Petaluma Nationals Flying out of LAX to World Series Today

Some excited boys are now on the bus in San Bernardino, bound for the World Series.

Petaluma National Little League hopped on board "all fired up," according to their team president Anthony Lackey, outside the Little League Western Region Complex, where yesterday they beat Hawaii 7-5 in the Western Region Tournament.

Last night, their manager, Eric Smith, told Patch and that some of the boys were "still in shock."

"I heard some of the boys saying it was 'a dream come true,'" he said.

Now, the hard job of raising more money to complete the dream begins in earnest, Lackey told Patch this morning.

"It's really tough on these families," he said of the financial commitment.

Lackey said almost all of the families are going with the boys. They'll have a meeting Monday night to brainstorm ways to come up with the funds.

The team is due to fly out of LAX at 3:10 p.m. today to Newark, N.J. Then they'll catch a bus to South Williamsport, Pa. for the big games. They are due to go up against the Northeast champs, Fairfield American Little League at noon on Aug. 16 in their first game of the series.

Sixteen teams of boys aged 11 and 12 will compete for the World Series title.