By North County Daily Star
A group of young baseball players from San Diego County has reached the biggest stage in Little League Baseball.
Sweetwater Valley Little League of Bonita will represent the West Region in the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The tournament begins August 19 and continues through the world championship game on August 30.
Sweetwater Valley’s 12-and-under All-Star team earned its trip to Williamsport by winning four consecutive tournament championships: California District 42, Section 7, the Southern California championship and the West Region championship.
The team’s journey began in District 42, one of the most competitive Little League districts in San Diego County. It includes leagues from Bonita, Chula Vista, Eastlake, Otay Mesa and Imperial Beach.
Sweetwater Valley won its first three district games before suffering a 7–6 extra-inning loss to Park View Little League. Because the tournament used a double-elimination format, Sweetwater Valley stayed alive and got another chance against Park View.
The Bonita team responded with a 6–0 victory in the deciding championship game on July 6, earning the District 42 banner and advancing to the Section 7 tournament.
Sweetwater Valley dominated the section competition. The team defeated Fletcher Hills 10–0, then beat Encanto 10–0, and captured the Section 7 championship by defeating Imperial 11–1.
The three victories gave Sweetwater Valley a combined scoring advantage of 31–1 during the tournament.
That performance sent the team to the Southern California championship tournament, where the competition became even tougher. Sweetwater Valley opened with shutout victories over Golden Hill and Goleta Valley South.
One of its biggest tests came against Encino, a nationally ranked team. Sweetwater Valley held on for a 2–1 victory before eventually meeting Encino again in the championship game.
This time, Sweetwater Valley left no doubt, winning 9–0 and claiming the Southern California championship. The victory moved the team one step closer to Williamsport and into the West Region Tournament in San Bernardino.
Three victories away from Williamsport
Sweetwater Valley continued its strong play at the West Region Tournament.
The team opened regional competition on August 9 with a 16–4 victory over San Ramon Valley, representing Northern California. Sweetwater Valley scored six runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to take control of the game.
Its next opponent was Kawaihau Community Little League from Kapaa, Hawaii. Sweetwater Valley recorded another shutout, defeating Hawaii 6–0 and advancing directly to the regional championship game.
Hawaii worked its way through the elimination bracket to earn a rematch, but Sweetwater Valley’s offense proved too powerful.
With the game tied 3–3 in the fifth inning, Isaac Ramirez came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. Ramirez delivered one of the biggest hits of the team’s summer—a grand slam that gave Southern California a 7–3 lead.
Sweetwater Valley added four more runs and completed an 11–3 victory, finishing the West Region Tournament with a perfect 3–0 record. The win officially secured the team’s invitation to Williamsport. Official West Region results
Returning to the World Series
This is not Sweetwater Valley’s first appearance in Williamsport. The league’s 2015 team advanced deep into the tournament and finished one victory short of playing for the United States championship.
Manager Steve Winnick has described the 2026 team as a close group whose players have worked hard and learned to trust one another. Some of the coaches have worked with members of the team since they were five years old.
Sweetwater Valley will play its opening World Series game against Davenport Northwest Little League of Iowa, representing the Midwest Region.
The game is scheduled for Thursday, August 20, at 3 p.m. Pacific time at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. It will be televised on ESPN2. Official World Series schedule
From Bonita to Williamsport, Sweetwater Valley has already completed a remarkable journey. Now the players will carry the support of their families, their league and baseball fans throughout San Diego County as they represent Southern California in the Little League World Series.
