Hamilton West Side to start tournament play

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By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer 12:39 AM Saturday, July 9, 2011

HAMILTON — The quest begins this weekend for the West Side Little League All-Stars.

The Hamilton baseball program has represented this area in the Little League World Series four times — 1991, ’93, 2007 and ’10 — and stands as the heavy favorite in this year’s District 9 tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds.

“I think we’re good enough to win the district and state, and if you can make it to the regionals, anything can happen,” West Side manager Josh Sams said. “We’re built differently than last year’s team, but we’re solid at every position. The goal is the World Series. That’s what we practice for every day.”

The local event starts today at Testerman Park in Hamilton Twp. West Side faces either Hamilton/Fairfield (formerly East Hamilton) or West Chester/Liberty National at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

West Side has never failed to win the district tournament.

“You don’t want to be the first team that goes down, so it’s always in the back of your mind,” Sams said. “Somebody’s going to take us down someday. I just hope it’s not on my watch.”

The district field has grown to 11 teams, and Sams admits he knows little about most of them.

West Side is powered by pitching and defense. Sams said the top arms belong to Korren Thompson, Shawn Brandenburg, Jake Pennington, Austin Broshear and Ryan Kellum.

“We’ve got good team speed and run the bases well,” Sams said. “We just don’t have those knock-it-out-of-the-park sticks all the way through the lineup.”

This West Side group came up short in the state tournament as 10- and 11-year-olds. Last year, the locals were one strike away from the title, then lost to North Canton on a walkoff home run.

Sams knows a little bit about lofty expectations. He followed a World Series team as West Side’s manager in 2008, and his squad was eliminated in the state tournament.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill again,” Sams said. “Not only putting that jersey on, but following Timmy (Nichting) and Kenny (Coomer).”

This year’s state tournament is scheduled for July 23-29 at Centennial Park in Englewood. The Great Lakes Regional will be played Aug. 4-13 in Indianapolis, and the World Series is set for Aug. 18-28 in South Williamsport, Pa.

District 9 tourney

What: Little League baseball tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds

Where: Testerman Park, 8373 Maineville Road, Hamilton Twp. (if Mapquesting, use Maineville, OH 45039)

Teams: Anderson Twp., Hamilton/Fairfield, Hamilton West Side, Lebanon, Loveland, Mason, Miami, Middletown, Warren County, West Chester/Liberty American and National

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