Suburban Chicago little league players head to Indiana for regional tournament
CHICAGO (CBS) — A west suburban baseball team is on its way to Indiana, hoping to earn a trip to the Little League World Series as the team gets ready in Hinsdale before the team hits the road.
All this attention can be distracting for an athlete like Kellan Goodwin. He's trying hard not to get a big head about it, but he can't hide confidence.
"We're winning the whole thing. We're winning the whole thing," Goodwin said.
All the bags and bats are packed as the Hinsdale Little League 12U All-Stars leave their home base. The team's first game in Indiana is on Saturday.
"This is our home field. They've spent a lot of time here, and some of their siblings," said coach Luke Goodwin, Kellan's father.
They're already state champs, but their next stop is Whitestown, Indiana, where they will represent Illinois in the Great Lakes Region Tournament.
"Our first game's against Indiana, and they seem pretty tough, but I think we can beat them," Kellan Goodwin said.
The team is just three wins away from the field of any 12-year-old baseball player's dreams.
"This is already a great experience but making it there would be like super cool," Kellan Goodwin said.
For Goodwin and his teammates, the Little League World Series – is within reach. Coaches and parents are already proud.
"You know, it's a lot of to-do with the news here and everything, but I'm like, 'just remember why you're here. You're playing baseball with your buddies," said Erin Goodwin, Kellan's mother.
Their families and friends are sending them off in style.
"There's going to be a police escort. It's just amazing what the community has rallied around it for us," said Erin Goodwin.
But win or lose, the Hinsdale little leaguers will come home to fans.
