BRIDGEWATER, MASS. (WHDH) - Community members gathered in Bridgewater Friday morning to celebrate the town’s state champion Little League team as players get set to begin their regional championship tournament.
Bridgewater recently won the state title by beating Acton Boxboro. The team will now take on players from Burlington, Vermont in their first New England Region Tournament game on Saturday.
Just over 24 hours before first pitch in the game against Burlington, Bridgewater players boarded a coach bus to the sound of cheers.
The bus then began its journey toward Bristol, Conn. moments after 7 a.m.
“Kids could dream to be in this moment right now,” said Bridgewater second baseman Jake Tiag. “And I’m really thankful to be in this really good group of kids.”
“I could not be any more excited for this team,” said Tiag’s mother, Kristen. “They deserve it. They work hard. And they’re just a wonderful group of people.”
Courtney Goodwin, a parent of another player on the team said “It’s pretty surreal right now.”
“I think we’re all just kind of in shock and we’re just proud of the boys and we’re excited for the weekend, no matter what happens,” Goodwin said.
“I’ve always dreamed of it,” said Bridgewater Catcher Jake Florence. “I’ve always watched it on YouTube as it’s happened and I’ve always been like ‘I want to be that person on TV.’”
A win against Burlington would send Bridgewater into the regional semifinals to play the winner of a quarterfinals game between state champions from New Hampshire and Maine. The regional championship game is set for next Thursday.
The winner of the soon-to-begin New England Region Tournament will advance to the Little League World Series in Pennsylvania later this month.
“We did districts,” said Bridgewater Little League Manager Rich Florence before his team left Bridgewater Friday. “We won that and we were like ‘OK, let’s enjoy this.’ Then we did sectionals and went ‘This will be a cool experience’ and we won that. And then it’s like ‘OK, we’ll go to the states!’ Next thing you know, we’re here.”
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