Bend South Wins State Little League Title

Bend South Little League made some impressive local youth baseball history Saturday morning — and they did it in their own backyard.

In what’s been a week-long battle for the Oregon Little League baseball title, Bend South’s 11 and 12-year-olds became the city’s first state champions in that division at Sky View Middle School (on the north side of town) to wrap up the first State Little League Tournament held in Bend.

They beat Ashland 14 -1 in four innings (and because they had won all of their games so far, they would have had a second chance in another game had they they lost).

Bend South’s Cam Baker had a grand slam home run while Troy Viola also had a three-run homer in the eight-run third inning.

Bend South used four pitchers over the four innings to defeat Ashland, which had had an incredible run, having lost just one contest, then winning five straight elimination contests to make it to the finals.

Only one Central Oregon team has ever won the state Little League baseball championship — that was Jefferson County, way back in 1964.

(More recently, the Jefferson County junior team, the division for 13- and 14-year-olds, also went to the regionals in Beaverton in 2006. The next year, the Redmond Senior Little League team represented Central Oregon at the regionals in California.)

Organizers say the tournament turnout and atmosphere made it a great week for youth baseball in Bend.

“Bend has had very talented players, but we’ve fallen short at the state level. So today, to have a Bend team in the state championship really means a lot for this town,” said Bend North Little League President Greg Anderman.

Bend South now will represent Oregon in the Northwest Regional Tournament August 5-13 in San Bernardino, Ca.

The regional winners then advance to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa.

There will be fund-raisers in coming days to help the state champs make their way south. In the meantime, congratulations and good luck Bend South!