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In the midst of a high school baseball game between their rival schools, Thousand Oaks' Cole Kahle and Westlake's Stephen Notaro couldn't resist talking about their summer plans.
"Notaro's their catcher, so I walk up to the plate and he's like, `You looking forward to Big League?"' Kahle said. `I was like, Of course, I can't wait."'
The chance to play in the 18-and-under division of Little League would hardly be the highlight of the summer for most teens, but for baseball players in Thousand Oaks and surrounding areas, the opportunity is a coveted honor.
Thousand Oaks is in the Little League Big World Series in Easley, S.C., for the third time in four years.
"I couldn't wait until I was old enough to be on the Big League team," said pitcher Chad Smith, an incoming junior at Thousand Oaks High,
who as a 16-year-old is the youngest player on a team loaded with recent high school graduates and junior college players. "These are the guys I've looked up to, and it's an honor to help them win."
Thousand Oaks concludes WorldSeries pool play today against Southeast representative Florida, but as the only undefeated team in its six-team pool, Thousand Oaks already has secured a berth in Friday's semifinals. The title game is Saturday, with Thousand Oaks hoping to improve on last year's runner-up finish.
Thousand Oaks players combined with Conejo Valley to help form a District 13 team that won the 1998 Big League World Series, but this would be the first Big League championship under the Thousand Oaks name.
Thousand Oaks (16-2) swept through last week's Western Regional in Washington undefeated, and
has overpowered World Series opponents a combined 40-13 through four games.
Moorpark College outfielder/ pitcher Kellen Fink, Newbury Park third baseman Brett Fick, Notaro and Kahle are the only returning players from last summer.
Finding suitable newcomers wasn't difficult despite the many other baseball travel teams, showcases and camps that fill the summer and are typically a higher priority for high school age players.
The stories the players tell about international competition, befriending players from other countries, and playing in front of thousands of fans as the main attraction in a small town helped prompt some of this year's players to pass up other teams in favor of the Big League team.
"One of the reasons participation drops off after the 12-year-olds is that there are so many venues for players to compete in as they get older," Thousand Oaks Little League president John Short said. "But here in our community, we've got such great name recognition and a great program, the kids know about it and want to be a part of Big League. ... A lot of the 12-year-olds and younger kids come out and watch the games, they all know about the Big League team. There's a lot of community interest."
The city has already planned a celebration for the team Tuesday.
Veteran coach Ed Kitchen helps foster the winning tradition. He's made deep postseason runs with teams from every age level from
9- and 10-year-olds through BigLeague.
Many of the players have grown up playing together and attribute their familiarity and friendship as a key attribute to their success.
Just as valuable is the abundance of talent. Right-hander
Max Gutierrez threw a one-hit shutout Monday against Delaware, and Smith is 5-0.
A variety of sources provide run support, with a new hero almost every game. Kahle, Fink, Fick, Garrett Rau, Cody Fierro and Kyle Jones have been among the hottest hitters during the World Series.
"This team is so balanced," coach Matt Ricatto said. "It's hard to pick any standouts."
Thousand Oaks is trying to end South Carolina's streak of three consecutive World Series championships.
The 1998District13 team and District 62 Westminster in 2001 are the only California teams to win the title in the past 25 years.
"I've grown up in T.O. Little League and I remember when I was in Juniors I heard about those guys in Big League all the time," said Jones, an outfielder from Thousand Oaks High. "It was a big deal. I
remember wanting to be a part of that when I got older, so this is something I've been looking forward to for a long time.
"We knew as soon as we put this team together that we had a pretty good chance of winning it all. That was our goal from the start. Anything less than a World Series championship isn't what we came here for. We're here to win."
heather.gripp@dailynews.com
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