Little League World Series defined, prepared Arizona baseball players

When Kyle Pechloff sets up behind the plate in a one-run game and the pitch called is for a breaking ball away with a runner on third, the Hamilton (Chandler) junior isn't affected by the pressure of the moment.

Similarly, when Desert Vista (Phoenix) senior pitcher Hunter Rodriguez peers into his catcher with the game on the line, he simply rocks and fires.

Most athletes handle pressurized situations with similar aplomb, but these two Arizona ballplayers are among a fraternity of players who have been playing under the spotlight since before they were teenagers.

An Arizona team has represented the West Region three times since 2004 in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., where the athletes are treated like pampered professional athletes and are on television just as often for a two-week period in August. The first group – Chandler National in 2003 – is off to college with several of the players leaving an imprint with state titles and individual achievements.

The players from those other two teams – 2006 Ahwatukee Dawgs and 2007 Chandler National – are still of high school-age and are doing some damage of their own.

It's hard to determine whether or not these athletes are more prepared to succeed in big moments than anyone else, but it can't hurt. High school athletes are really just kids and some wilt and don't perform well when a big moment presents itself.

Are those who have endured such pressure as these youngsters more prepared to stay calm when the team needs them most?

"Although we rarely talk about it, I'm sure that experience gave them a certain inner confidence," Hamilton coach Mike Woods said.

Woods is in a unique position to know, as he coached many of the players from the 2003 team and won a state title and finished runner-up with many of those players. Now he has four players on his current roster who were on the 2007 Chandler National squad, including his son Connor Woods.

Rodriguez, who was on the 2006 Dawgs, has no doubt that the early exposure to high-profile athletics has helped him perform later in life. He was the quarterback for Desert Vista's state-title team this past fall and has played well enough on the baseball diamond to earn a scholarship to Utah.

"There is no question in my mind that it helped me become the player I am now, especially for football when there was so much pressure," Rodriguez said. "I'd like to think I'd perform in those situations anyway, but I'll never know because it was such a huge part of my childhood."

Desert Vista football coach Dan Hinds said in the past that he knew he could put a lot of responsibility on Rodriguez without having to worry about how he'd handle it. In the state title game, Rodriguez was given two plays in the huddle and audibled depending on what the defense showed, and it is one of the reasons the Thunder were able to end Hamilton's win streak at 53 games.

"We were on TV constantly and I started a game that was on national television," Rodriguez said. "We were treated like kings and there are some great memories. But I think the exposure really helped a lot in giving us confidence for the rest of our life in and out of sports."

Current players like Mountain Pointe (Phoenix) senior infielders Scott Kingery and Sam Kingery have also continued to perform and win in their careers as the identical twins helped the Pride win a state title last season.

"I think it makes a huge difference when you have played on the biggest stage possible," Mountain Pointe coach Brandon Buck said. "There is no bigger moment at that age for baseball players. They just have a different understanding and they carry themselves a little differently."

The Kingery brothers found their way to the varsity level as sophomores and have continued to flourish as they prepare for another postseason run as the Arizona state playoffs begin on Saturday.

"There are a lot of pressure moments in this game and they have been prepared for it from an early age," Buck said. "They don't try to do too much in big moments and stay within themselves. Not every kid can do that, but they've proved time after time that they have a certain confidence during those times."

Woods has been impressed with those players who have come through his program – including Skyler Palermo, Cody Bellinger, Woods and Pechloff this year – over the years and hopes those kids never forget how much that moment truly meant in their development.

"When they were 12, I do not think they had any idea how big of an event that was," he said. "In other words, I don't think they felt much pressure and probably were unable to recognize how special that achievement was."

Maybe not, but it is clear many of those players went on to have success at the next level. Coincidence or not, everyone seems to agree that early exposure has given them an advantage in the years to come.

"We were playing the best teams in the world with everyone watching," said Rodriguez, who has been on the Thunder's varsity baseball team since his sophomore year. "After that, you are prepared for anything."

Jason P. Skoda, a former Arizona Republic and current Ahwatukee Foothill News staff writer, is a 15-year sports writing veteran. Contact him at jskoda1024@aol.com or 480-272-2449.