Upper Providence 1 win from World Series
Upper Providence Little League one win from World Series
BRISTOL >> The Upper Providence Little League program sent a team to the Mid-Atlantic Regional in 2017, winning its first two games before losing its next two to finish two wins short of the Little League World Series.
A group of 7 and 8 year olds came to watch that team play and began to talk about what their 12U summer might look like a few years later.
That group now has the Upper Providence Little League back at the Mid-Atlantic Regional — held at the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center
in Bristol, Conn. — and one win away from the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
The Upper Providence 12U Little League team, representing Pennsylvania as the state champions, will play New Jersey (Toms River East) in the winner’s bracket final of the Mid-Atlantic Regional at 7 p.m. Thursday on ESPN.
Two teams from each region head to Williamsport this year, so a win in that one or the following game would put Upper Providence in the Little League World Series.
“I would be very excited to go there,” UP leadoff hitter Jalen Bowman said. “We’re all excited
to try to get new gear and play up there and have the experience. It’s been our goal since 7U and we’re one win away, so it’s really cool.’”
Upper Providence manager Ben Ludwig and assistant coaches Tom Sergio and Joe Schuberth have helped guide the group to a 16-1 record so far this summer.
The tournament season started June 24 when they went 5-0 through the District 27 tournament. They followed with a 3-0 showing in the Section 8 tournament before going 6-1 in the state tournament, playing their way out of the loser’s bracket and winning twice on the final day to earn a trip to Bristol.
“It’s an unbelievable combination of kids, coaches and families,” said Ludwig, who noted Sergio and Schuberth have made his job a whole lot easier this summer. “That’s why this is successful. You have coaches who are passionate, you have parents that are committed and the kids obviously bought in.”
After a slow start against Washington D.C. (Capitol City) in their opener Sunday, Upper Providence broke out with four runs in the top of the seventh for a 4-1 win.
Sergio’s son Tommy pitched six innings and struck out 12 batters, and Bowman hit a pair of triples to highlight the win.
“I was really nervous,” said Tommy Sergio, who is also the team’s No. 3 hitter. “It was the first pitching game of regionals for our team, and I think I did a really good job. I just had to throw strikes because my coach, Coach Ben, told me to, ‘Throw strikes and they can’t hit you.’ And that’s all I did.”
The team kept things rolling with an 11-3 win against New York (Colonie) on Monday. Bowman and Sam Buckley combined efforts on the mound and the UP bats broke out for 11 hits.
“Our hitting’s strong, we have a lot of good pitchers and when we’re playing, we’re just having fun,” said coach’s son and cleanup hitter Aidan Ludwig.
The win over New York featured a monster home run by Buckley over the left field fence that was shared by the Little League twitter account.
“A lot of people reached out, some people I didn’t even know. So many people saw it,” said Buckley, who admitted he watched the clip ‘a lot’.
Ben Ludwig said the team’s support from the community has continued to grow throughout summer.
The Spring-Ford baseball team has been a supporter from the beginning as both groups did their preseason workouts at Complete Game of PA in Royersford. Others have joined the ride later on.
Tom Sergio played at North Carolina State for coach Elliott Avent and helped facilitate a message to the team from Avent and former MLB All-Star Troy Tulowitzki.
“The kids are seeing all that stuff, and I think they realize if they win this next game that’s only going to get blown up 10, 20 fold,” Ben Ludwig said. “They’re pumped up about it.”
The Upper Providence Little Leaguers are certainly enjoying their time on the field, but their time together off the field at A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Leadership Training Center in Bristol has been some of the most fun so far according to the kids.
Some of the usual accommodations like a rec-room filled with ping-pong tables where teams can typically mingle are shutdown due to COVID regulations. But the UP kids have made their own fun like playing volleyball in right field during other teams’ games and making makeshift baseball games in the dorms
Parents, siblings and other friends and family can go to the games, but the players and coaches are bubbled up by themselves at the facility — which the kids seem to be enjoying.
“We all get to stay in one room together and it’s just been a fun experience,” Tommy Sergio said
“No parents have been fun,” Bowman said
Upper Providence’s first two games were streamed on the ESPN+ app. Thursday’s winner’s bracket final against New Jersey will be broadcast on the network’s main channel ESPN.
Each game will draw more and more attention from here on out.
“Thursday night is going to be a little different. They put up more lights, the ESPN cameras … I just hope they have fun with it,” Ben Ludwig said. “It’s the kind of group that I think they’ll stay loose and if they just have fun with it, you’ll see them play a good game on Thursday and play the way they can. Just enjoy playing the game because they’re kids.”
His son doesn’t think dad has much to worry about.
“I don’t think anyone really feels pressure,” Aidan Ludwig. “It’s just everyone on our team just loves baseball and they love playing.”