Massapequa Coast prepares for Little League World Series Metro Region baseball tournament

The Massapequa Coast Little League team is back on its way to the national stage.

Parents, fans and officials crowded the parking lot surrounding the squad’s home field at Burns Park in Massapequa on Friday morning for a send-off as the players and coaches departed for the Little League Metro Region Tournament.

“This is the big one. We’ve been preparing for this since the boys were 6 and 7,” team manager Jon Henchy said. “They’ve had the target on their backs since they were 10 and all they do is just keep winning. They are ready to go.”

This group has won three consecutive state championships as 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds, including their 4-3 win over East Greenbush-Castleton on July 28. Massapequa Coast will represent New York when it faces Rhode Island on Saturday in Bristol, Connecticut, at 7 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.

“We’ve grown a lot since we’ve spent so much time playing and practicing together,” team member Jackson Henchy said. “I’m a little nervous but definitely excited.”

“We’re built on pitching and defense,” Jon Henchy said. “We’re not really home run hitters like some of the other teams in the tournament, but we’re accustomed to playing close games so when we get in those close battles, we’re prepared.”

Last year, Massapequa Coast reached the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and played two games in the tournament. Having a group of players close by who went to the big stage last year has helped this year’s team prepare, too. So what did the current Massapequa Coast 13u team tell the 12-year-olds about playing for a spot in the Little League World Series?

“Play hard and stay calm,” Jackson Henchy said.

“There’s great camaraderie between all of our teams,” said Craig Garland, who runs the Massapequa Coast LL organization. “The players always come down and support each other in a tremendous effort. There will be hundreds of us in our Massapequa colors in Bristol [Saturday].”

Massapequa Coast will have to defeat Rhode Island and the winner of New Jersey/Connecticut on Monday to reach the Metro Region championship next Friday. The winner of the that game will advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, which begins on Aug. 16.

“I don’t think they understand the gravity of what they’re in. They’re just playing because they love it,” Jon Henchy said. “But for me and the coaches, we’re all incredibly proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish for the past three years. Hopefully we’re able to continue this tradition for a couple more weeks, take it to Williamsport and show how far we can go.”