Young Coquitlam baseball players lose 1st game of Little League World Series to Mexico

A team of preteen baseball players from Coquitlam, B.C., competing internationally at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., lost their opening game Friday afternoon.

The Coquitlam A's lost 5-0 playingagainst Mexico in the first bracket of the international tournament.

But it's not over yet.

The Little League World Series is a double-loss knockout, which means the A's have one more chance to stay in the race for the championship.

The team took the national title at theCanadian Little League Championship last Saturday in Ancaster, Ont., after beating a team from Quebec, and addeda maple leaf to their uniforms.

"I knew we had a good group here we've worked closely with this group over the last couple of years," said team manager Bruce Dorwart.

"Here we are two years later and this has turned into the summer of our lives."

Strong hitting, pitching

The team is made up mostly of 12-year-oldswith one 11-year-old playerpulled from various divisions in the Coquitlam Little League to form an all-star team.

"We had about 50-plus kids try out for the team and 13 were selected back in the early part of June," Dorwart said.

He coached the team for about seven years and has been manager for three. His sonBradyis one of the boys playing.

"We're a very, very good hitting team and we hit a lot of home runs," Dorwart said.

"We also have some strong pitching."

Making it into the world series is a big deal for any little league baseball team, Dowart said,and the Coquitlam A's have been showered with media attention and new gear since theirwinlast weekendinAncaster.

"There's over 7,000 teams that start off on the journey [around the world] and only 16 make it," he said.

No Canadian team has ever won the World Series the closest Canada ever came was in 1965 when a team from Stoney Creek, Ont., lost in the championship to Connecticut.

"I've been impressed with these boys all summer," Dorwart said.

"You don't know how these things are going to go, but I would certainly love to see us get a win or two."

Several viewing events for the game against Mexico were planned in Coquitlam, including a party at the John B. Pub and an all-agesviewing party at Mackin Park, where the team plays.

The City of Coquitlam will also be lighting SkyTrain guideline pylons and a fountain withgreen and gold to celebrate the team's accomplishments.