Dominance in the regular round, where they won all five of their matches and were the only undefeated team in the tournament. However, they were eliminated in the first tiebreaker of the super round, a reminder that in this format, it's not enough to be good; you have to be timely. Panama West also demonstrated its talent. This is the result of a structure that begins long before the national tournament. In a short tournament, that is often a death sentence. There were children playing as if they perfectly understood what was at stake, while others were carried away by the emotion of the moment. But behind this are coaches, leagues, families, and a culture that does not negotiate its love for the sport of baseball. And they are doing this 32 years after the only Chiriquí generation that achieved this before. During two weeks of competition, it was clear that the level of the tournament was high. What Panama West and Chiriquí did in those two days cannot be explained by statistics alone. How can the passion for baseball of the Chiriquí people be explained? They surpassed the Herrera team in the tiebreaker and advanced to the final. The best-of-three final series turned out to be a perfect reflection of what baseball is like at this age: unpredictable, emotional, vibrant. It is explained by the character of children who love what they do. There were moments of dominance, reaction, errors, and successes. They came with the intention of repeating as champions, this time represented by Barrio Colón from La Chorrera, after Vacamonte, in Arraiján, lifted the trophy the previous year. But this time it was Chiriquí's turn in a story that had it all. From leagues that work with a large volume of players to end up with 14 who compete under the province's colors. They not only battled other districts but even saw pitches from 13 and 14-year-old players with the goal of lifting the title. And now, the next step is Williamsport. That is where everything changes. A team that seemed to have everything under control. Until they didn't. The super round hit them hard with two losses right away. A child told me that anxiety played against them in two games they lost by just one run. And in that back-and-forth, Chiriquí found a way to prevail. It was not a clean path. That is where many teams fall, where the pressure weighs heavily, and where errors multiply. But this group responded. They won three consecutive games, got back into the fight, and, amid a three-way tie, the combination of results gave them a new life. It was real. And that is where the value lies. Because this title is not just of a team. It is of a system. Where the names that are now making noise in Panama begin to be measured against other realities, other styles, other pressures. That is why, beyond the title, it is time to start looking forward. Remember these names, because we will hear from them again in August: Obed Fuentes, Bryan Quintero, Josué Hernández, Lucas Olmos, Thiago De Gracia, Edwards Díaz, Dominick Saavedra, Ian Del Cid, Edgar Villarreal, Jadier Rivera, Jeicot Sánchez, Khaled Valdez, Ianne Salcedo, and Orlando Acosta. They are the visible face of this achievement. They waited for their rival between Coclé and Herrera, and when it was their turn to take the field, they did not fail. Where baseball stops being local and becomes global. It is part of their identity, their DNA, their culture. And a few days ago, they celebrated high and low another title for the province. They defeated Panama West in a best-of-three series, after suffering a loss in Game 1 in extra innings. Now they will return to the Little League World Series in Williamsport. Coclé, for example, presented a solid project in the first round and part of the second, structured, with arguments to aspire to the title. It was not perfect. Control, execution, confidence.
