Camas Little League players win district title, head to state tournament

A group of young Camas baseball players are headed back to the state tournament for the second year in a row. 

The Camas Little League 11U All-Stars (ages 9-11) baseball team won the District 4 title July 7, in an 11-3 game against East County.

Now, the team of Camas 11-year-olds will head to Anacortes, Washington, for a 10-day, double-elimination tournament that kicks off Saturday, July 22. 

Kaleigh Piel, the mother of the team’s second baseman, 11-year-old Ryder Piel, and the wife of the team’s head coach, Jake Piel, said many of the Camas 11U All-Stars have been playing baseball since they were young kids, and that, with the exception of three new players and three who have left the team, are the same group of boys who won their District 4 title and went on to take third place at the state tournament in 2022. 

“They’re excited,” Kaleigh said of the 11-year-old Camas Little League players. “They’re competitive, so they come to win and it can get very emotional … but they are very excited.” 

Winning the district championship means the team will once again compete for the state title and, Kaleigh said, “potentially position themselves to play in the Little League World Series,” which will take place Aug. 16-27, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. 

The cost of competing, however, can begin to add up  — especially considering the fact that, during the state tournament, the team may need to stay in Anacortes, a popular tourist destination in Washington’s Puget Sound, for up to 10 days. 

“We got lucky last year with state games being held locally, but this year we travel,” Kaleigh stated on a GoFundMe page she established to help the team pay for the costs of the state tournament trip. “We are raising money for the team … to help with meals, gas, lodging, etc. (and) anything helps.”

As of Friday, July 14, the fundraiser had collected $1,080 toward its initial $5,000 goal. To contribute to the GoFundMe, visit gf.me/v/c/rwd/11u-all-stars. 

The team also will host a car-wash fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 15, in the parking lot of the Wendy’s off Southeast 192nd Avenue, at 400 S.E. 192nd Ave. in Vancouver. The team will accept cash donations and virtual Venmo payments (@Camas11) during the car wash.