Little League column: Red Land’s tilt with Texas is all but a must-win

(Williamsport) — For such a purely joyous event, there’s a sad, simple, mathematical truth about the Little League World Series.

Few teams that step on the field at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport enter with a true chance of leaving with a world championship.

There’s no doubt that any bunch of Little Leaguers to reach Lamade is a special group. But even among the greats, there are levels of separation.

Through their 18 games together as a squad, featuring a punishing plus-250 run differential and numerous cloud-tickling homers, it’s clear the kids from Red Land belong in the highest ranks. Red Land, as you’ve seen, is a lean, mean, not-even-13, baseball machine.

Thus they — like fellow LLWS undefeateds Japan, Venezuela and Pearland, Texas — have a significant shot at landing among the best to ever lace up in Williamsport.

There is a devil in the details, though, which could bring Red Land crashing down: Beating Pearland in the U.S. winners’ bracket final is absolutely vital to the team’s title hopes; perhaps equally as critical as the previous two victories were to reaching their current position.

A loss Wednesday would not only drop Red Land squarely on the plank, courtesy of an ensuing elimination game Thursday, but also would force the team to navigate three games in four days to claim a world title. Only one team in the last five years has accomplished this feat, when California walked off against Japan in 2011. This scarcity is largely because of the restrictions on pitch counts.

The rule, instituted in 2007 for reasons of player health, is a good one. But it also raises the stakes considerably come Wednesday night.

In essence, should Red Land lose, the team will inevitably grow weaker as future competition grows steeper. A defeat Wednesday would immediately set up said elimination game Thursday, before a potential rematch with Pearland in the U.S. championship Saturday. And then, of course, a world championship game Sunday afternoon, should the team be so fortunate.

Over that time, the pitching staff will likely be stretched to ruin.

The state of the staff currently is positive, with a fresh Jaden Henline, who cruised in the team’s 18-0 opening obliteration of Webb City, Mo., toeing the rubber against Pearland. It’s likely he’ll be mixed in with Adam Cramer and Chayton Krauss, who boast ERAs of 1.54 and .071, repectively.

But if Red Land struggles and/or Henline goes the distance, that same combination of pitchers will have to go again in less than 24 hours, lest the team dip into a well of inexperienced hurlers.

Outside of that trio and ace Cole Wagner — who would be unavailable until Friday — no other pitcherhas logged more than 5 2/3 innings during the team’s run to and through the World Series, according to PennLive.com.

That could pose a major problem. Unless, of course, the team wins Wednesday.

The good news is that so far, winning is all these Red Land all-stars have known. They’re still unbeaten since their first practice.

And Wednesday will be no time to learn anything different.

More

‘Just awesome’ win for Red Land in Little League World Series

Red Land’s magical run continues following walk-off win in Little League World Series

Red Land Little League, the darling of Pennyslvania, has support of MLB vet Danny Sheaffer, a Red Land alum

---

This article comes to us through a partnership between Lebanon Daily News and WITF.