When the Monadnock 12-and-under softball all-star team boards a plane destined for Florida on Thursday, they will begin their journey through history.

The 2010 Babe Ruth New England Regional winners are the first Monadnock League team to advance to the World Series.

“It didn’t feel real at first,” said Ryley Wilkie of the chance to go to the World Series.

But this team doesn’t want to be known for just getting there. They want to bring home a fifth tournament title this summer, it just happens to be the biggest one of them all.

Monadnock will be one of 10 teams to descend on Alachua, Fla., this weekend, all of which have the same goal in mind — to be the last one standing and be crowned the national champion.

“I think we have to remember that we’re a good team and we can pull it off if we really work,” said Sarah Hurley.

The competition will undoubtedly be high as regional winners from each part of the country, along with the Florida state champion and the host team, Santa Fe, begin pool play on Saturday.

As part of the National Division, which also includes the regional winners of the Ohio Valley, Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest, as well as Santa Fe, Monadnock will play at least four pool games, with the top three from both the National and American division advancing to the double-elimination bracket.

“It’s exciting just playing with different teams that we haven’t met before and just getting to play softball,” Colby Snow said.

It’s an exciting time for this group of 12 girls from Jaffrey, Rindge and Peterborough. Each one had made it to the regional before, including a group of six who won the 10U tournament last year, but there just wasn’t a World Series to advance to.

“It’s all been different,” said Maura Rapposelli, who was on the 10U team last year. “But I think the best moment was winning the regionals and knowing we’re going to the World Series.”

To put the accomplishment into context, only 120 girls, give or take a few, get the chance to play for a World Series championship.

“Just making it there is great,” said Vanessa Lemire. “I expect us to play hard and play some good teams.”

Along with the rest of the teams, the girls will be staying with host families in the Alachua and High Springs communities.

Their flight will leave Manchester on Thursday at 7:15 a.m. and go through Tampa on its way to Jacksonville.

While softball is the top priority for the trip, the girls will take part in barbeques, camp activities through the local recreation departments, as well as a parade and welcoming banquet.

In anticipation of the trip, the girls were out in full force this weekend, fundraising in front of Shaw’s in Peterborough and Dunkin Donuts in Jaffrey.

All together, the girls collected between $1,500 and $2,000 in donations for the trip and had a big help setting up the fundraising from Peterborough Recreation Director Jeff King.

The first game for Monadnock will be Saturday against Graceland, Ind., the Ohio Valley Champions, at noon.

Monadnock will play against some of the most talented teams in the country when they arrive in Florida, but there is no reason why this team should be looked at any differently.

“We’re pretty good,” said Madison Springfield. “And we’re the best team in the state and the region.”

These girls earned the right to be there and they plan on making the most of it.

It was a long and difficult road to the World Series, but this team was able to maintain the focus necessary to be the lone survivor of the New England region.

“At the beginning of the year I thought we could,” said Shannon Bennett of the possibilities of winning the regional tournament.

During the regular season, these girls played on different teams, battling it out on a weekly basis for the Monadnock League title.

But once that was over and it came time to pick the all-star squad, the girls quickly gelled.
“I think it’s the unity,” said Anna Schroeder. “We all get along.”

With very few opportunities to play games before the start of the districts, Monadnock made the most of the tournaments that were out there.

They began with the Barrington Invitational, where they went undefeated and took home the title.

At the Merrimack Invitational, Monadnock suffered its first loss of the all-star season to the Dover Attack, but rallied back to the championship game. But there they suffered yet another setback to Dover, settling for a runner-up finish.

Monadnock went undefeated in district play, making quick work of the competition, and it was on to the states.

“We had some wins that were just ridiculous and some wins where we really had to fight for it,” said Ivy Chalke.

In just the second game of the double-elimination state tournament, Litchfield defeated Monadnock, forcing them into the losers’ bracket.

But the resiliency of the team shined through, as Monadnock fought all the way back to the championship round to defeat Litchfield twice for a spot in the regionals in Lancaster.
“When we get behind we want to get back up so we start playing even harder,” said Devon Blood.

With two wins in pool play, the girls could afford a loss in their final game, which ended up happening.

But like they had done time and time before, this Monadnock team was able to persevere and survive the double-elimination bracket, beating Dover twice along the way, including in the championship, to become regional champions.

“That was mind-blowing,” said Sierra Landry of the regional win. “I didn’t have anything to say because I was so happy.”

Anyone wishing to follow along with the team can do so at www.baberuthleague.org or www.santafesoftball.org.

Also donations are still welcome and can be directed to the Peterborough and Jaffrey recreation departments.