The Central East Maui Little League All-Stars won the Senior Little League World Series on August 3 in Easley, South Carolina, dominating Willemstad, Curacao 11-0 in six innings. CEM also beat the host team, South Carolina, earlier in the day with a 10-0 win in the US Championship.

More than 40 million children have participated in Little League since its formation in 1939. There are 25 former Little League players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripkin Jr., and Wade Boggs. Notable graduates also hail from the entertainment field, including Bruce Willis, Sarah Silverman, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, Robert Downey Jr., Danny Devito, Kevin Costner, and many more.

While many Little League graduates go on to have careers as professional athletes, the majority go on to serve other roles in their community, according to Littleleague.org. Alumni in the community range from astronauts and public officials to authors and Nobel laureates. Community leaders of note include Pulitzer Prize-winning authors George Will and Dave Barry; Vice President Joe Biden, President George W. Bush, and President Donald Trump; transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Stratta; NASA pilots Michael Smith and Dr. Story Musgrave, police detective Nancy Dosreis, and numerous others.

Maui’s championship team was greeted with fanfare at the Kahului Airport upon their August 4 return, including a congratulatory meet-up with Mayor Michael Victorino. “Mrs. Victorino and I are so incredibly proud of our Central East Maui boys for their remarkable accomplishment,” said Mayor Victorino. “This is a special group of young men that overcame every obstacle in their path and they will remember this moment for years to come.”

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Photo by Ryan Piros