Nolensville Little League World Series team dared to dream, then lived it

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Emily Carter stood in silence in the stands, her eyes cast on left field.

The Nolensville Little League World Series team gathered there Wednesday night, their 15 faces wet with tears and their memories now set in stone. Her son Nash was one of those faces.

The journey that took the team of 11 boys and a girl named Stella Weaver to places such as Warner Robins, Georgia, and Columbia, Tennessee, and to a faraway town in the green mountains of Pennsylvania where Little League was born, had ended after 27 days. Nolensville had just lost 5-3 to a team from El Segundo, California.

Fathers, mothers, grandparents and children milled around Emily Carter. Some headed for the exits. Others were unsure of what to do next. Baseball season was over. For the third straight year, Nolensville Little League's summer ended in South Williamsport.

The absorbed expression she wore was a mixture of joy and pain and reflection. Her eyes took snapshots so her mind could safely tuck them away for later. She had beaten cancer before last season began. Baseball helped her get through the aftermath. She had watched Nash and her husband, Mark, live this dream last year.

Here she stood again, in the same place as last summer, which ended with Nolensville finishing fourth in the world. In the place that broke her son's heart and made his wildest notions come to life. Twice.

A magical ride to a magical place

In left field, manager Randy Huth said to his team what Emily Carter and many others around her felt at that moment Wednesday night.

"I just wanted to tell those kids that I know it hurts and I know you're upset," said Huth, the first U.S. manager to bring a program to South Williamsport three years in a row. "And you're sad because you care . . . When you care about something so much for so long and it ends, that's OK.

"There's no words to describe how magical this place is."

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Huth's eyes were glassy and red. His voice was further proof of the tears he'd just wiped from his face. A black Nolensville All-Star hat sat on the table in front of him during his postgame gathering with the media. It was covered completely with pins. It belonged to his father, who died in 2018, who inspired Huth to become a coach.

Nolensville Little League celebrates good times

One by one, "Stella and the fellas" raised their white batting helmets to acknowledge their supporters as they retreated into a dugout for the last time this unforgettable summer.

When the world was introduced to Weaver, who tied the record for the most hits by a girl in tournament history.

When Weaver introduced herself to the world and was introduced to Bryce Harper.

The unforgettable summer when Nolensville played six elimination games in the postseason and emerged victorious in five. When Nash Carter and Ty McKenzie II and the rest of the crew made playing defense look too easy most of the time.

"They celebrate other people on the team more than they celebrate themselves," Huth said.

This summer there was plenty to celebrate.

Lucas McCauley was 'born for this'

Like when Lucas McCauley flirted with perfection and pitched the best game of his life Tuesday.

"I love the pressure," he said after he struck out 12.

Then there was Wednesday.

McCauley's right arm reached for the star-filled black sky. His feet kept him afloat as he approached first base. His run slowed to a jog, so he could make the moment last just a pinch longer. His eyes widened as he watched the baseball he just hit hurrying high over the right-field fence.

That 240-foot trip around the bases probably lasted less than 30 seconds. The memory will last a lifetime.

Huth recalled a conversation he had with McCauley before Tuesday's game.

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"I was like, 'Hey, this is a big game. Are you ready for this?' " Huth said. "He looked me in the face and said, 'I was born for this.'

"He pitched a gem. After his home run today, it's hard to argue that he wasn't born for this."

Baseball diamonds have been this team’s best friend since spring began to lean into summer. Along the way these 11 boys and one girl have laughed together, cried together, danced together, won and lost together. Most of all they dared to dream together — to make that dream come true together.

And, boy — and girl — what a ride it was.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nolensville Little League World Series team dared to dream, then lived it