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The Sweetwater Valley Little League 11U all-stars are one win away from winning this year’s Southern California state championship while their older counterparts, the SVLL 12I squad, is one win away from advancing to the state final and a potential trip to the Little League West Region tournament in San Bernardino.
It’s a big deal for the California District 42 and California Section 7 champions looking to add yet another banner to their collection this summer.
The SVLL 11s will meet one of three teams still in the hint to make it to Saturday’s state championship game hosted by Mira Mesa Little League. Game time is 10 a.m. If necessary, a double-elimination replay would be played the following day, also at 10 a.m.
Golden Hill (District 56) and Claremont (District 20) are scheduled to meet in Thursday’s challenger bracket elimination game at 5 p.m. The winner will take on San Carlos (District 33) in Friday’s challenger bracket final.
Friday’s winner will advance to Saturday’s championship final to close out tournament play.
Sweetwater Valley defeated San Carlos, 13-5, in Wednesday’s winners bracket final.
A bit of history is in the making. Sweetwater Valley won last year’s 10U state title. The Bonita bunch (12-1 so far in 2026 all-star play) is thus searching to become intrepid back-to-back Little League state champions.
Not an easy task with teams populating 39 individual districts and 10 sections in the 11U division in Southern California.
But so far the District 42 champs have looked good on the diamond with a 4-0 showing at the state level, inclusive of a 10-0 win over Santa Margarita (District 68) on Thursday, 9-2 win over Claremont (District 20) on Saturday, 10-0 win over Golden Hill (District 56) on Sunday and the most recent eight-run decision over San Carlos.
Also on tap is a potential all-San Diego County state final should San Carlos emerge victorious in Friday’s challenger bracket final.
The SVLL 12s will need to wait until Friday to see if they qualify for Sunday’s championship game at the hallowed Al Houghton Little League complex in toasty San Bernardino.
Sweetwater Valley defeated Encino (District 40) in a tight 2-1 matchup on Tuesday to advance to Thursday’s scheduled division winners bracket final against Glendora American (District 20), which had defeated Scripps Ranch (District 32) in Tuesday’s other semifinal matchup.
Tuesday’s losing teams were originally scheduled to duel it out in an elimination game on Wednesday. Encino remained alive with a 7-0 win over Golden Hill (District 56). But the Scripps Ranch-Vineyard (District 71) game was instead moved to Thursday (6:30 p.m.), necessitating a winner to meet Encino in a rescheduled elimination game on Friday (6:30 p.m.) prior to Saturday’s rescheduled challenger bracket final (11 a.m.)
Saturday’s winner gets no break in the schedule with a quick trip the next day to toasty San Bernardino for a 4:30 p.m. start time. If a second championship game is required in the double-elimination format, it would be played later that evening on site at 7 p.m.
That’s a lot of games in a row in potentially 100-degree weather. Only the strong will survive.
Sweetwater Valley is 3-0 in tourney play while Glendora American is 2-0. Overall, the SVLL 12s carry a 10-1 record into Friday’s winners bracket contest.
Meanwhile, Santee National Little League is hosting the 10U state tournament, also in warm weather in East County. Two games are scheduled for Thursday: an elimination game beween Point Loma (District 32) and Huntington Valley (District 62) at 5 p.m. and the winners bracket final between Encino (District 40) and East Hills (District 56) at 6 p.m.
The Point Loma-Huntington Valley winner will meet the Encino-East Hills loser in Friday’s challenger bracket final (6 p.m.).
Thursday’s Encino-East Hills winner advances to Saturday’s championship game at 11 a.m. against the winner of Friday’s losers bracket semifinal. If a double-elimination game is required, it would be played Sunday at 11 a.m.
California District 41 champion Fletcher Hills, the representative from California Section 7, wrapped up play at 2-2 following Wednesday’s 6-5 setback to Huntington Valley (District 62). Fletcher Hills opened the tournament in promising fashion with a 7-2 win over Fontana Community (District 71) and 2-1 victory over Temecula (District 28).
But the East County champions could not maintain their momentum with a 6-0 loss to Encino on Tuesday.
Point Loma defeated Claremont (District 20), 4-3, on Wednesday to remain in contention with a 3-1 tourney record.
Encino and East Hills are both 2-0 entering Thursday’s matchup.
Names of the game
Leo Gonzalez hit a two-run home run in the first inning and combined with teammate Julian Sevilla on a four-hitter to carry Sweetwater Valley past Encino in Tuesdays 12U winner’s bracket contest. The teams were nationally ranked — Encino at No. 4 and Sweetwater Vaey at No. 9.
Gonzalez’s homer was the only hit of the game for the District 42 and Section 7 champions. Sevilla started the game and pitched the first three innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out five batters. Gonzalez pitched the final three innings in relief, allowing two hits with three strikeouts.
Noah Kirk opened the 12U state tournament with a 12-strikeout 2-0 shutout against Golden Hill and Isaac Ramirez and Conzalez combined on another shutout in a 6-0 win over Goleta Valley South in Game 2. Ramirez struck out six batters and allowed three hits over 5.2 innings.
Kirk, who is the nephew of Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, homered to lead off the game and Grant Mielke added a solo blast to get the SVLL offense going. Ramirez and Sebastian Pino each cracked two-run doubles in a four-run sixth inning to expand the lead.
Southern California Little League state tournaments
10U DIVISION
Santee National Little League
Friday, July 24
Fletcher Hills (District 41) 5, Fontana Community (District 71) 2
Point Loma (District 32) 12, Lompoc (District 65) 5
Saturday, July 25
Encino (District 40), Claremont (District 20) 1
Fletcher Hills (District 41) 2, Temecula (District 28) 1
East Hills (District 56) 5, Huntington Valley (District 62) 3
Point Loma (District 32) 10, West L.A. (District 25) 1
Sunday, July 26
Claremont (District 20) 2, Lompoc (District 65) 1
Huntington Valley (District 62) 2, Fontana Community (District 71)
Monday, July 27
Claremont (District 20) 5, Temecula (District 28) 1
Huntington Valley (District 62) 8, West L.A. (District 25) 6
Tuesday, July 28
Encino (District 40) 6, Fletcher Hills (District 41) 0
East Hills (District 56) 6, Point Loma (District 32) 5
Wednesday, July 29
Elimination games:
Huntington Valley (District 62) 6, Fletcher Hills (District 41) 5
Point Loma (District 32) 4, Claremont (District 20) 3
Thursday, July 30
Elimination game: Point Loma (District 32) 14, Huntington Valley (District 62) 6
Winners bracket final: Encino (District 40) 6, East Hills (District 56) 2
Note: Encino advances to championship game
Friday, July 31
Challenger bracket final: Point Loma (District 32) vs. East Hills (District 56), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1
Championship game: Encino (District 40) vs TBA, 11 a.m. (if necessary, Sunday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m.)
11U DIVISION
Mira Mesa Little League
Thursday, July 23
Palos Verdes (District 36) 3, Encino (District 40) 0
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 10, Santa Margarita (District 68) 0
Friday, July 24
San Carlos (District 33) 15, Temecula (District 28) 7
Palos Verdes (District 36) 4, Santa Maria Westside (District 65) 1
Golden Hill (District 56) 5, Vineyard (District 71) 2
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 9, Claremont (District 20) 2
Saturday, July 25
Santa Margarita (District 68) 11, Temecula (District 28) 4
Vineyard (District 71) 5, Encino (District 40) 0
Sunday, July 26
San Carlos (District 33) 8, Palos Verdes (District 36) 7
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 10, Golden Hill (District 56) 0
Santa Margarita (District 68) 6, Santa Maria Westside (District 65) 4
Claremont (District 20) 13, Vineyard (District 71) 0
Monday, July 27
Claremont (District 20) 6, Palos Verdes (District 36) 4
Tuesday, July 28
Golden Hill (District 56) 5, Santa Margarita (District 68) 3
Wednesday, July 29
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 13,. San Carlos (District 33) 5
Note: Sweetwater Valley advances ti championship game
Thursday, July 30
Elimination game: Claremont (District 20) 6, Golden Hill (District 56) 4
Friday, July 31
Challenger bracket final: San Carlos (District 33) vs. Claremont (District 20), 5 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1
Championship game: Sweetwater Valley vs. TBA, noon (if necessary, Aug. 2 at noon)
12U DIVISION
Aliso Viejo Little League
Saturday, July 25
Scripps Ranch (District 32) 5, Eastvale (District 72) 1
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 2, Golden Hill (District 56) 0
Glendora American (District 20) 6, Rolling Hills (District 36) 3
Encino (District 40) 4, Vineyard (District 71) 3
Sunday, July 26
Scripps Ranch (District 32) 8, Ladera Ranch (District 68) 5
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 6, Goleta Valley South (District 63) 0
Golden Hill (District 56) 11, Rolling Hills (District 36) 1
Vineyard (District 71) 6, Eastvale (District 72) 5
Monday, July 27
Golden Hill (District 56) 5, Ladera Ranch (District 68) 2
Vineyard (District 71) 7, Goleta Valley South (District 63) 5
Tuesday, July 28
Glendora American (District 20), 7, Scripps Ranch (District 32) 2
Sweetwater Valley (District 42) 2,. Encino (District 40) 1
Wednesday, July 29
Elimination game: Encino (District 40) 7, Golden Hill (District 56) 0
Thursday, July 30
Elimination game: Vineyard (District 71) 5, Scripps Ranch (District 33) 3
Friday, July 31
Winners bracket final: Sweetwater Valley (District 42) vs. Gendora American (District 20), 6:30 p.m.
Elimination game: Encino (District 40) vs. Vineyard (District 71), 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1
Challenger bracket final, 11 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 2
Championship game, 4:30 p.m. (Al Houghton Stadium, San Bernardino). If necessary, 7 p.m. (same site)
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
Thursday, July 16
Championship: Moorpark (District 13) 10, Ruviera (District 27) 3
JUNIOR DIVISION
Friday, July 17
Championship: La Mirada (District 29) 7, La Verne (District 20) 2
SENIOR DIVISION
Friday, July 17
Championship: Peninsula (District 32) 4, El Rio (District 13) 3
LITTLE LEAGUE WEST REGION
12U Division
Northwest region: Aug. 8-13
Mountain region: Aug. 8-14
West region: Aug. 9-14
