Willcox Girls’ Softball Team Clinches Spot in Little League World Series

The team leaves for Greenville, North Carolina Tuesday.

WILLCOX, Ariz. — Willcox’s 11 and 12-year-old girls’ softball team has secured their spot in the Little League World Series. This marks a significant improvement from their third-place finish in the western regionals last year.

The team, from a southeast Arizona town of 3,200 residents, known for country singer Rex Allen and wintering Sand Hill cranes, achieved this feat after an intense regional tournament.

“We were real wide-eyed and booger-nosed last year but we came back this year with the expectation that, ‘Hey, we can play with anybody,’” said team manager Patrick Macumber to the San Bernadino Sun.

In San Bernardino, California, they clinched the West Region Championship after defeating Northern California’s Dublin Little League 5-0, solidifying their World Series berth.

Their journey wasn’t without challenges. They faced teams from more populous cities, starting with a 2-0 victory against Nevada on July 20, followed by another 2-0 win against Hawaii the next day. On July 24, they edged out Dublin Little League 6-3, and on July 26, they beat Dublin again, 5-0, to win the region.

Star pitcher Hattie Macumber, daughter of the head coach, was instrumental, throwing three shutouts and allowing only three runs throughout the tournament.

On Friday, Willcox became the fifth team from southern Arizona to qualify for the Little League World Series. According to All Sports Tucson, they join Santa Rita, Tucson Mountain, San Xavier, and Sunnyside. The last southern Arizona team to win it all was Sunnyside in 2013.

Willcox will represent Arizona and the entire West region in the Little League World Series beginning on August 4.

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