Alex Vivanco tried to keep his focus on getting Hinsdale to the Little League World Series.
On Aug. 7 at the Great Lakes Regional final in Whitestown, Indiana, Vivanco produced a double to drive in Ethan Chan in the bottom of the eighth inning for an 8-7 victory over Jasper, Indiana.
That win sent Hinsdale to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series, which will again be played in front of a national TV audience on ESPN.
And the initial reaction? Beyond belief.
“All my friends were texting me from school,” Vivanco said. “My mom had like 350 texts after that. It was awesome. It was fun, and I was dialed in.
“As soon as Ethan got to second base, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to bring him in.’”
The celebration, which included a postgame interview on ESPN and Vivanco ending up doused completely by water, barely concluded before Hinsdale realized what was in store next.
The team was informed they would be on a bus to Williamsport the following morning.
“I wasn’t expecting all of this,” Vivanco said. “I was just expecting the games and crowds of fans.”
Instead, the Little League World Series rolled out the red carpet for Hinsdale and 19 others teams in the tournament. Hinsdale begins play at 2 p.m. Friday against Hawaii, the West Region representative.
Even Hinsdale coach Chad Wanless was surprised at the extent the LLWS and ESPN have treated the players.
“It’s pretty incredible to watch these guys go through it,” Wanless said. “There are moments when they realize what they did, and there are moments they are 12-year-old kids on a phenomenal trip with their buddies. The overall experience will hit them years later.”
The unique experiences started in earnest Saturday. A custom fitting from Adidas, complete with new uniforms and every accessory one could imagine, was followed by a session with Easton.
The players received new bats and new custom gloves for next season.
“My favorite was the new bats,” Vivanco said. “We’ve been treated like kings. They washed our laundry, gave us new jerseys, gloves. We want to get on the field and try out all of our new gear.”
Afterward, ESPN pulled the team aside to film the pieces needed for broadcast productions.
“They asked me my favorite player (Shohei Ohtani), favorite emoji, favorite food, how many siblings I have,” Vivanco said.
Vivanco and his teammates have also enjoyed getting to know players from other countries.
They share quarters with the team from Australia. Going to breakfast Wednesday, they ran into teams from the Czech Republic and Puerto Rico.
“It’s been great because we get to meet all these kids from different countries,” Vivanco said. “It’s been tiring and awesome at the same time.”
Oh, and by the way, there’s still a game to be played. Hinsdale hopes there are a handful of games remaining, actually.
Over 5,200 teams started the tournament, playing over 13,000 games. Only 20 teams, including 10 from the United States and 10 international teams, remain.
“As they grow up, they’ll realize how special this is,” Wanless said.
The crowds could reach in excess of 40,000 by the championship game. ESPN will be there to broadcast all the action as well.
“This is awe-inspiring for any 12-year-old,” Wanless said. “They’ll all have to adjust to that. The crowd sizes are going to be massive.”
Vivanco and his teammates know there will be a step up in competition. It took a pair of walk-off wins just to get to Williamsport. Now, Hinsdale faces the best of the best from around the world.
“It’s going to be way different,” Vivanco said. “All these teams won their regions, so we’re going to have to bring it all.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for the Pioneer Press.
