These Capital Region Kids Just Won a National Baseball Championship
Take Me Back to Little League
If I could go back and relive one week, one month, or maybe even an entire summer of my life, I think I'd choose sometime in the mid-1980s.
My world revolved around my bike, my baseball glove, and countless days and nights spent at the Little League field in Albany.
We survived on freeze pops and concession-stand hot dogs, and while none of my teams ever came close to winning a national championship — or even a local tournament — those Little League summers remain some of my favorite childhood memories.
I Couldn't Be Happier for These Kids
That's probably why I love this story so much.
While much of the baseball world has been focused on the Little League World Series in Williamsport, some young ballplayers from right here in the Capital Region just accomplished something pretty incredible.
Congratulations to the Tri-Village Little League 8U All-Stars, now national champions!
The league primarily pulls players from Delmar, Glenmont, and Slingerlands within the Town of Bethlehem in Albany County, and surely they're being treated around town like the rockstars they are.
The team earned its way to the Cal Ripken 8U World Series after winning both the New York State and Mid-Atlantic regional championships.
Local Team is World Series Champs
The World Series was held August 17th-23rd in Marlton, New Jersey, and Tri-Village completed its incredible run by defeating Team Mexico in the championship game on Saturday.
Connor Stehr pitched a complete game in the championship and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Teammate Joe Michalow also received the All-World Series Defensive Award, and head coach Curtis Barkman led the national championship team.
I can only imagine how incredible this summer has been for these kids, their coaches and their families.
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And someday, decades from now, maybe one of them will be sitting around thinking about the summer of 2026 — their gloves, their teammates, the ballfields and concession stands.
Except they'll have one pretty cool addition to the memory: They were national champions.
Congratulations boys!
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
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Gallery Credit: [Photos by Doug Kerr (CC BY-SA 2.0) – No Changes Made]
