The competition has been great, ... One difference this year is the defense stands out. You can really see how advanced the players are fundamentally.

We did not bring our A game on offense. I was happy with how we played on defense.

We've heard a couple things about how they hit the boards and play defense. But we hit the boards and play defense just like they do. We are just going to have to play our game.

Sometimes it just takes one swing of the bat to get out of a slump.

The atmosphere is such that they don't think about the cameras as much as the 30,000 people in the stands. They look at the crowd and it's like, 'Holy smoke, I'm in the big time.' . . . The kids are able to keep it all in perspective.

It's a great time. They're in their own dorms with no parents, only coaches and their buddies. And Little League treats them like kings – a video game center, ping pong, a pool, ice cream . . . you name it, anything a kid could want. And on top of that, they get to play baseball.