ELK GROVE, Calif. — For most young baseball players, they dream of one day having the opportunity to play in a World Series, but for a youth baseball team out of Elk Grove, that dream is now a reality.
"This team is special, and we've fought and grinded and had no recognition until this year," said manager Matt Guernsey.
After winning 24 straight games, including the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament, this team punched their ticket to the Cal Ripken World Series.
"(I feel) Happy and relieved, because I knew we were going to make it," said Juan Lugo, a pitcher and outfielder for the team.
The team is composed of a tight-knit group of players who often refer to themselves as brothers.
"These boys have grown up together, and they played with each other since they were six years old," Guernsey said.
For Colton Trudell, catcher and first baseman for the team, he said he's happy to be spending time with the people he likes to be around the most.
The Cal Ripken World Series, which is not to be confused with the Little League World Series, will be played in Waterville, Maine, which is over 3,000 miles away. Even though this is a business trip, they're also trying to mix in a little pleasure.
"I'm looking forward to some lobster and maybe checking out the Red Sox game," Guernsey said.
The team has a GoFundMe to help raise money for the trip.
Their first game is on Saturday Aug. 6, and there will be watch parties for every game at Lamppost Pizza off Laguna Boulevard.
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