Pep Rally Recognizes All Grosse Pointe Park Little Leaguers

More than 100 parents, baseball players, officials and others gathered on the fields of Wednesday only a couple of hours after won its final bid to compete in the state title game. 

The team's 12-1 win Wednesday allows them to compete for the state title Thursday at 3 p.m. at Johnston Park in Harper Woods. The 11U team earned the state title in Midland Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the 12s International Team is gearing up for a trip to Indianapolis to complete in the Great Lakes Regional, where winners of that tournament will advance to the 2011 Little League World Series.

Having is rare, district and program officials have said.  

An air of nervous excitement filled the grounds of Defer Wednesday as the large group wished the 12s team luck and a good farewell for their upcoming competition. 

Each of the coaches introduced their teams and talked about the individual players' contributions to specific games and to the team as a whole. 

District 6 administrator Ron DeCoopman also congratulated the Grosse Pointe Park program for its success this year, joking that he'll have to rent a U-Haul to take all the trophies back next year. He also gave a pin and baseball to one of the 9-10 players who has had several home runs this week during the state championships. 

Among the crowd Wednesday were Park Mayor Palmer Heenan, council members Greg Theokas and Laurie Arora and Defer Principal Karen Sullivan. Heenan said he is proud to be from the Park and wished the 12s team success as they advance.

The final celebration before the next round of games will be Thursday at 9 a.m. when the teams will have a police escort from the down Maryland and then down Kercheval Avenue through the Village. The players and their families will then head to Indianapolis.