Tijuana’s little league all-star baseball team won the Mexican national tournament on Friday and will represent Mexico in this year’s Little League World Series.
In August, the 10- and 11-year-olds will compete against the world’s best in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This is the first time the Tijuana little leaguers have made the World Series since 2013.
“We are very happy and ready for Williamsport,” said Andy Rubio, the left fielder.
Rubio’s father, Jorge Rubio, said the entire city of Tijuana has rallied behind its all stars.
Local media outlets have all requested interviews, the local professional baseball team had players throw out the first pitch in a recent game, and Governor Marina del Pilar Avila gave them a shoutout.
“It’s been crazy,” Jorge Rubio said. “Pages that I didn’t even know existed are covering the team.”
The team has a GoFundMe page to help parents and siblings cover travel expenses to the tournament.
KPBS profiled the team in late June, right before they went to the national tournament. Some of the kids have been playing together since they were 3 years old.
“They are like brothers,” said coach Francisco Fimbres in June.
Fimbres coached the 2013 team that lost in the semi-finals of the Little League World Series to Japan.
Going back would give him a second chance at the title.
“It would be amazing to go,” he said. “So why not try to get what we missed out on in 2013?”
The Tijuana program regularly produces quality baseball players. Alumni include Alejandro Kirk of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jonathan Aranda of the Tampa Bay Rays, and San Diego Padres legend Adrian Gonzalez. One of the little league fields is named after Gonzalez.
