Nolensville returns to Little League World Series
The team is first from the U.S. to ever play in the tournament in three consecutive years.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - For the third straight year, the Nolensville Little League team is headed back to Williamsport.
They’re the first team from the U.S. to ever play in the tournament in three consecutive years.
“To do it three times is mind-boggling,” Nolensville Head Coach Randy Huth said. “And it has become a routine and we hope to continue it. Why stop now?”
The team has no plans to. Huth says the secret sauce for Nolensville’s burgeoning dynasty is simple.
“First, you gotta have enough talent to know you can get there, which we’re lucky to have. But, you also gotta have people that want to come play little league,” Huth said. “And because of our success, more and more people are wanting to play in the little league.”
This includes Stella Weaver, the 7th-grade pitcher and outfielder considered one of the team’s best players.
“It’s been a great journey,” says Weaver. “I’ve been dreaming of this since I was so little and it’s just so fun now going, chasing my dreams.”
Stella got thrown into the spotlight right off the bat when Huth put her on the mound in the Southeast Region opener against Alabama.
She responded with a seven-strikeout performance in a 10-nothing win.
“Pretty nervous at the start,” Weaver said. “But, once we played Alabama and was pitching I was totally fine. Just a normal game.”
Now the task for Stella and the whole team is to maintain some normalcy as they return to the big stage in Williamsport to try to win the whole thing.
“As much as I try to tell them what it’s gonna be like, there’s nothing like walking out there with 26,000 people cheering,” Huth said.
Weaver adds, “I love how he’s going back for the third time in a row and having two great players going back too. It’s so much fun.”
Nash Carter and Grayson May are the two players on this year’s team who made the trip last year.
Nolensville’s first game in the LLWS will be on Aug.18th. The team will hop on a bus to Williamsport at 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
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