Go north, young men
Moorpark Little League 9 and 10year-old All-Stars claim District 13 title, advance to sectional round
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

STEPHEN DORMAN/Acorn Newspapers CRAZY KIDS- Members of the Moorpark Little League 9- and 10-year-old All-Star team celebrate Wednesday's 14-7 victory over Sunset at Port Hueneme Little League, a win that netted the locaboys the District 13 championship. Pictured somewhere in the mayhem are Trey Bair, Sherman Brawner, Camron Costi, Andy LaGuardia, TJ Letson, Connor Moses, Kyle Ohanian, Austin Ready, Chase Tennant, Justin Tiedge, Jeff Tincher, Patrick Valdez and Kenny Varnell. Scott Costi, Brian Ready and Pat Valdez are the team's coaches. Moorpark leaves today for the Section 1 tournament.

Central California coast, here they come.

After breezing through the District 13 tournament in Port Hueneme with a 5-0 record, the 9- and 10-year-old Moorpark Little League All-Star squad will head northbound in pursuit of a Section 1 championship.

The fourteam Section 1 tournament begins Saturday at Sherwood Park in Paso Robles.

Following Moorpark's convincing 14-7 victory over Sunset in the District 13 title game on Wednesday, head coach Scott Costi said he felt confident with his team's chances heading into sectionals.

"Our district traditionally plays good baseball and has always represented very well in the past," Costi said. "I expect that we'll see some good competition. I also think we can show up and be a force."

Behind the superb pitching of Connor Moses and Kyle Ohanian, and fueled by an offensive attack that was firing on all cylinders for nearly two weeks, Moorpark outscored its opponents 57-11 during the district tournament.

At the top of the lineup, Justin Tiedge, TJ Letson and Camron Costi were consistently getting on base and creating headaches for the opposition. Ohanian, Moses and Austin Ready served as the big boppers in the middle of the lineup, while Jeff Tincher, Trey Bair and Patrick Valdez produced their fair share of runs at the bottom of the order.

Moses hit three home runs at the tournament, including a long drive over the center-field wall during Wednesday's win against Sunset. Afterward, he said hitting a home run feels pretty good.

"It gives you a big smile," Moses said. "It also makes you really hyper."

Sherman Brawner, Andy LaGuardia, Chase Tennant and Kenny Varnell all played exceptionally well and contributed to each and every victory, Costi said, adding that coaches Brian Ready and Pat Valdez pointed the group in the right direction.

"We carry 13 players, and obviously we can only field nine at a time," Costi said. "But there's never any letdown when someone else comes in the lineup because that player picks up the slack. All 13 players are as good as the other guy."

The team plans to carpool up the coast Friday night and stay at a hotel near Pismo Beach. Moorpark is guaranteed at least one game on Saturday and one on Sunday, and the trip could extend into the week depending on how well they perform.

While baseball will certainly be priority No. 1 for the Moorpark players and coaches, it's safe to assume the guys will be cutting loose and having some fun during their summer vacation.

"I think there's an arcade real close to our hotel, maybe even across the street," Costi said. "There's definitely going to be some fun involved to help us stay loose to play baseball. We've got to stay focused though, and this team has done a great job with that so far."