Henderson on cusp of Little League World Series

Henderson Little League coach Ryan Gifford has been receiving calls and messages from city dignitaries and people he hasn’t heard from in nearly a decade. It’s for a good reason.

The Henderson Little League All-Stars, representing Nevada in the Mountain Region tournament, are one win away from qualifying for the Little League World Series.

Henderson plays Utah (Snow Canyon Little League) in the region title game at 2 p.m. Friday in San Bernardino, California. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Nevada defeated Utah 6-3 in a semifinal Tuesday to qualify for the region title game. Utah survived an elimination game against Montana on Thursday to set up a rematch.

Gifford said his team is the most “cohesive” he’s had.

Throughout its run to the region tournament, Gifford said it’s been a different player every game stepping up to help the team win. He called the pitching “dominant” and said any player could have a big night at the plate.

“We’re really deep as a team,” Gifford said. “I’ve got a lot of kids that can pitch, which really helps in tournaments like this. And from top to bottom, we’re solid at the plate.”

Truman Morris, the youngest player on the team, leads the team in hitting at over .700, Gifford said. David Edwards has four RBIs, and Logan Levasseur has five hits over the two region games. Nolan Gifford opened the tournament with 16 strikeouts in a complete-game win over Montana.

Henderson had to win its district and state tournaments to qualify for regionals. In the district tournament, it had to face Paseo Verde, one of the top programs in the state, in the District 2 final.

Gifford said the way his team put away its rival was an important moment on its run to the region final.

“The turning point for us was that championship game against Paseo Verde,” Gifford said. “It was a close, one-run game, and we went ahead at the end and scored some pivotal runs to push us forward. And from that point forward, the kids had the gas pedal pressed.”

After having two days off after its last game, Gifford said the team will have all of its pitchers available Friday.

With Friday being the biggest game for the team, Gifford said the way his players have handled every game to this point hasn’t surprised him.

“Each game as we’ve progressed becomes the next biggest game,” Gifford said. “They’ve adapted well. They’ve realized once you get on the field and start playing, you’re just playing the game.”

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.