"Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

The Boston Red Sox invited the Needham National Williamsport team to Fenway Park on August 12, 2021, for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays to honor the team's advance to the state finals of the Massachusetts Little League tournament this summer. Each player received a Manny Ramirez Bobblehead as a gift from the Red Sox. Pictured: Will Cassidy, Will Lavelle, Colin O'Donnell, Patrick Killeen, Jack Sherman, Matthew Mullaney, Patrick Tracey, Cameron Cheng. 

Congrats to Needham Nattys for a tremendous Williamsport run!

For the Needham National Little Leaguers, the Road to Williamsport began in June with teams from 191 towns in Massachusetts that all sought to fulfill their dreams with a Little League championship. This weekend in Gloucester Mass, Needham National represented Needham extremely well in the final four weekend, featuring tremendous baseball, camaraderie and sportsmanship. In a 9-inning, come-from-behind thriller on Thursday evening against Middleboro, the Rockets were down 3-1 in the top of the 6th with two outs, before coming back to tie the game 3-3 in the 6th and winning it by a score of 7-5 dramatically in the 9th. Needham was knocked out on Saturday by eventual Mass champion Peabody West, but the memories and experiences of district titles, sectional titles, and championship wins will last a lifetime. The Needham National team won 5 Little League championship banners in two annual tournament seasons (2019 and 2021), including two District 11 titles (2019 and 2021), two sectional titles (2019 and 2021), one 10-year-old state championship (2019), one Eastern Regional Tournament appearance (2019) and one Mass state finals appearance (2021). The Little League Tournaments were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations to the Needham National team for a tremendous run this year, and for its contributions to Needham Little League's tournament program. Representing Needham National in 2021 are: William Lavelle, Rory Funke, William Cassidy, Matthew Mullaney, Jack Sherman, Colin O'Donnell, Patrick Killeen, Matthew Spalla, Blake Carr, Colton Harjula, Owen Hammerstrand, Cal Hammerstrand, Cameron Cheng and Patrick Tracey. Coaches: Kevin Lavelle, Jeff Sherman, Greg Harjula and Barry Mullaney.  

Congrats to the Needham National 12s for winning the Section 3 title!

For the first time since 1973, the Needham National 12-year-old Williamsport all star team is headed to the Little League Massachusetts state finals. Needham National beat Brookline 3-0 on Saturday, July 24 in the Section 3 Championship game at Sacramone Park in Everett, Mass. In the game, Rory "Superman" Funke pitched five innings with 14 strikeouts; Colin "The Kraken" O'Donnell hit a two-run home run; Will "The Thrill" Lavelle had two doubles and an RBI; and Patrick "Killer" Killeen pitched a scoreless inning for the save. To advance to the sectional final, Needham National beat Dorchester 1-0 in a dramatic game on Friday, July 23, behind six scoreless innings of pitching by Lavelle (13 strikeouts) and a walkoff single by Matthew "Ice" Mullaney. Cal "The Hammer" Hammerstrand scored the winning run. Needham also beat Melrose 13-4 in section 3 pool play. The Needham National team advances to the state final tournament July 29-31 at Boudreau Field (24 Hough Ave.) in Gloucester, Mass. Games: July 29 vs. Middleboro at 3:30pm; July 30, vs. Pittsfield at 5:30pm; July 31 vs. Peabody at 6:30pm. Please come out and support your Needham Little Leaguers on the Road to Williamsport!

Congrats to the Needham National League 12s - Needham Rockets!!

Congratulations to the Needham National League 12-year-old team for winning the District 11 Championship with a 7-6 victory over Ashland at Metacomet Field in Medfield on Sunday, July 18. The team beat #1 seed Walpole 11-1 in a semifinal game on Saturday to advance to the title game on Sunday. Representing the Needham National 12s are: Rory Funke, William Lavelle, William Cassidy, Patrick Killeen, Jack Sherman, Matthew Mullaney, Colin O'Donnell, Matthew Spalla, Blake Carr, Colton Harjula, Cameron Cheng, Cal Hammerstrand, Owen Hammerstrand and Patrick Tracey. The team advances to the sectional round on Wednesday in Everett, Ma. Go Needham....Rockets!!!