O.C. prepares to welcome home Little League world champs

The Ocean View All-Stars, who became the first team from Orange County to win a Little League Baseball World Series title, are scheduled to arrive home from South Williamsport, Pa., on Monday night at Los Angeles International Airport. The team then will be bused to the Ocean View Little League playing fields at Murdy Park in Huntington Beach.

Ocean View won the Little League World Series championship Sunday by coming from behind to defeat Japan, 2-1.

Team members Hagen Danner, Anthony Martinez and Nick Pratto, Manager Jeff Pratto and Coach Jose Martinez will not be part of the Ocean View entourage Monday. They are driving from South Williamsport to Cooperstown, N.Y., to play with their So Cal Rebels 12-Under travel team at the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame Cooperstown Classic tournament. The tournament started Sunday and runs through Friday.

The Ocean View All-Stars will be honored with a parade Sept. 10 in Huntington Beach, Jeff Pratto said.

“This is all pretty exciting but it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Pratto said in a phone interview Monday. “We’re driving through small towns in rural Pennsylvania this morning, on our way to Cooperstown, and when we stopped to get some breakfast, folks knew who we were. Some wanted to take photos of us. It’s just a great atmosphere here and a pretty neat feeling.”

—Mike Sciacca