UNITED STATES ALL-STAR TEAM

(COMPILED BY CHRIS MASSE, cmasse@sungazette.com)

C–Matthew Yang, Hawaii: Hawaii coach Daniel Bolduc correctly said Yang was one of the Series most valuable players. Providing excellent defense and a calming influence behind the plate, Yang also sparked the offense, helping Hawaii finish fourth in the country. Yang hit .556 and compiled a .600 on-base percentage in four games. He also hit safely in all but one game, doubled, drove in a run and made just one error in 45 chances. Yang repeatedly delivered hits in key situations as well, helping Hawaii start its Series 2-0, while also throwing two scoreless innings.

IF–Wyatt Erickson, Nevada: An outstanding pitcher, too, Erickson came alive offensively at the Series, producing hits in all four games. He hit .571 and generated a .636 on-base percentage. Erickson belted two doubles, drove in three runs and scored a run, helping Nevada finish third in the U.S. After throwing a no-hitter in the Mountain Region final, Erickson also continued his pitching dominance, throwing a complete-game five-hitter in a 9-1 win against New York, striking out eight batters in that victory, while playing terrific defense at third base.

IF–Teraj Alexander, Florida: A versatile threat who came up big on the mound and at the plate, Alexander will most be remembered for his daring steal of home in Saturday’s U.S. Final. With the game tied 4-4 in the fifth inning, Alexander sprinted from home when the pitcher turned his back to the plate and slid home safely with the go-ahead run, highlighting his speed and intelligence. Alexander hit .417 in seven games, producing a .523 on-base percentage and hitting a double. He also pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in a 6-3 win against Nevada which sent Florida to the U.S. Championship.

IF–Noah Letalu, Nevada: A consistent player throughout the summer, Letalu excelled again offensively and defensively as Nevada put together the second-best Little League run in state history. A slick-fielding first baseman, Letalu also worked pitchers hard and hit .444 with a .500 on-base percentage. Letalu hit safely in three of four games, reached base in all four and drove in three runs. He was especially effective in run-scoring situations, helping Nevada defeat New York and Hawaii in its first two games.

IF–Christopher Chikodroff, Florida: Highlighting the depth the U.S. Champions possessed, Chikodroff shined near the bottom of the order. He often ignited pivotal rallies and hit .500, while adding a .615 on-base percentage. Chikodroff was outstanding in Florida’s comeback national championship win against Texas, going 2 for 2 with an RBI. Chikodroff excelled all summer in flipping the lineup and his quality approaches at the plate played a big role in jacking up pitch counts and wearing opposing pitchers down.

OF–Doc Mogford, Texas: One of the Series best hitters, Mogford also played well at three different positions, including catcher and pitcher. Mogford hit .600, going 6-10. After hitting a go-ahead grand slam in a comeback Southwest championship win, Mogford homered again at the Series and helped Texas enter the U.S. Final 3-0. Mogford was outstanding in pressure situations and drove in five runs, while scoring three times and making no errors. Mogford also generated two multi-hit games and had hits in all but one game.

OF–Kellan Goodwin, Illinois: Goodwin made the most of his two Series games, starting 3 for 3 finishing 3 for 4. Goodwin was one of the few hitters this summer who can say he delivered a hit against Hawaii ace Evan Tavares and he hit the ball hard all four times he was up. Goodwin also played well in the outfield, covering good ground and helped the team from Hinsdale reach its first Series after it staged dramatic sixth inning comebacks in the Great Lakes semifinals and championship.

OF– Dean Scarangello, New York: Playing four positions, Scarangello was a major contributor, helping New York win consecutive games following an opening-round loss. Scarangello had hits in all four games, batting .571 with a .625 on-base percentage. He belted a double, drove in three runs and scored a run. Showcasing his versatility, Scarangello also made no errors while playing those four positions. He also made a highlight-reel play at third base against Florida, taking a hit away.

Utility–Dylan DeGaeta, New York: Playing near the city that never sleeps, DeGaeta never stopped hitting for most of the series, producing five straight at one point during a three-game stretch. DeGaeta hit .625 at the Series and generated two multiple-hit games. His production lower in the order played a major role in New York coming alive in the fourth inning and winning its two Series games after entering those innings either behind or tied.

P–Evan Tavares, Hawaii: One of the more dominant pitchers in the last few years at the Series, Tavares capped an incredible summer by going 3-0 at the Series. So good was Tavares that he never allowed an earned run this summer in more than 40 innings pitched. He also finished his all-star run with a remarkable 101 strikeouts. Tavares overpowered hitters with his speed, movement and location at the Series, scattering five hits in 13 1/3 innings and striking out 28. He struck out 12 in 5 2/3 innings against Pennsylvania and nine in a 5 1/3 wins against Illinois after opening his Series with 2 1/3 no-hit innings and seven strikeouts against New Hampshire. When the lefty was on the mound Hawaii was close to unbeatable.

P–Julian Hurst, Texas: Hurst takes the title of Series U.S. Player of the Year after putting together a brilliant display in all baseball facets. A marvelous five-tool player, Hurst went 2-0 with a 2.09 ERA on the mound, striking out 27 in 14 1/3 innings. He was the only American pitcher to help his team beat Florida this summer, throwing a complete game five-hitter with 10 strikeouts last Monday. Going back to the Southwest final, Hurst struck out 10 batters in three straight games, opening the Series with four no-hit innings against Pennsylvania. Hurst was just as strong at the top of Texas’s lineup, hitting .667 and producing a .733 on-base percentage. Fast and powerful, Hurst smashed two doubles, scored six runs and reached base in all four games. He also did not make an error while pitching, playing first base and catching.

INTERNATIONAL ALL-STAR TEAM

(COMPILED BY HENRY HUBER, hhuber@sungazette.com)

C – YU CHIA-JUI, CHINESE TAIPEI: Amidst an order that was solid from top to bottom, Chia-Jui managed to stand out alongside fellow all-star Hu Yen-Chun, breaking out as one of the team’s most reliable sluggers. The catcher logged a hit in each of their first four games, three of which were doubles. And of his team-leading six RBIs throughout the series, two of them came in the international final against Venezuela, runs that proved pivotal in the team’s 4-1 win.

IF – ANTONIO GUERRERO, MEXICO: Guerrero garnered all-star consideration from the moment he took the field at Volunteer for the series opener, kicking things off with a 12-strikeout no-hitter against Aruba. Although he wouldn’t get another opportunity to start from the mound after that breakout performance, he never stopped being impactful. At shortstop, he was as consistent as they come, logging 11 assists and 6 putouts on 18 chances and passing the eye test time and time again with the plays he made. He’d also finish with three double plays, two which came in the same game against Venezuela.

And with his team’s back against the wall late in its run, facing a 4-2 deficit in the final inning against Cuba, he’d prove the big moments didn’t faze him, cracking a two-run shot over the center field wall to help Mexico extend its run another round. He finished the series with six hits and three doubles, finding home five times.

IF – WILLIAN’S MORA, VENEZUELA: Though his impact from the plate dwindled as the team’s run went on, Venezuela first baseman Willian’s Mora’s breakout was one to remember and he played a key role in the team’s early success there. Through Venezuela’s first four games, Mora posted two multi-hit performances, including a three-hit, two-double performance against Mexico, and concluded the span with six hits, four doubles and three RBIs. Whenever he slowed down from the plate, he remained impactful as one of the team’s most reliable pitchers, striking out eight in the team’s third place win over Texas and finishing with an ERA of 1.125 through 10 2/3 innings pitched.

IF – HU YEN-CHUN, CHINESE TAIPEI: Rather than slowing down as his series went on, Yen-Chun bounced back from a slow start before steadily catching fire from the plate. He logged at least one hit in each of his last five games, quickly proving himself as one of the team’s most prominent batters after starting 0-of-2. Through his last five games, including the World Championship, he logged at least one hit, three of which featured multiple. His biggest hit came in the World Championship game against Florida, where he bat Chiu Wei-Che home in what almost proved to be the game-winning run. By the end of the series, he had logged eight hits and finished with a batting average of .727, leading the team in both categories, as well as OPS (1.709).

IF – NISHANT TOLEDO, ARUBA: After struggling with first-game jitters against Mexico, Aruba shortstop Nishant Toledo burst onto the scene as a nightmare for opposing pitchers. Through his next six plate appearances, he logged five hits, with a fair majority of those coming in timely scenarios that led to runs on the board. His most notable performance came against Australia, where he broke the game open with a three-run shot and finished with four RBIs. He also had an RBI against Venezuela that helped Aruba hold a lead until Venezuela’s late rally sent them away.

OF – JHONSON FREITEZ, VENEZUELA: Freitez proved dynamic for his squad from start to finish, posting a three-run shot in his very first plate appearance at Volunteer and a save in his final mound appearance against Japan. In a win which propelled Venezuela to the international final, he was key in getting the defense out of multiple late holes. Through five innings pitched, he allowed just one hit and zero runs, finishing the series as one of the most reliable and consistent relieving pitchers, a player that relished the big moments. And he was a hawk in left field, logging five putouts throughout his time there.

OF – SHO TANAKA, JAPAN: Japan centerfielder Sho Tanaka wasn’t the flashiest player on the international side of the bracket, but flashiness pales in comparison to consistency. Every single time Tanaka saw the plate throughout his team’s four-game span, he made it on base, fighting for five walks and logging three hits, two of which were doubles. The result was an absurd OPS of 2.667 and batting average of 1.000, as he provided his team with a spark every time he took the plate. He was just as consistent in the outfield too, logging six putouts on six chances from center field.

OF – SANTIAGO SOTELO, MEXICO: After a slow start from the plate, Mexico left fielder Santiago Sotelo steadily transitioned into the team’s most reliable batter by the time their series run wrapped up. He’d attribute a double in each of his team’s last three games and an RBI in each of their last two, batting in a critical run early on against Cuba. At the conclusion of their run, he led the team in batting average (.571), on-base percentage (.667) and slugging percentage (1.000).

P – LAI CHENG-XI, CHINESE TAIPEI: Taking after his cousin, Fan Chen-Jun, Chinese Taipei ace pitcher Lai Cheng-Xi was an x-factor for the eventual Little League World Series (champions, runners-up). He opened his team’s series run with a no-hitter against Canada, one which came four outs away from perfect. Then, after two strong, strategically short performances against Cuba and Japan, he’d post one of the best pitching performances of the entire event in the international final. In helping his team advance to the World Championship, he struck out 12 batters through 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on three hits and playing a massive role in the 4-1 win. He led the entire event in strikeouts with 31.

P – KANTA IWASHITA, JAPAN: Iwashita took the event by storm from his very first at-bat against Puerto Rico, an at-bat which saw him come just a few feet short of clearing Volunteer Stadium’s camera tower in center field on a two-run shot. And by the end of it, he’d be seen as one of its most stifling aces. Through two starts and 9 1/3 innings pitched, Iwashita allowed just one run off six hits, posting a one-hit shutout in his debut against Puerto Rico before holding the fiery bats of Venezuela to one run, which left closing pitcher Yuki Tsuji needing just two outs to close it out. He was the MVP in his team’s deep run to the international semifinals, finishing with 19 strikeouts to just two walks.

UTIL – MARLOON HERRERA, CUBA: To go from the outfield to behind the plate is a tough adjustment, but Cuba leftfielder Marloon Herrera managed to make it work. After spending the team’s first two games as the team’s left fielder, logging two putouts in the process, he’d take Alain Cárdenas’s place at catcher for what was expected to be a tough game against Mexico. He’d play a great game there, logging seven putouts and making zero mistakes in a position where it’s easy to do so. He also finished as one of the team’s most impactful batters, helping his team take the lead late against Czech Republic with two critical RBIs and finishing third on his team in batting average (.400) and slugging percentage (.600).