THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: 'The greatest vacation you could ever have' — 2018 Coeur d'Alene Little League team remembers run to Williamsport

Getting to Williamsport is the dream of pretty much every kid who plays Little League baseball. 

In 2018, the Coeur d’Alene Little League all-stars were just hoping to make it to San Bernardino, site of the Northwest Region tournament. 

Williamsport wasn’t even a thought. 

But dreams do come true sometimes. 

Coeur d’Alene rolled through the district tournament in North Idaho, then beat West Valley Little League of Eagle, Star and Middleton to win the state championship and advance to the regional tourney. 

There, Coeur d’Alene beat Boulder-Arrowhead Little League of Billings, Mont., in the title game in San Bernardino to advance to the Little League World Series — the first team from North Idaho to ever make it to Williamsport, and only the second from Idaho (South Central Boise, 1999). 

Back in Williamsport (Pa.), things didn’t go as hoped for the Coeur d’Alene All-Stars — a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores, Mich. in their first game, and a 3-0 loss to Peachtree City, Ga., that eliminated them from championship contention. 

Coeur d’Alene then beat Catalunya, Spain, 5-0 in a consolation game, then played an exhibition game of sorts against Panama at Carl E. Stotz Field, the original Little League field. 

But in the big picture ... who cares about the results? They got to play in the Little League World Series. Most of us didn’t. 

The trip to Williamsport capped a memorable odyssey for the Coeur d’Alene All-Stars, as the team spent roughly a month together, practicing, playing and traveling. 

Back in Williamsport, the Coeur d’Alene All-Stars were treated like celebrities — signing autographs, posing for pictures, and playing on ESPN. 

Back home, watch parties were held, fans rooting for the 13 players and the three coaches — whether they knew them or not. 

It was an experience the 2018 Coeur d’Alene All-Stars will never forget.

“That summer was, honestly, the greatest vacation you could ever have,” said Cooper Smith, who played first base. 

Six years later, many of the players and coaches on that 2018 team shared their memories of that improbably journey. 

THE ROSTER 

Avrey Cherry, catcher and leadoff hitter, son of manager Sean Cherry 

Nolan Christ, played mostly left field, mostly hit ninth 

AJ Currie, pitcher, some first base and outfield 

Jake Dannenberg, infielder 

Austin DeBoer, pitched and played outfield, batted third or fourth 

Cooper Erickson, third base, outfield, pitcher 

Braeden Newby, No. 2 pitcher, shortstop, hit fifth or sixth 

Chris Reynolds, No. 1 pitcher, shortstop 

Chase Saunders, backup catcher/DH for Jake Dannenberg, son of coach Steve Saunders 

Karl Schwarzer, started in center field, pitched some and batted eighth 

Kyle Seman, pitcher/outfielder 

Cooper Smith, played first base, hit 3-4-5, wore goggles. 

Caden Symons, played third base in Williamsport. He and Cherry were both age 11, youngest on the team. Most of the team was 12; some had turned 13. 

Manager Sean Cherry, coaches Manny Azevedo and Steve Saunders. 

THE BACKGROUND 

Cherry grew up in Rhode Island, watched the Pawtucket Red Sox often, played baseball in the summer, then came out West to attend the University of Idaho. He was in the Marine Corps in the 1990s, and has been in the Northwest since then. He owns a small company that sells medical devices. 

Cherry and Azevedo have coached together for years. 

SEAN CHERRY: Manny and I put together a little travel team when the kids were 10, and that kinda morphed into me being the all-star coach. I was not the 10-year-old all-star coach, but I was for the 11- and 12-year-olds. There were probably eight or nine core kids. The 11-year-old team (which won the state title; state was the end of the road for 11-year-olds) was pretty much the same as the 12-year old (Little League) team, with two or three exceptions.  

I didn’t think we necessarily thought it could be special, but we were working toward being as competitive as we could be when we were 12. We knew that we were going to have to put in a three-year effort if we were going to have any chance. And our goal was to get to San Bernardino; we never in our wildest dreams never would have even spoken to each other about going to Williamsport. 

Saunders played for the Kootenai All-Stars, which won the Idaho state title in 1972 and ‘73 to advance to the West Region tournament in San Bernardino (back then there were only four regional tournaments in the U.S.; now there are 10). He later played in high school and at North Idaho College. 

He got into the scouting of the teams Coeur d’Alene would play. After Coeur d’Alene won its state tournament, they knew they would play the Washington state champions in the opener in San Bernardino. So Saunders jumped in his truck to drove to Sedro-Woolley in western Washington to scout the Washington title game. 

STEVE SAUNDERS: I was responsible for directing traffic — where we should be in certain situations. Manny had a good connection with the kids; the kids all loved him. 

COOPER ERICKSON: I tried to play my part as the leader. I was older than all the kids on the team (he turned 13 that July), so I wanted to set a good example for them and push us to be the best team we could be. I played on older teams when I was younger, so I understood what it took to be a leader. 

SEAN CHERRY: Cooper Erickson, he was a delight to have around. You never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. Just in general, all were fantastic kids. 

Most of the team had been together for three seasons. Per rules, all-star tryouts were held, and one of the core players got injured. That opened a spot on the team for Christ. 

Also, when the 2017-18 school year started, Schwarzer was a seventh grader at Scotts Valley Middle School in the Santa Cruz mountains of California. His family moved to Coeur d’Alene midway through the school year (his father, Steve, had lived in Post Falls for a couple years previously, and an uncle graduated from Post Falls High), and he was spotted by Cherry at a winter camp at an indoor facility in Post Falls. 

KARL SCHWARZER: I had no clue about Coeur d’Alene Little League. Nothing. All that we knew when we moved up here was that there was a Little League. I played all-stars in California for three years prior, so I didn’t know what to expect. I just came up here and played my game, and got the opportunity to be on the team, and made the most of it. 

What’s even crazier — the move up here was actually my decision. My parents asked me, "Do you want to move up here before Little League season or after Little League season,” and I decided before. 

I made the decision, and it ended up being the best decision I could have made. 

WIFFLE BALL FIELD 

Sean Cherry has been a Red Sox fan all his life, and son Avrey followed suit. In the back yard of the Cherrys’ home in Coeur d’Alene, they built a Wiffle ball field as a replica of sorts of Fenway Park in Boston. Part of the barn in left field was painted green, an ode to the Green Monster at Fenway. 

AVREY CHERRY: My dad built it when I was 8. We would have team parties in the back yard. We would play Wiffle ball until it got hot, then we would jump in the pool, then play more Wiffle ball. 

COOPER ERICKSON: I felt like that was where our team really bonded, was in Wiffle ball. Those are some great times that I’ll never forget — we were 11-13 years old, and wanted to be away from our parents and be who we wanted to be, and did whatever we wanted. I feel we had a crazy chemistry on that team that was nothing I’ll ever experience again. 

SEAN CHERRY: You chuck a ball out there and you don’t have to coach them. You sit back and watch the camaraderie and the competitiveness and the fun that a bat and a ball can produce with little boys. 

THE BONDING 

With districts and state, then the quick turnaround to go to San Bernardino, then having to fly from San Bernardino to Williamsport without being able to come home to Coeur d’Alene first ... the team was pretty much together every day for a month. 

AUSTIN DeBOER: Dorming with the whole team; it didn’t feel like we were all showing up at different times for the game. We all woke up at the same time, went to bed at the same time. We were kind of brothers for a week or two. We were like family, rather than just teammates. Dorming, and meeting up with all the other countries and states that were there (at Williamsport). 

SAN BERNARDINO 

NOLAN CHRIST: We didn’t really have any expectations; we were just there to have fun. And making it to Williamsport, and beating all those teams, was pretty exciting for us. We weren’t expecting it at all. 

AJ CURRIE: We thought we had no chance (of getting to Williamsport). We had nothing to lose, and the dice rolled correctly. 

SEAN CHERRY: It (getting to Williamsport) only became even a crack in my mind after we beat Washington in the opening game in San Bernardino. I thought everybody else was beatable, or we could compete with those teams, but I was very afraid of Washington. They’ve always been a good team. Once we beat them I thought there was a possibility anyway. 

THE FINAL OUT 

SEAN CHERRY: If you recall, there was an easy ball to Newby (at shortstop) ... he stumbled and fumbled and he never got the out at second base. And I was like, here it comes, here’s where the wheels come off and we’re going to give up this game. Then AJ made a nice pitch and got a popup right back to Newby. That’s what we say to the kids, when you make an error, the baseball gods are going to send the ball to you again – guaranteed. So it was kinda cool that Newby got that next ball. 

COOPER ERICKSON: That was definitely a crazy moment. I remember my heart beating, I was playing third, and I saw that (popup) and Newby caught it, and yeah, everything went black. Everything moved so fast. We went into this little press conference room after the game and they were talking about what Williamsport was going to be like. We were just sitting there and it was crazy. 

THE PITCHING 

STEVE SAUNDERS: I called every pitch. That magic game that we played against Great Lakes, that we should have won, with Chris Reynolds, it was literally like a video game. I would call a fastball, inside, and we’d set up inside and he’d hit the spot. Strike one. Fastball, away ... hand signals through the dugout to Avrey. Curveball in the dirt — we actually had a sign where he’d bounce one on the plate — he'd execute that. Fastball high, high and tight, he threw the high hard one ... strikeout. 

THAT FIRST GAME AT WILLIAMSPORT 

Coeur d’Alene was leading Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning and thought it had recorded the final out on a foul popup. But the umpire ruled it a no-catch, and the Great Lakes team went on to score four runs in the inning and won 5-4. 

COOPER SMITH: That first game was heartbreaking. We had the lead, and I was the one that caught that ball in foul territory and dropped it into my hand and it fell to the ground but umpire didn’t see it. 

SEAN CHERRY: It was such a great game ... weather delay, controversial call with Smith ... that added a bunch more pitches that we had to throw, it got Chris Reynolds out of the game sooner. That whole game is just vivid to me. It was one of the best baseball games, Little League or pro, that I’ve ever seen. 

COOPER SMITH: Chris Reynolds was pitching a great game, he was up around 70, 75 pitches. Two outs, Oliver Service (now playing at Texas) was up, he hit this popup down first base line. I read it great — sometimes it’s hard to see with the dark sky and lights below the baseball, but I read it great, I was right underneath it and squeezed it. And I went to transfer it to my hand and I flipped my glove over and missed my hand with the ball.  

It was on the transfer, but the umpire wasn’t paying attention, he saw the ball on the ground and he thought I didn’t catch it, and he ruled it no catch. At that time, there was no (video) review for a foul ball. 

Now they have a rule where they can review foul balls (the Cooper Smith rule?). 

It was heartbreaking; there were times I couldn’t even watch that game. Looking back, I’m not glad it happened, but I’m glad it happened, because I learned so much from it, and it helps me understand, life goes on. 

COOPER ERICKSON: I was in the outfield (left), and to be honest, I don’t really remember that (foul popup) happening, I was running back to the dugout when all that happened. I think I was almost in the dugout, and somebody was like, hey, we’re back out there. So I sprinted out. 

STEVE SAUNDERS: My heart stopped ... I thought we were out of the inning. I was already on the move, to the edge of the dugout, thinking we have Reynolds for another inning, and he can close this game out (85 pitches was the limit). When that happened. I remember seeing Cooper catch that ball ... and then the ball was on the ground, and the umpire went over there and gave the no-catch sign. I was upset because I thought it was a catch — so did ESPN and everybody else. At that point, as every single pitch that Reynolds threw that got closer to 85 ... he was at the end of his rope. He could have finished that game, and finished strong, if we had gotten that out. We didn’t get that out, and ... I knew we were in trouble. 

COOPER ERICKSON: I pitched against Michigan — the guy sadly hit a walk-off on me. It wasn’t the best feeling, but it was definitely cool to be on that mound at Williamsport for sure. 

COOPER SMITH: Chris Reynolds, one of my best friends, pitched the best game I’ve ever seen. That (Great Lakes) team was tough. They had Jarren Purify, starting second baseman as a freshman at Clemson. That guy just raked. ... he and Reggie Sharpe (now at Michigan) were the biggest hitters on that team. We still talk to them today.   

THE SPECTACLE OF WILLIAMSPORT 

The Coeur d’Alene team was in the same dorm as the team from the Asia-Pacific Region (South Korea), and the teams shared a bathroom. In San Bernardino, Coeur d’Alene’s dorm mates were from Hawaii, which would play Asia-Pacific for the Little League World Series title. 

BRAEDEN NEWBY: That was pretty cool – being able to room with both the teams that made the championship game that year. We were like their good-luck charm or something.   

AUSTIN DeBOER: Hawaii — those were our dudes, we hung out with them all the time. We celebrated the night we all won (in San Bernardino). We met the Koreans, but we couldn’t really talk to them a whole lot in Williamsport because ... you know ... 

AVREY CHERRY: It's pretty crazy being 12 years old and being treated like you’re a celebrity, and signing autographs. I took a picture with a baby, that was weird. It was way different from what you’re used to when you’re 12 years old. 

CADEN SYMONS: I was so young, I didn’t even have an autograph. I didn’t really know what to do. 

KARL SCHWARZER: I got asked to do a bunch of ESPN things ... they saw me as a natural speaker ... it all came naturally. 

NOLAN CHRIST: It was incredible; we felt like we were in the MLB. We were like celebrities for a week. It was pretty cool. I soaked in every moment of it. 

COOPER ERICKSON: That was a crazy experience. My mom has a couple pictures of me signing autographs, you can see it on my face ... this is crazy, these kids are asking for my autograph, and I’m 13 years old. It was a surreal experience. 

SEAN CHERRY: You’re in a compound, so you’re insulated from the park and the crowds. But once you're going down the hill, and walking into that big stadium and thousands of people are walking around, you know that this is something special. You can watch it on TV all you want, but until you are sitting in that dugout, or walk out on that field, that’s when it really hits you.  

I had some family members come in from the East Coast that I hadn’t seen for 20 years, and they were 300 times more excited than I was — and I was excited to be on that field. It meant a lot. 

COOPER ERICKSON: We would trade pins with (South Korea). We would try to communicate with them, and they would give us little packs of ramen for these pins. We would give them pins, and they would give us little things of food or candy. 

OTHER MEMORIES 

COOPER SMITH: My biggest memory has to be going to Williamsport and seeing that field. I went the year before with my dad (Jeff), and we watched a couple of games. Seeing that field as a player just had to be one of the greatest moments ever. Growing up, your goal is to play at Williamsport ... and being a player there, and understanding that I’m going to play a game on this field, has to be the greatest thing that you could ever imagine. Understanding that you made that stage that thousands of kids yearly dream of. 

The year before ... my dad and I went around and toured the East Coast a little bit, went to a Phillies game, and I was able to go watch LLWS.  Obviously we had no inclination we were going to make it there in the first place (the next year); we didn’t even know if we were going to make it out of districts, let alone making it to Williamsport. 

BRAEDEN NEWBY: I pitched the second game, against Southeast (Georgia). I just remember facing Tai Peete (drafted by the Mariners 30th overall in 2023). I struck him out, and he got a single, or walked. That was the coolest part, because he got drafted by the Mariners — I struck out a Mariners player; that was pretty cool. 

CHASE SAUNDERS: My favorite memory was getting a hit off Tai Peete (of Georgia/Southeast), who is now with the Mariners organization. It was awesome, getting to meet all these great players from all around the world. ... signing autographs for the kids, and seeing their faces light up. I couldn’t tell you how many autographs we signed. And meeting all the MLB players was also awesome. 

CADEN SYMONS: Our first game, I hit a double down the left-field line to score two runs. 

KARL SCHWARZER: In my fourth- or fifth-grade yearbook, there was a question on there — What is your perfect day? And it said, Playing in the Little League World Series. That’s when I was still living in California, 9 or 10 years old. One day I was going through all my yearbooks and saw that ... oh my God. That was years before we thought of ever moving up here. My Little League all-star team in California, we were not going to make it anywhere close to regionals. 

AJ CURRIE: I got my one start at Williamsport in the consolation game (against Spain), and even though it was a consolation game, I still thought it was super cool to be playing in front of a crowd, and on ESPN. I pitched against Montana twice (at regionals), and closed the championship in San Bernardino against Montana. 

I pitched against Georgia in relief (in the second game at Williamsport), and struck out a couple of guys, including a guy that got drafted by the Seattle Mariners, Tai Peete. At the time I didn’t think anything of it ... but I’ve been watching that kid grow up ever since; heckuva ballplayer. 

BIG LEAGUE SUNDAY 

As they still do now, two major league teams play a game in Williamsport on the first Sunday of the Little League World Series. Back in 2018, it was the Phillies and the Mets. Earlier in the day, they show up at the two Little League fields and mingle with the players and pose for photos. 

KARL SCHWARZER: That was one of the most real days ever. There was one guy from MLB.com that came up to me and said, "Do you want to interview players when they get off the bus?” 

“Yeah, for sure.” 

There’s still videos of me on MLB.com interviewing Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Dominic Smith ... My teammates in college, I told them about it, and they pulled up the videos ... little 12-year old Karl Schwarzer. 

CHASE SAUNDERS: I got a picture with (Jose Bautista), and he signed a couple things for me. He was super cool ... a lot of cool players. 

BEING MIKED DURING THE GAMES ON ESPN 

SEAN CHERRY: For those that know me, my family and friends, I had to be on extra special caution with my advice to the kids. I was on my best behavior, let’s put it that way. I just kinda thought, when I’m walking out here (to the mound), I’m walking out with my wife. I need to be on my best behavior, and be positive, which I normally am, but sometimes I can be very direct. 

KEEPSAKES FROM WILLIAMSPORT 

CADEN SYMONS: I just had a baseball, and I tried to get as many of them as I could to sign it. I probably got like 10, 15 on the ball. It’s in my grandpa’s office (Dave Nipp); I gave it to him. Most of our family is basketball people, and he played baseball in college, he was a super big baseball fan, came to almost all of my games. I also got some dirt from each of the fields, and gave that to him too.   

SEAN CHERRY: My son and I were able to get a picture on the field, before we left, when we had a consolation game against Spain. We blew that up, and I see that every single day ... it’s right near our dinner table. Every morning and every evening I look at it as I’m coming from bed or going to bed. 

Baseball’s always about family, from the time my dad and uncle taught me about the game, to me playing, and going on to coaching, and two of your sons in baseball (including older son Reilly), and especially in all-stars. 

AJ CURRIE: I kept some dirt, and for some reason I have someone’s arm sleeve. I don’t know whose it is. In San Bernardino, a couple of the Hawaii kids that I became good friends with, we traded jerseys. So I’ve got a couple jerseys and hats in the closet. 

STEVE SAUNDERS: I bought a jersey in the gift shop of every team in the Little League World Series (and got every team to sign it). 

SIX YEARS LATER 

A week or two after returning from Williamsport, most of the Coeur d’Alene All-Stars entered the seventh grade, receiving props from students — but mostly from teachers and other adults. 

These days ... 

Cherry is one of only two players from that team still in high school. He’ll be a senior at Lake City High this fall, where he plays football as well as baseball. Since Little League, he’s played travel ball in the summer. 

Christ played for the American Legion Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen, and for Coeur d’Alene High, and this year is playing at Centralia (Wash.) College. 

Currie graduated from Lake City High this year, played with the Lums and played some travel ball in the summers, and is headed to Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake to play baseball. 

Dannenberg graduated from Lake City High in June. 

DeBoer was at Coeur d’Alene High as a freshman, transferred to Lake City later that school year, then transferred to Post Falls as a sophomore. He played club baseball following Little League, then played this past season for the Lums. He’s headed to San Diego Mesa (community) College. 

Erickson graduated from Coeur d’Alene High in 2023, pitched at Community Colleges of Spokane this past season, and this year plans to attend Boise State. 

Newby played at Lake City High. He started summer ball with the Lumbermen, then played for the Expos in Spokane, then returned to the Lums for his final season. He’s done with baseball, headed to lineman’s school down in Boise. 

Reynolds signed to play at Tacoma Community College. 

Saunders went on to play at Coeur d’Alene High. He played club ball in Spokane during the summer, then finished up this year with the Lums. He’s committed to Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore. 

Schwarzer graduated from Lake City High in 2023, and this year will be a sophomore (left-handed) pitcher at Milliken University in Decatur, Ill. 

Seman graduated from Coeur d’Alene High in 2023, and played club ball at the University of Idaho last year. 

Smith played at Lake City High, and now is a freshman playing at Utah Tech in St. George. 

Symons played three more years of baseball after Little League, then opted to focus on football and basketball. An incoming junior at Coeur d’Alene High, Symons has four scholarship offers in basketball, and is attracting interest in football. 

This time each year, when the Little League games are on ESPN, the memories return. 

CHASE SAUNDERS: Every now and then we see clips and stuff, but I went and umpired some Little League games and it was cool — the kids recognized us that went and I umpired for them, and one kid talked to me a little bit about it. It’s cool we got to go that far. 

SEAN CHERRY: One of the things that I am proud of is, 12 of the 13 kids played high school baseball, and 10 out of the 13 are going to play college baseball. That’s pretty cool. 

BRAEDEN NEWBY: This should be the year we (have a reunion). We should have one more Wiffle ball at Cherrys. 

COOPER SMITH: Looking back on those moments, you were living the dream. There were no bad moments. It was like a girls’ Disneyland. 

Wouldn't trade it for anything. Honestly, it was the best baseball experience I’ve ever had. 

COOPER ERICKSON: I wish I could go back, it was such a great time. To be honest, I think I took it for granted ... that’s something not many people get to experience. So, I do think about it sometimes, but I also think about how great and how blessed we were to get to that spot in our lives, and get to experience that at such a young age.   

SEAN CHERRY: We did exactly what we had hoped for. We played great baseball, played two outstanding teams and showed very, very well, and that’s the thing I’m most proud of. The kids were never intimidated, they played almost flawless baseball, and we were proud to represent Coeur d’Alene. 

AVREY CHERRY: The best summer I’ve ever had. It was pretty special (sharing the experience with his coach/dad). He tried to be more of a coach on the field, but once we got off the field, it was nice to have him there. 

AJ CURRIE: It was still super cool to go back there. Not a lot of people get to do that as a 12-year-old kid. You just want to take it all in, don’t take for granted that you are there. Just be blessed that all this hard work you put in has really paid off, and you made it to the highest stage possible. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports. 

    Courtesy photo The Wiffle ball field at the home of the Cherrys in Coeur d'Alene.
  

    Courtesy photo 2018 Coeur d'Alene Little League All-Stars manager Sean Cherry, left, and his son Avrey.
  

    Courtesy photo 2018 Coeur d'Alene All-Stars coach Steve Saunders, left, and his son, Chase, at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

    Sean Cherry
  

    Avrey Cherry
 

    Cooper Smith

    Cooper Erickson
  

    Karl Schwarzer
  

    Caden Symons
  

    AJ Currie
 

    Braeden Newby
  

    Chase Saunders
  

    Nolan Christ

    Austin DeBoer
  

  

    GENE J. PUSKAR/Associated Press Jose Bautista of the New York Mets has a picture taken with AJ Currie of Coeur d’Alene Little League while taking in an International pool play game at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018. The Mets played the Philadelphia Phillies in the Little League Classic in Bowman Stadium in Williamsport, Pa., that night.
  

    GENE J. PUSKAR/Associated Press Coeur d’Alene’s Caden Symons celebrates in front of Reggie Sharpe of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., as he stands on second after driving in two runs with a double in the second inning in United States pool play at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018.
  

    GENE J. PUSKAR/Associated Press Coeur d’Alene’s Austin DeBoer, second from bottom, tosses the ball to Panama’s Carlos Arcia (7) to complete the ceremonial first pitch involving a member of each Little League team participating in the Little League World Series tournament, before the Little League Classic baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018.
  

    GENE J. PUSKAR/Associated Press Chris Reynolds of Coeur d’Alene pitches against Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., in United States pool play at the Little League World Series on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018 in South Williamsport, Pa.
  

    TOM E. PUSKAR/Associated Press Kyle Seman of the Coeur d’Alene Little League World Series team, and his mother, Heather Seman, check out the 2019 USA Baseball Bats Exclusive LLWS product release at the Easton display at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on Aug. 21, 2018. The new USA baseball bat designed in 2018 to keep the ball in play and pitchers safer from line drives had another effect at the Little League World Series: fewer home runs.