Community Rallies For LLWS West Team Santa Margarita All Stars

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — Getting to the Little League World Series is no small feat, and for residents who have supported the Santa Margarita Little League over the years, the boys' journey to Williamsport, PA is something to celebrate and even support.

The all-star team from the Santa Margarita National Little League face the team from Washington state's Walla Walla Valley Little League in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Friday at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Rancho Santa Margarita-based Santa Margarita is 16-0 in its four tournaments, including an 11-7 victory over its counterpart from Utah's Dixie Little League Saturday to win the West Regional and become the eighth Orange County team to advance to the Little League World Series.

Orange County's last trek to the Little League World Series was in 2011 when the all-star team from Huntington Beach's Ocean View Little League went on to become the first team from the county to win the world championship. Manager C.J. Ankrum will return to the dugout for Santa Margarita.

Ankrum was suspended for the West Regional championship game for violating Little League's policies regarding unsportsmanlike conduct and the high standard that Little League International holds for all its players, coaches, umpires and volunteers, according to Brian McClintock, senior director of communications, Little League Baseball & Softball.

During Santa Margarita's 12-8 victory over the Hilo Little League all- stars Aug. 10, Ankrum "used inappropriate language that was seen and heard in" ESPN's broadcast, McClintock said.

Viewing parties will be held at the following locations for the ESPN telecast of the 1 p.m. game:

• BallPark Pizza Team, 28813 Los Alisos Blvd., Mission Viejo
• Daily's Sports Grill, 29881 Aventura, Rancho Santa Margarita
• Islands, The Shops at Mission Viejo
• M&C Grill, 31911 Dove Canyon Drive, Trabuco Canyon.

Diners telling staff at BallPark Pizza Team and Islands they are there to watch the game will have 20 percent of their bills donated to help the players' families to defray the cost of traveling to the Little League World Series and 15 percent at Daily's Sports Grill and M&C Grill.

Other deals for Rancho Santa Margaritan's who want to support the team include:

In the event of a Santa Margarita win, the team would next play Sunday against the winner of Friday's game between the all-star teams from North Carolina's North State Little League, the Southeast Region champion, and South Dakota's Sioux Falls Little League, the Midwest Region champion.

A loss would force Santa Margarita into an elimination game against the North State-Sioux Falls loser in the modified double-elimination tournament.

Photo, courtesy Little League Baseball and Softball, Santa Margarita Little League