West Chester taking it "one game at a time" at 2026 Little League Baseball World Series

The Little League Baseball World Series is about to get underway in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and a West Chester team is hoping to make a deep run in the tournament.

East Side Little League of West Chester beat Naamans Little League of Wilmington, Delaware, in the Mid-Atlantic Region Tournament final to make the LLBWS. It's the first time in more than 70 years the West Chester team won the tournament. 

East Side will play either the New England or Metro region team Friday night in the United States bracket. 

East Side manager Bob Hennessey said it has been a whirlwind since that win. 

"We got on a bus ride the next morning after we won the regionals and headed right to Williamsport, so we haven't been home in about a week and a half, almost two weeks at this point," Hennessey said. "So it's been relying on your parents, family members to help you out along the way, so without them, it's probably not possible." 

One of the stars of the East Side team is Bob's son, Ryan Hennessey, who is having a blast. 

"I just wanna have fun with my friends and try to win baseball games to try and get that championship, so we can play in front of a huge crowd and try to win the whole thing," Ryan Hennessey said. 

Bob Hennessey said the team's motto has always been to take "one game at a time." 

"Win every inning, that's been our motto ever since we started playing together," he said. "We don't want to look ahead too far. We want to take it one game at a time, and I feel like as long as we do that, we'll do pretty well." 

The whole East Side squad is having fun meeting players from all around the globe.

Bob Hennessey said members of his team have been trading pins and other items to keep for memories down the road.

 "It's pretty cool to hang out with other teams and speak to teams not from your country," Ryan Hennessey said.