EDITORIAL: Mountain Ridge reaches heights of Little League baseball

This was a story decades in the making, an achievement that would have been accomplished long ago if it weren’t for that gigantic obstacle called California. Finally, the state of Nevada, and more specifically, the Las Vegas Valley, broke through.

As Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney reported late Saturday night in the jubilant aftermath of the Western Regional final, played before more than 8,500 fans and a live national TV audience on ESPN, Mountain Ridge Little League became the first team from the Silver State to reach the Little League World Series. And these kids did it in no-doubt fashion, steamrolling through the regional with an unbeaten record, capped by an 11-2 drubbing of Pacifica, Calif.

In fact, Mountain Ridge had to tame the California beast on consecutive days, first knocking out Southern California champion Encinitas 5-1 on Friday afternoon, then returning a day later and piling up nine first-inning runs en route to the rout of Pacifica, the Northern California champ. Austin Kryszczuk capped that outburst with a three-run homer. And just when things looked like they might get a little dicey, when Pacifica loaded the bases in the fourth inning, Mountain Ridge second baseman Zachary Hare ranged into shallow center field and made a leaping grab of a soft line drive, then threw to second to complete the double play and end the inning.

Kryszczuk and Hare helped complete what countless others built up in Southern Nevada. Mountain Ridge’s victory was validation for every Little League and youth baseball association in Clark County. We’ve known for a long time that the valley has incredible coaches at all levels, from volunteers in Little League all the way up to the college ranks. Coaches and mentors such as Rodger Fairless, Tim Chambers, Fred Dallimore, Lou Pisani, Gary Chaires and Ralph Meder helped develop standout players such as Greg and Mike Maddux, Tyler Houston, Mike Morgan, Marty Cordova, Marty Barrett, Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant. And those players and thousands more were first brought along by volunteer coaches.

The talent has been such that if Nevada weren’t in the same region as California, many of its teams would have reached the Little League World Series previously. And the state might even own a Little League World Series title, as California has claimed seven of those crowns, more than any other state.

This is a proud moment, not only for Mountain Ridge manager Ashton Cave, his players, their families and their league, but for every volunteer-driven Little League in this state. Nobody can appreciate the number of hours and the amount of work — from coaches, league boards, parents and countless others — that goes into each league to make it a great experience for boys and girls.

Mountain Ridge’s 11- and 12-year-old players are the major beneficiaries this year. But make no mistake, these kids deserve tremendous credit, as well. They stared down the California behemoth twice in two days, and didn’t so much as blink. They earned the trip to Williamsport, Pa., where they open the Little League World Series today against Midwest Regional champion South Dakota in a 4 p.m. game, live on ESPN2, beginning a quest for the biggest championship of them all.

No matter what happens from here, though, the Mountain Ridge kids will forever be part of Nevada baseball history. Congratulations to everybody involved.