HAMILTON — West Side Little League will try to make it a clean sweep of state titles as the 11U and 10U teams begin tournament play today on the heels of the 12U squad’s championship Friday.
The 10U team, coached by Tim Nichting, Kenny Coomer and Kris Kimbrell, will compete in Tallmadge, while the 11Us get the luxury of playing in their own backyard at West Side.
“It’s good for us, and it’s good for West Side,” said 11U coach Jimmy Tatum, whose team will open play at 3:30 p.m. today against Washington Court House. “This tournament brings a lot of people into this area, and it’s definitely a convenience for us.”
Like the 12U team, the 11Us are hoping to avenge a disappointing performance at last year’s state tournament when Tatum’s squad lost two of its first three games and made an early trip home.
“Last year we were more of a hitting team, but this year we’re heavy on hitting and pitching,” Tatum said. “A lot of the kids have improved, and we really dominated the (District 9) tournament. We scored 70-some runs.”
The members of the 11U team include Malik Brown, Austin Combs, Nick Engel, Ryan Higgins, Gunner Kellum, Seth Klaiber, Gavin Mathews, Eric Roberts, Blake Stewart, Jackson Stewart, Brock Tatum, Trace Thomas and Dylan Young. Assistant coaches are Rand Stewart and Scott Thomas.
“The key for us will be whether we’re on our game, hitting and pitching,” Tatum said. “But you never know because they’re still 11-year-old kids. As long as they come ready, this team is really talented.”
The 10U team also made a dominating run through its district tournament, and the coaching tandem of Nichting and Coomer will be seeking their sixth consecutive state title (12U in 2006-07, 10U in ’08, 11U in ’09 and 12U in ’10).
Members of that team include Kaden Kimbrell, Cole Purdy, Payton Pennington, Matthew Myers, Caleb Owens, Cooper Haynes, Gage Retherford, Jaylen Robinson, Montana Allgaier and Cameron Tenhundfeld. They begin play at 2 p.m. today against New Albany.