- July 30, 2026
-
-
Loading
Loading
Mike D’Hondt has coached against all sorts of teams in this arena. That comes with 12 years of experience in Sarasota Little League and four kids who have been in baseball.
Some teams he has come across relied on a star player for success. Others had a more collective approach, asking each and every kid on the roster to play a part in victory.
This summer’s 12U American All-Stars were firmly among the latter.
“We’re so focused on playing together as a team,” said D’Hondt, who’s one of two assistants for coach Aaron Meininghaus. “We don't put forth one kid as our MVP."
Together, Sarasota Little League’s 12U American All-Stars competed in the state tournament from Saturday to Monday at Twin Lakes Park — their home fields. It was their opportunity to advance to regional play and move one step closer to the Little League Baseball World Series.
But, it ultimately proved to be the end of the team’s run. It opened with losses to Keystone, 14-0, and eventual state champion Chaires Capitola, 8-3, on Saturday. Vero Beach then defeated Sarasota American, 15-5, one day later as the hosts finished in last place out of eight teams.
Sarasota American previously won the Section 6 championship over Golden Gate American, 2-1, on July 18. That followed its District 16 title over North Port, 8-0, on June 23.
“The players are really good, the coaches are great,” said rising seventh-grade third baseman/pitcher Liam Smith. “(There’s) good development.”
Most members of the team, D’Hondt said, either played with or against each other in Sarasota Little League since they were 4 or 5 years old. That means there’s no shortage of familiarity between teammates in their dugout.
This state tournament wasn’t the first rodeo for seasoned Little League veterans. Some of them had already faced Florida’s finest youth baseball players while on 11U or 10U All-Stars.
Whether players knew each other from past All-Star teams, past Little League seasons or both, the lion’s share of them have grown up with Sarasota Little League.
“Some have moved in from out of town, but (mostly, they’re) homegrown kids that have been developed here locally and that want to play for the local community,” D’Hondt said. “To me, that's really special.”
In the district tournament, Sarasota American torched its competition, outscoring four opponents 41-10 combined. Little changed at the sectional level with an 11-1 effort across two games.
That positioned the team at 6-0 entering the state tournament. It allowed an average of just 1.83 runs per game while scoring 8.66 in its own right.
“We played some teams along the way that were very solid teams, but you could tell with some of them it was more individual-focused,” D’Hondt said. “If you crack that individual ego a little bit, it starts to break down their whole team.”
Seven of Sarasota American’s 13 players batted .357 or better this summer. Miguel Bermudez, Logan Maldonado and Dylan Parrish posted top averages of .615, .462 and .429, respectively.
There was a four-way tie between Parrish, Bentley Ariagno, Stone Meininghaus and Jack McQuillan for a team-high six RBIs. Ariagno and Grayson Hugo each had a home run.
Henry D’Hondt’s .704 on-base percentage led the team. He tallied five hits, but stayed patient at the plate en route to 11 walks, making him the only player to reach double digits in that category.
For him, the 12U All-Stars represented an opportunity to continue developing his game and maintain his passion for the sport.
“It’s been great,” said the rising sixth-grade catcher/pitcher. “It’s really improved how I play. It’s the main thing I do every summer.”
Defensively, Liam racked up a team-high 17 innings pitched and had a sparkling 1.41 ERA to show for it. He finished with 24 strikeouts against 10 hits and eight walks allowed.
Parrish tossed a one-hit shutout — with a staggering 16 strikeouts — for Sarasota American against Clewiston in its first game of the sectional tournament. Overall this summer, he posted a 3.60 ERA across 13.1 innings pitched.
The Section 6 championship was Liam’s turn to shine. The soon-to-be seventh grader allowed one earned run on four hits, but struck out seven in a complete game as his team won, 2-1.
“That sectional championship, that was really tough,” Liam said. “It was intense and very competitive.”
When all was said and done, Sarasota American fell short of its World Series dreams. However, the team played as a cohesive unit, per Mike D’Hondt. There was no individual who carried it this far on the mound or at the plate. Rather, multiple players excelled in their respective roles.
They reminded him of the beauty of Little League.
“To me, it’s the last true, pure, vestige of the sport," D’Hondt said.
