Othello 10U All-Stars turn state run into summer of memories

Aug. 17—OTHELLO — As summers end draws nearer, the Othello Little League All-Stars 10U (8-2) are set to come away with a handful of core memories after finishing second in the state tournament. Theirs and the 12U softball success this summer were celebrated at a recent Othello City Council meeting, where Mayor Ken Johnson signed a proclamation making Aug 10 as City of Othello Little League All Star Day "We had so much support from the community," Head Coach Rudy Ochoa II said. "Words of encouragement, donations from local businesses and families, and at the state tournament these kids felt it. They elevated their game because they knew that the whole community was behind them; it was nice to see that. Even in defeat, we push to win or lose with class. I felt like it was a good closure because even though it was defeat, those ones that were supporting them were still supportive even when they came back home." After a 3-0 run that earned them a district title in June, the All-Stars carried their momentum with them into a strong start in the state tournament. The tournament ran from July 18-26, which Othello played in seven games across that span. Othello 10U started undefeated after overcoming Dodds 10's 9-4, Camas Little League 7-3 and 1-0 nailbiter over RNLL All-Stars 10U. However, they would suffer their first loss of the summer on day four against Northeast Seattle Little League 1-11. From there, they bounced back with two straight wins over BLS 10U All Stars 7-4 and NESLL 3-0 in a rematch. Those wins set them up to face for a third time in the championship game, where they ultimately fell 2-10. "They battled from the start of the tournament," Ochoa said. "They set the tone early that they were they were in it and they wanted to compete just as much as anybody else in the tournament, and they proved it each game. They showed up with a positive mindset and a competitive mindset, and they battled even when we fell. It was frustrating to lose, but I felt confident in the boys going into the next game, just because I know the type of competitors they were." Despite falling just short of the title, Ochoa said the experience was special for the players who spent a lot of time bonding and creating core memories through baseball. "This whole little league All Star season has been a blast," the coach said. "They got to bond a lot. They got to grow as teammates, and it was fun to see them share this summer of memories." Othello 10U got to experience a learning moment after their first loss to Northeast Seattle. Ochoa said he delivered a simple message that helped the team reset going forward through the rest of the tournament. "I told them the goal is still the same," he said. "We're going to give our best effort to win this thing, and now it's just the path is going to look a little bit different, but we're still on course, and we're still going to control what we can control. I think theybought into that, and they were quick to flush that loss. I think that's why they came so positive coming into that next game, the consolation semifinals against a really tough Bonnie Lake team." With this season wrapped up, Ochoa hopes his players learned a lot from their journey together this summer and use it as a foundation in their development, not only with baseball but in all sports and life, he said. "I hope they grow from this, the good, the bad, the ugly that happens during the tournament," Ochoa said. "I hope they grow from this and they become better people, and I think they will. I think they all come from really good families, we have a strong community that believes in them. It takes a village, so I think this will be a good experience for them all around. I hope they continue with baseball, it's a fun game. It's the best game. It's America's pastime, and I hope they stick with it and continue to grow and continue to love the sport."