Loving baseball and watching the Little League World Series last year helped 9-year-old Sunset Cliffs resident Westan Ward recuperate from emergency eye surgery in the hospital.

But Westan and his family never realized that this year they’d end up knocking one out of the park entirely as they entered – and won – a “Swing Big” contest sponsored by Ball Park Buns. That victory gave them all tickets to watch the California team win the LLWS Championship held annually in August in South Williamsport, Pa.

“Ball Park is the official sponsor for all the hot dog and hamburger buns for Little League and they’ve sponsored the LLWS the last three years,” said Westan’s mom Melissa Ward, adding this was the first year Westan signed up for Little League.

Ward said the contest question to be answered was, “Tell us why you deserve to go to the LLWS?”

“So I did (submit a contest application),” she said adding, “I didn’t think we were going to win. It was just so great that Westan was recuperating in the hospital a year ago – and now he’s healthy enough to do things on his own, like playing in Little League, and not just watching them on TV. It’s (LLWS) made a major impact on him; he’s made friends and he’s gotten a lot better at baseball.”

Ball Park Buns received thousands of contest submissions for “Swing Big,” and after a rigorous review process, Westan’s story won out. The youth from Point Loma was deserving after the ordeal he endured last summer, as he was rushed to the emergency room after coming down with a rare type of infection that affects eyesight. Doctors quickly performed emergency surgery that saved his sight. But it meant weeks of painful recovery at the hospital.

While in the hospital recuperating and being allowed a minimum of movement, Westan’s love for baseball grew as he would watch LLWS for hours on end. As soon as he was discharged, the first thing he wanted to do was try out for his local Little League team and now, months later, baseball has become his passion.

“Just playing (baseball) was important because I made a lot of friends and it helped me get better,” said Westan. “It was also important because I got to see kids my age playing at a really high level, so that was really cool. It also helped me to grow.”

Having played in Little League for about a year, Westan prefers to play third base. He added that he considers the sport to be “super hard” at times. But he is working to master the athletic skills necessary to perhaps one day consider making baseball a career. “My biggest strength is that I’m a power hitter,” he noted.

“[Westan’s] improved so much from practice and Little League is such a great organization in general,” said Melissa Ward. “And, in our community, parent volunteers put so much of their time into Little League. It really brings the community together and has helped us get to know our neighbors better. Westan’s one coach lives one street over (from us). It really helps infuse the community. It makes things really fun.”

Westan said LLWS games were “much” better in-person. “It was different than on TV when you watch it, as it didn’t seem like it was as fast, or that they hit it as hard on TV. I was really impressed at how fast they pitch, and how hard they hit it, in-person. It’s really cool.”

Melissa Ward said she and her husband Jake were also impressed seeing the LLWS up close and personal. “Everything was so well put together and we were taken care of so well and everyone was super kind,” she said. “It is just a very family-friendly, positive atmosphere. They had a fun zone for kids and it was a real interactive environment.”
“I like it when people watch me playing. It feels good,” answered Westan about what he enjoys most about playing the sport. “If people aren’t watching – what’s the point? Whenever you have somebody watching you, it makes you really want to play well.”

Asked if he intends to continue playing baseball, Westan replied: “Oh yeah. I want to keep doing it. Maybe I’ll have a career in baseball. That would be fun.”

LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for youth ages 10 to 12. First held in 1947, the event takes place every August at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Volunteer Stadium at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport, Pa. Initially, only teams from the United States competed. But the event has since become a worldwide tournament and has gained such popularity that LLWS games are broadcast on ESPN.

The LLWS is one of seven World Series tournaments sponsored by Little League International, in different locations. Each of them brings community teams from different Little League International regions around the world together in baseball (four age divisions) and girls’ softball (three age divisions). The LLWS consists of 20 teams: 10 from the United States, and 10 from other countries. The U.S. and international teams play in separate brackets, in a double-elimination format. The winners of each bracket then play each other for the LLWS championship game.

Admission to all LLWS games is free. However, stadium seats for the championship game are distributed in a random drawing of all interested parties due to high demand. Lamade Stadium where games are played, holds up to 45,000 spectators.