Braintree is a split town, with families and fans supporting two different Little League programs throughout the year. But now, just about everyone is rooting for the same team.
Braintree American Little League is preparing to take the field in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to represent their town, their state and the entire New England region in this year’s Little League Baseball World Series. They face the Southeast team from Irmo, South Carolina, at 3 p.m. Thursday.
“I mean, just the entire town, the entire region, everywhere you go, that’s all people want to talk about,” said Steve Pratt, vice president of Braintree American Little League. “And now seeing the boys down in Williamsport, putting on their new uniforms, you know getting their new equipment, it’s unbelievable and it’s been an incredible journey since the very beginning of the summer.”
The teammates’ chatter and laughter was audible over the phone as Owen Kippenhan spoke to GBH News this week from their dorm in Pennsylvania.
“I’m most excited about the big stage we’re playing on. Representing New England now,” he said. “And it’s good playing with all your friends.”
Braintree American is the first Massachusetts team to go to the LLBWS since Middleboro in 2022. And their success this season earned them a spot in the United States winners bracket.
But Owen didn’t have a good view of the play that sent Braintree American to Williamsport.
Tension was thick with the championship game of the New England regional tournament tied 2-2 against the team from Bedford, New Hampshire, in the bottom of the eighth last week. That’s when the New Hampshire pitcher threw a wild pitch, giving Braintree’s Frankie Fasoli III a sliver of daylight as he took off for home.
Fasoli, though, stopped midway as Bedford’s catcher got to the ball. But another wild throw sent Fasoli home for the winning run and the dugout into a frenzy. Even if not everyone could see exactly what happened.
“I was in the back of the dugout putting my stuff away. And then everyone started running out,” said Owen, who plays first base. “I was so happy. It was just crazy.”
It’s been a wild ride since the win in the New England final in Bristol, Connecticut. The team traveled straight from Bristol to Pennsylvania the morning after the game. Since then, the days have been busy with practice and activities like media obligations, with the boys squeezing in video games and ping pong during down time.
Maybe most important, though, is the chance to hang out with players from around the country and world.
PJ Kippenhan, who is Owen’s dad and an assistant coach on the team, said the dorm they’re staying in houses the teams from Washington state, the Czech Republic and Chinese Taipei. He appreciates getting to see his son interact with players his age from all over the map.
“He’s just having a blast, like running around, talking to all these kids,” PJ said. “It’s an experience that you really can’t put a price tag on.”
The kids have been trading shirts, old hats and other team memorabilia as a way to celebrate how far they’ve come. When there’s a language barrier, swapping items can get a little tricky.
“They don’t really know English, so when we’re trading pins, it’s more like hand motions,” Owen said.
But these are all teams that could be competitors down the road. And as thrilling as it’s been to get here, there’s still business to attend to.
“I think we’re just looking forward to getting back out on the field and seeing where we stack up against South Carolina,” PJ said. “They’re supposed to be a powerhouse from the Southeast, and we drew them in the first round. But if we play our best, I mean I think we’re tough to beat, too.”
