’s tournament begins at 8:15 p.m. on Friday against Lawrence.
“For us, it’s bittersweet a little bit,” Zuccarello said. “It’s our 12-year-old year and we spent so much time down here, and to be able to finish it up as our district team, this is pretty much our entire group of 12-year-olds, so for them to finish up on this field, it’s a blessing.”
Zuccarello thinks the closeness of the group will be an asset.
“They’re family,” he said. “These kids have been together since they were six. It’s a small group of 12s. They’re just always together. They’re friends on the field and off. They’re there for each other through thick and thin.
“The attitude has been fantastic. They’re just happy to be out here. When we started this in February, we were real excited with big expectations for the season in our 12-year-old year and then everything kind of went away. Just to be out here playing has been a huge positive for the kids.”