Sights set on San Bernardino

Baseball is supposed to be fun, right?

If that’s the case, then the Coeur d’Alene 12-and-under Little League baseball team is having quite the summer already.

District title, clinched.

A state title, clinched.

Next stop, the Northwest Regional tournament in San Bernardino, Calif., starting on Monday.

“We’ve had this group together since most of them were either 9 or 10-years old,” said manager Robin Franklin. “They’ve been working hard and were district champions when they were 10 year olds. They lost in state to Southwest Ada — the team from Boise that Coeur d’Alene beat to advance to regionals in San Bernardino. We came back and gave them some goals, and they reached them. This group won the state title as 11-year olds and then we set a goal of getting to San Bernardino — and they did it. They had a goal during the offseason, worked hard during the offseason, and they did it. They worked hard and are just a hard-working group of boys.”

In case you missed it, in 2018 Coeur d’Alene became the first team from Idaho to advance to the Little League World Series since 1999 (South Central Boise).

“What those boys did last year was fantastic,” Robin Franklin said. “But we’re a completely different group of kids. They had 13 kids and three coaches that are completely different than the coaches and kids we have this year. We cheered them on from home, and they’re supporting us now. But we’re not trying to compare or put pressure on our kids. We’re just trying to play one game at a time.”

Some of the players from this year’s team have played with that group in the past.

“It was pretty cool to see them on TV,” said Tanner Franklin, Robin’s son. “I was on a team with most of them a few years ago.”

Coeur d’Alene will face the winner of Sunday’s game between Washington and Wyoming on Monday at 9 a.m.

As for the regional experience?

“I’m really excited,” Tanner Franklin said. “I’ve been to the stadium a lot because I grew up near Anaheim in Corona, Calif., so I’m really excited to go back and play in the stadium.”

“I’m really enjoying having a good time with my friends,” said Zach Bell, who plays shortstop. “We’ve got a bunch of talented kids that are really unselfish. We’ve got a great defense and hit the ball really well. I’m a little nervous for regionals, but excited as well.”

Travis Usdrowski, who lived in Harrison but attended Lakes Middle School, earned the win in the third game of the best-of-3 game state championship series at Croffoot Park in Hayden.

“I’ve just enjoyed playing with these guys and getting to know them,” Usdrowski said. “It’s really fun to be around these kids. We joke around and have a lot of fun together.”

While watching on television last summer, the boys did pick up a few key tidbits from the Coeur d’Alene team that advanced to Williamsport.

“They were really successful as a small-ball team,” Bell said. “We’ve just got to remember not to try to do everything ourselves and rely on our teammates. I played with that group a few years ago, and knew they were special, but didn’t know just how good they could be.”

Robin Franklin added that the support the team has received thus far has been top notch.

“This group of players has known each other for a long time and we have a fantastic group of families that are all-in with whatever help we need,” Robin Franklin said. “The kids buy into what we’re trying to do. They legitimately care about each other and play well together. I’ve been coaching for nine years, and don’t think I’ve had a group of kids that have gotten along as well as these kids. They’re a tight knit group of kids. There’s a lot of sleepovers and hanging out when they’re not playing baseball.”

During the state title celebration, Usdrowski added that there was no dog pile, but he was a little dinged up afterward.

“We just kind of jumped up and down,” Usdrowski said. “That time it hurt because I got my feet stepped on.”

Both Idaho and Oregon (Salem) — who have byes on the first day — could advance to the semifinals with wins on Monday.

“That has not fallen on our shoulders lightly,” Robin Franklin said. “We love that there’s a bye that first day. We’ll play the Washington/Wyoming winner, which gives us a little bit of a shorter road to the championship game. They’re going to experience a lot of things outside of just playing baseball. We’ve got a goal in mind to go down and advance. We talked about ‘why not us,’ at the start of the season. We ask two different things, to work hard and play hard. And they do both of those things, so I don’t think there’s any added pressure on them at all.”

NOTE: The Coeur d’Alene Little League U12 baseball team has started a GoFundMe account to help offset costs for the team’s upcoming trip to the Northwest Regional tournament in San Bernardino, Calif., starting Monday.

The team is trying to raise $15,000, and will be used for uncovered and additional expenses during their time in California.

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/cda-little-league-all-stars?

LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

Northwest Regional

At Al Houghton Stadium,

San Bernardino, Calif.

Sunday’s Games

Game 1 — Wyoming (Gillette) vs. Washington (Bothell), noon

Game 2 — Montana (Billings) vs. Alaska (Sitka), 4 p.m.

Monday’s Games

Game 3 — Winner Game 1 vs. Idaho (Coeur d’Alene), 9 a.m.

Game 4 — Winner Game 2 vs. Oregon (Salem), 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games

Game 5 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 4, 9 a.m. (loser out)

Game 6 — Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3, 7 p.m. (loser out)

Wednesday’s Game

Game 7 — Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 8

Game 8 — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, noon (semifinal)

Friday, Aug. 9

Game 9 — Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 7, noon (semifinal)

Saturday, Aug. 10

Game 10 — Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9, noon (championship game)