Lafayette (Louisiana) Little League came into the 2005 international tournament having never won a state championship in the major baseball division. That didn't stop the Acadian team from dreaming big in 2005.

"We knew that this was going to be the year for them," said Marion "Buddy" Guirovich, who founded the league in 1972. "They did okay last year, but they've been looking forward to this year for a while."

There was much to look forward to.

Lafayette won the Louisiana state championship, met basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, met President George W. Bush -- and then topped all of those highlights by downing Arkansas state champion Bryant Athletic Little League, 4-1, in the Southwestern Region championship game at Marvin Norcross Stadium in Waco. With the win, Lafayette became just the fourth Louisiana league ever to reach the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

"Right now, I don't think I've ever been happier for a group of kids in my life," said Lafayette manager Mike Conrad, himself a member of a Lafayette-based team that reached the Pony League World Series in 1974. "This was two very good baseball teams playing here, and we got some big hits at the right times. And Jace was very gutty on the mound."

Jace Conrad, Lafayette's top pitcher throughout the international tournament, kept a powerful Bryant offense in check for much of the game. Bryant came into the championship game hitting a collective .330 during the region tournament, and had scored in every inning during a 12-3 win over Lafayette during pool competition. But Jace Conrad carried a shutout into the sixth inning in the championship game, and scattered five hits to earn his second win of the tournament.

"Bryant is as good a hitting team as we've seen," said Mike Conrad. "And I know it's tough to get here three times."

Bryant was playing in the Southwest Region championship game for the third consecutive year. The Arkansas powerhouse fell to Lamar National Little League (Richmond, East Texas), in both the 2003 and 2004 region championship games.

Only one other U.S. league has reached region championship games in three consecutive years since 1957. Danville, California's San Ramon Valley Little League won the Western Region championship in 1991 before finishing as the runner up the next two years.

"I told the kids to keep their heads up," said Bryant manager Ronnie Mayall. "And we're going to be back again next year."

Lafayette capitalized on several walks and hit batsmen, and received key contributions from the bottom of its batting order to take early lead in the championship game. Tyler Douglas was hit by a pitch and Connor Toups walked to open the second inning, and after a pair of strikeouts, Andreas Duplantis was also hit by a pitch. Ninth place hitter Jordan Romero -- who caught the game's ceremonial first pitch from President Bush before the game -- then bounced a two-hopper through the hole between second and first to score special pinch runner Andrew Stevenson with the game's first run.

The next inning, after Lafayette's second- and third-place hitters struck out, Douglas singled and Stevenson reached on a bunt single. Ryan Bergeron walked, and reserve left fielder Alex Stringer drew a four-pitch walk of his own to score Douglas.

In the fifth, the bottom of the order struck again, as Duplantis and Romero singled with two outs. Leadoff hitter Brenn Conrad followed by lining a single down the left field line that scored both runners.

Jace Conrad allowed a solo home run to catcher Hunter Mayall in the top of the sixth, then retired the next three hitters to secure the victory. Though Bryant Athletic hit the ball hard throughout the game, Lafayette handled fifteen chances in the field without an error. Bryant's major opportunity came in the third inning, when it had a pair of baserunners and the number four and five hitters in its lineup due up. But Jace Conrad induced a pair of groundouts to keep the Arkansas team off the scoreboard.

"That was big," said Mike Conrad. "And so was Brenn's hit.

"I can't say enough for the three eleven-year-olds we have on this team," he added. "We wouldn't be here without them."

Two of the eleven-year-olds, Stevenson and Brenn Conrad, made high-profile contributions in the title game. The third, Toups, helped Lafayette get there by throwing four hitless innings in a 7-2 semifinal round victory over Washington County Little League (Brenham, East Texas). Toups allowed a first inning run, then retired eleven consecutive batters through the fourth inning to silence the Texans' offense while Lafayette tied the game and built a lead. Brenn Conrad scored the tying run in the bottom of the first after a pitch hit Washington County's catcher in the mask and squirted away from the momentarily stunned receiver. Jace Conrad put Lafayette in front with a two-run home run in the third inning, then Douglas scored on a passed ball later in the inning. Lafayette added a run in the fourth before a throwing error allowed Toups and Duplantis to score in the sixth.

Toups switched positions after walking the first two batters in the fifth, and reliever Sam Scofield held Washington County to a single run and stranded two baserunners before escaping the inning.

"I thought Connor Toups threw an outstanding game," said Mike Conrad.

Lafayette passed a number of milestones en route to the region championship, the largest of which, at least physically, was O'Neal, the Miami Heat center, who visited a team practice while in Lafayette to be commissioned as a deputy marshall by the Lafayette City Marshall's office. The next hurdle was bigger, at least by Little League standards, as Lafayette defeated nine-time defending Louisiana champion South Lake Charles Little League twice in the state tournament, including a nine inning win on the tournament's first day and a 7-3 championship game win.

The Louisiana champions then passed a second key on-field test by opening the regional with an 11-0 victory over Texas West champion Del Mar Little League. Douglas started the scoring for Lafayette with a two-run double down the third base line in the third inning, and the Pelican State team then broke the game open with six runs in the fourth. Stevenson started the rally with a bunt single, and after a fielder's choice and walk loaded the bases, Brenn Conrad launched a grand slam home run. Later in the inning, Alex Miller added a two-run shot of his own, and one inning later, Scofield ended the game when his two-run homer involked the mercy rule.

Jace Conrad, who struck out three batters, held the Laredo team to two hits in the game.

"We faced a pretty good pitcher with a good fastball," said Del Mar manager Dr. Rene Compean.

"We were very concerned about them," said Mike Conrad. "You have to be with any Texas team."

Texas leagues had won each of the three Southwestern Region tournaments played since the region was formed in 2002, and under a new format used at the 2005 Southwestern Region tournament, teams needed to win two of their three pool games to advance to the tournament's second stage.

Bryant Athletic was the first team to secure two wins, as the Arkansas champions followed their 3-1 opening day victory over Academy Little League (Colorado Springs, Colorado) with a 12-3 win over Lafayette. The Acadian team had taken a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Bryant struck back with six runs in the top of the second, and rode the two-hit pitching of Dylan Pritchett to the win. First baseman Benny Wells homered twice and drove in four runs as part of a 4-for-4 day, and Mayall added a round-tripper and two RBIs of his own.

Lafayette soon joined Bryant in the second stage after a 15-2 victory over Academy. Jace Conrad led the sixteen-hit Lafayette attack with four hits, including two home runs and a double. Brenn Conrad, Scofield, Douglas, and Duplantis added two hits apiece, as Lafayette shrugged off a seven hour rain delay, and broke the game open in the latter innings.

Washington County and Biloxi (Mississippi) Little League each won two games in the tournament's other pool, but both fell in the semifinal round. Bryant Athletic pitcher Caleb Miller scattered four hits and allowed only a harmless home run late in the game as Bryant dispatched Biloxi, 4-2, after Lafayette had eliminated Washington County.

The next day, after the pomp and circumstance of a presidential visit, Lafayette got down to business and avenged their loss to Bryant Athletic. The new Southwestern Region champions moved on to South Williamsport, where they eventually reached the U.S. semifinals before falling 6-2 to Rancho Buena Vista Little League (Vista, Southern California).

"I said from the get-go this was a special group of players," said Mike Conrad after Lafayette's season ended in South Williamsport.

"It will take them a couple of years to realize where they've been," he added. "But I think they'll realize that just the experience of being here is awesome."

Awesome, indeed. And well worth looking forward to.

Linescores:

Pool Play Game 1	1	2	3	4	5	6		R	H	E
Eastdale (New Mexico)	0	0	5	0	1	0		6	6	2
Washington County (East Texas)	0	9	2	3	1	x		15	13	2
Pool Play Game 2
Del Mar (Texas West)	0	0	0	0	0			0	2	2
Lafayette (Louisiana)	0	0	2	6	3			11	7	1
Pool Play Game 3
Tulsa National (Oklahoma)	2	0	2	0	0	0		4	4	2
Biloxi (Mississippi)	0	1	3	5	2	x		11	12	0
Pool Play Game 4
Academy (Colorado)	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	3	1
Bryant Athletic (Arkansas)	0	1	2	0	0	x		3	7	0
Pool Play Game 5
Bryant Athletic (Arkansas)	1	6	1	1	1	2		12	10	1
Lafayette (Louisiana)	2	1	0	0	0	0		3	2	1
Pool Play Game 6
Washington County (East Texas)	0	0	2	1	7	0		10	7	1
Biloxi (Mississippi)	0	0	0	0	1	0		1	4	3
Pool Play Game 7
Del Mar (Texas West)	0	0	5	0	0	2		7	6	1
Academy (Colorado)	1	0	0	0	3	0		4	8	4
Pool Play Game 8
Tulsa National (Oklahoma)	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0
Eastdale (New Mexico)	0	0	1	0	0	x		1	5	1
Pool Play Game 9
Tulsa National (Oklahoma)	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	4	0
Washington County (East Texas)	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	1	1
Pool Play Game 10
Lafayette (Louisiana)	0	0	2	4	0	9		15	16	4
Academy (Colorado)	0	0	0	2	0	0		2	4	2
Pool Play Game 11
Eastdale (New Mexico)	0	1	0	1	0	0		2	3	0
Biloxi (Mississippi)	0	1	0	1	4	x		6	9	1
Pool Play Game 12
Del Mar (Texas West)	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	1
Bryant Athletic (Arkansas)	0	0	2	0	5	x		7	7	0
Semifinal Round
Washington County (East Texas)	1	0	0	0	1	0		2	1	2
Lafayette (Louisiana)	1	0	3	1	2	x		7	9	1
Semifinal Round
Biloxi (Mississippi)	0	0	0	0	0	2		2	4	0
Bryant Athletic (Arkansas)	0	0	2	1	1	x		4	5	0
Championship Game
Bryant Athletic (Arkansas)	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	5	0
Lafayette (Louisiana)	0	1	1	0	2	x		4	7	0

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