Westside 11U All-Stars Finish NorCal Runner-Up

Santa Clara Westside Little League’s 11U All-Stars ended their summer as Northern California runner-up after reaching the championship round and falling in two close games, according to The Silicon Valley Voice. Manager Kenny Dame told the publication that if someone had said on June 3 that Westside would be “in the final inning of the final game of the year,” he would have taken that outcome. The team came through the winner’s bracket and needed one win in the final, but its season ended with back-to-back losses, 4-3 and 10-8. Westside had won 11 straight games before the two defeats. ### How far did Westside get before the run ended? The NorCal championship appearance put Westside among the final two teams in the 9-10-11 Northern California state tournament field, according to Dame’s comments to The Silicon Valley Voice. His postgame message, he said, centered on the two-month run rather than the mistakes in the last game. He told the outlet the players had played strong defense for two months and that “the bats came alive in sectionals.” (svvoice.com) Santa Clara Westside had already won the District 44 11/10/9 title before advancing, and the league later announced that the team had also won the Section 5 championship to earn its berth in the Northern California tournament in Folsom from July 25 to July 31. District 44’s tournament page lists Santa Clara Westside Little League as the 2026 District 44 11/10/9 All-Star champion. ### What did the players say they will remember? Gavin Dame, a second baseman and pitcher who led off for Westside, told The Silicon Valley Voice that the summer was about “playing baseball with my friends every day.” He also pointed to time away from the field, including a trip to the aquarium, hotel stays and team meals after games. (svvoice.com) Landon Wong, who played pitcher, first base and outfield, told the publication that one of the best parts was playing with teammates from different regular-season clubs. (cad44.org) Lincoln Chu, a pitcher and center fielder, said the players also enjoyed attending an Athletics game during the trip. Those details, as reported by the outlet, framed the tournament as both a competitive run and a travel experience for an 11-year-old all-star group. (svvoice.com) ### Why was Jarren Advincula part of the celebration? Jarren Advincula, a Santa Clara native and former Westside Little League player, had just been selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the 45th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, MLB and MiLB records show. Westside players told The Silicon Valley Voice they met Advincula during the run and came away talking about his advice on handling pressure, sleep and the mental side of the game. (svvoice.com) Gavin Dame said he got a ball signed by Advincula, while Wong said Advincula stressed getting good sleep and using a mental coach. The Silicon Valley Voice had separately reported in June that Advincula was a former Westside all-star preparing for the draft, tying the current team’s postseason to one of the league’s recent alumni. ### How does this connect to the wider local postseason? District 44’s website shows Sunnyvale Little League’s junior all-stars won the 2026 NorCal state championship and advanced to the Western Region tournament in Bend, Oregon, from July 22 to July 30. (mlb.com) Sunnyvale Little League’s home page says the league is seeking support from the local business community to help its juniors make that trip possible for players and families. The overlap matters because Westside and Sunnyvale are both part of the same local District 44 youth baseball network. (svvoice.com) Westside’s 11U run added another late-summer result for the area, while Sunnyvale’s juniors moved on to regional play. That pairing of results is documented on the two leagues’ official sites and District 44’s postseason pages. ### What comes next for families following these teams? Sunnyvale Little League says its fall season will run from September 1 through October 31, with registration already open on the league website. (cad44.org) Santa Clara Westside’s site has separately posted summer and postseason updates, including the Section 5 title announcement that sent the 11U team to Folsom. For families tracking the next steps, the most concrete updates now are on those league pages: fall registration in Sunnyvale and offseason planning in Westside after a runner-up finish in NorCal. (cad44.org) (sunnyvalelittleleague.com)