ENCINITAS — With postseason play complete, the Encinitas Little League best-of-the-best now turn their attention to the All-Star Tournament this weekend.
The Encinitas Little League is coming off a great showing in the 2021 Leo Mullen Cup, taking three of the four games.
The Padres were the biggest winners of the day for the league, defeating the Cubs 14-10 in the Majors runners-up game. Brooks Butler was the MVP of the game, hitting for the cycle and pitching four full innings for the Padres. The Cubs belong to the rival Encinitas National Little League.
Congratulations also go out to the Encinitas Little League Mets for their victory in the league championship game this past Saturday over the Red Sox.
Now that the regular season and playoffs are completed, the All-Star season now begins for Encinitas starting this weekend with All-Star Saturday.
Hosted by the Escondido American Little League at Jesmond Dene Park in Escondido, the day will be filled with recognition for the top players in every District 31 league, as well as a showcase of the players’ athleticism.
The skills event will be held for both juniors and majors levels and includes an around-the-horn competition in which players from each All-Star team will rotate around the baseball diamond showcasing their ability to both throw and catch the ball to and from their teammates.
Also included in the skills event will be a series of relay races around the diamond with the baseball acting as a baton and the goal being to complete 14 trips around bases in the fastest time with no missed bases.
The day is also a day of recognition for every young player who has earned the right to call themselves an All-Star.
In an email to all coaches and families, Southern California Little League Baseball District 31 wrote that “being selected an All-Star is a big event in the life of a young player. To that end, we will introduce every All-Star player in District 31 to their families, friends and peers.”
The All-Star tournament then begins the following day, Father’s Day, with the first games in the Little League Division beginning at 10 a.m. at Poway American Field.
The Encinitas Little League All-Stars earned a bye in the tournament and will play their first game on Wednesday, June 23, against either the Encinitas National Little League All-Stars or the All-Stars from Carmel Mountain Ranch.
Coach Bo Lebherz says the team’s confidence is very high going into their first tournament game this week.
“We’ve been experiencing some injuries, some colds,” Lebherz said. “But I’m pretty sure if that’s in Encinitas Little League it’s in Encinitas National Little League too and everywhere else. It’s a level playing field.”
