Cypress Hopes to Handle Pressure Well

Parents, coaches and others will pore over records, rosters and statistics this week, trying to make some sense out of the 52nd Little League World Series.

But when the Cypress Federal Little League all-stars step into Lamade Stadium at 5 p.m. today for their opener against Toms River American of New Jersey, the biggest factor may be how well 11-and 12-year-olds handle being under a microscope, not how well they play.

Each year the games serve as centerpieces for a giant, country-style festival that swells the campgrounds and roadhouses of the heavily-wooded Susquehanna River Valley to 100,000 strong, three times its normal population. Pin trading, being sequestered in the same bunk house with opponents and constant attention from media and spectators have proven to be big distractions for players.

“We’re just going to go out and take it one pitch at a time, enjoy ourselves, have a great time and play some baseball,” Cypress Manager Greg Novy said. He brushed aside suggestions that this pool-play series has more significance than any of the other in the team’s 17-0 run.

But he admitted that the team began to feel the pressure during the final three games at the Western Regional in San Bernardino, where players were also housed away from family and friends.

Cypress, admits Novy, limps into the series, having scored three runs in each of its last three games. In Cypress’ first 14 games it averaged nearly 11 runs. At the Western Regional, the team batted .356, low by Little League standards, with its 200-foot outfield fences and 60-foot base paths. Novy said his team had been “lucky” to get the series.

Nevertheless, Little League spokesman Lance Van Auken said there are high expectations for Cypress at this series, which began Sunday with two games.

“Any team that wins the West, like Cypress, has to be taken seriously,” Van Auken said. “That’s a top area for baseball.”

Cypress players said they don’t intend to let the distractions get to them.

“They say it’s pretty boring at the World Series. There’s not a lot to do,” said pitcher/infielder Matt Swims, a .470-hitter whose seventh-inning home run Thursday lifted Cypress to a dramatic 3-1 victory over Woodinville, Wash., at the Western Regional. “So, we’re just going to go and see it and play some baseball.”

Cypress, the sixth all-star team in Williamsport from Orange County and the first to appear twice, is the ninth consecutive team from California to advance to the series. In 1990, Cypress was eliminated by Shippensburg, Pa., 5-4.

Cypress plays three round-robin games. The top two finishers square off Thursday in the United States championship. The winner faces the international champion from among Japan, Mexico, Canada and Saudi Arabia in the series finale Saturday.

The defending champion from Mexico is back and so is New Jersey’s coach. The team from Saudi Arabia, making its fourth straight appearance in Williamsport, has its first Saudi national player.

All eyes, understandably, will be on the Mexican youngsters from Linda Vista of Guadalupe, who are attempting to defend the title they won last year in a dramatic 5-4 victory over South Mission Viejo. Three players return from that team, including shortstop Daniel Baca.

Linda Vista has produced four series titles overall since 1957. Long Beach (1992 and 1993) was the last to win back-to-back titles.

Sayaka Tsushima, the starting center fielder for Kashima, Japan, is the sixth girl to play in a World Series. Girls have been eligible to play Little League since 1974, but Tsushima is the first female from the Far East. She met with reporters Sunday afternoon, but no other interviews will be allowed, according to Van Auken. Japan last won a series title in 1976.

In the past, the all-stars from Saudi’s Arabian American Little League of Dhahran, which has never won a series title, have been children of American- and Canadian-born oil workers. But this year, the team has one Saudi national, third baseman Sammy Al-Rajhi.

Toms River’s Mike Gaynor first coached in the series in 1995 when he led that city’s American Little League, which did not get out of pool play.

This may be a low-scoring tournament because of good pitching.

Kevin Hodges of Greenville, N.C., tossed a 3 1/2-inning, rain-shortened one-hitter, striking out six, in a 6-0 victory over Morristown, Tenn., in the South Regional final. New Jersey’s Scott Fisher pitched a no-hitter and struck out 12 in a 2-0 victory over Georgetown, Del., in the Eastern final. Billy Miller of Georgetown National of Jenison, Mich., threw 109 pitches in an 11-2 Central Region championship victory over Canfield, Ohio. David Lopez of defending champion Linda Vista of Guadalupe, Mexico, threw a no-hitter in a 9-0 victory over Nicaragua in the Latin American final.

Cypress’ pitching has also been tough. Set aside four unearned runs given up in a 14-6 victory over El Monte in the divisional tournament, and Cypress pitchers led by Swims and left-hander Alex Alba, haven’t given up more than two runs in a game since mid-July. Swims and Alba had a combined earned-run average of 1.43 at the regional.

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The Schedule at Williamsport

Cypress’ schedule for U.S. bracket pool play at the Little League World Series:

* Today, vs. Toms River, N.J., 5 p.m., ESPN2

* Tuesday, vs. Jenison, Mich., 5 p.m., ESPN2

* Wednesday, vs. Greenville, N.C., 5 p.m., ESPN2