Hooksett NH Little League In Huge Primetime Showdown Tonight on ESPN

Hooksett NH has a must win game tonight in The Little League World Series. It's at 7:30PM primetime on ESPN in an elimination showdown against Oregon and I have a theory on why they will win it.

They Thrive Under Intense Pressure

In the New England Regional, Hooksett lost the very first game of a double elimination tourney and never lost again.

This is such an astronomical feat to accomplish, especially in baseball where unlucky bounces and bloop hits are common.

And they're right where they want to be, amid another uphill battle of elimination games.

Some teams can't handle that environment, while teams like Hooksett thrive in it!

Full disclosure, I have to swallow my Seacoast Little League Pride here as a former member of the International Magnetics Corporation Team, Westside Rochester 1983.

There are two Seacoast teams that came within a bad bounce or two from making it to the ultimate goal. The 1987 Dover North team, who made it to the American semi-final and The 2006 Portsmouth NH team that made it to the American final.

Back in 1987, when dinosaurs ruled the earth, you had to depend on local radio to get the play by play action of the tourney games. The championship, usually against Chinese Taipei or Taiwan, was the only game featured on ABC's Wide World Of Sports.

I much prefer the way things are now. Getting to watch these kids from Hooksett and North Manchester battle their way through every Little League game in the Tom Seaver bracket has been a real treat.

And I hope they CRUSH Oregon tonight!