Tijuana is representing Mexico in the Little League World Series.
The border city sluggers clinched the Mexican championship last month with an 8-2 blowout of historic favorites, Matamoros. Now it’s on to Williamsport, Pennsylvania where they will compete against the best youth baseball players on the planet.
For Jorge Fonseca, 12, this is a dream come true.
“Ever since I was little, it’s been a dream to go to Williamsport,” said Fonseca, who was the winning pitcher against Matamoros.
For the coaching staff, it’s a second chance.
Several members of the staff, including head coach Francisco Fimbres, coached Tijuana’s 2023 team, the last to make it to the World Series. They had a good run — defeating teams like Venezuela and Japan before losing to Curaçao in the semifinals of the international tournament.
“We learned a lot of lessons in 2023 that we’re applying to 2026,” said Coach Francisco Fimbres.
One of those lessons — adjusting to the 7 a.m. wake-up calls that are part of the Williamsport experience.
In 2023 Fimbres struggled to get his Tijuana kids up at 7 a.m. on the East Coast, which would’ve been 4 a.m. back home. So this year, he’s been having the kids get up at 4 a.m. in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
At first, the parents questioned Fimbres’ early morning tactics. But they were on board as soon as he explained the time change.
“We all want to bring a championship to Mexico,” Fimbres said.
And the coaching staff believe they have a shot to give Mexico its first world title since 1997.
Like the 2023 team, this generation has great pitching. But while the previous cohort was built around speed, the current group is balanced and hits with more power, according to assistant coach Marcelo Santa Maria.
Over the years, Liga de Beisbol Tijuana Municipal has produced Major Leaguers like Adrian Gonzalez and Alejandro Kirk. But beyond that, it has become a thriving community where multiple generations have learned to love the game.
Martin Garcia played in the league decades ago. Now his son plays on the team going to Williamsport.
“When I was a kid, I saw the tournament (on television) and it was my dream to go,” Garcia said. “Now I go as a father.”
Garcia says his son’s success is validation of the family’s sacrifices —– from afternoon practices to weekend tournaments and late-night homework sessions.
Last week, he and other parents organized a carne asada as the kids practiced on a nearby field — technically the same field they played on when they were kids.
Although back then it was an uneven dirt field that had to be cleared of trash before practice began. Now it has brand-new turf, manicured baselines, and a scoreboard bearing the name of the Padres All-Star who helped fund the upgrades — Fernando Tatis Jr.
The team flies out to Williamsport next week. Their first game is against Australia on Aug. 20.
