BALTIMORE — Multiple teams from South Baltimore Little League have won district championships this year, with the 12-year-old team preparing for a state championship matchup this weekend that could lead to a Little League World Series appearance.
WATCH: South Baltimore Little League teams eye state championships and World Series dreams
South Baltimore Little League is the only official chartered Little League in Baltimore City, according to league president Brendan O'Brien.
"It's an incredible feeling for our kids to achieve that and to play against the same age groups across the state," O'Brien said.
Players on the 12-year-old team say the experience has helped them grow as individuals.
"Our team kind of makes us be more mature and become better men, so it'll help us for the future, for like high school baseball and everything," said teammate Preston Zimmerman.
"It helps us take things more seriously, like we have to take these practices seriously, and we have to really focus in games," said teammate Camden O'Brien.
Only the 12-year-old division is eligible to advance to the Little League World Series, which is broadcast on ESPN. To get there, the team must win this weekend's state championship and then a regional tournament.
Head coach Kenny Kulesz believes his team has earned the right to dream about making it to Williamsport after coming close in previous years.
"Last year we lost in the last inning of the semifinals for the state. Two years ago we made the state tournament, lost our first two games. Last year we progressed in the semis, and what I've told this team very clearly is they've earned the right to dream about it now because we've gotten close enough that it's not fiction," Kulesz said.
The players are already imagining what it would be like to play on the big stage.
"Yeah, I'm most excited to be on TV like ESPN. Be with all my friends too," Zimmerman said.
"It'll definitely be challenging to get there, but if we did get there, it'd be very exciting," Camden O'Brien said.
"They're creating memories and friends for life. I think that's the key," Brendan O'Brien said.
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