Fresh off a thrilling, fundamental-driven 1-0 victory over CVLL to capture the 12U Section 1 Title at Majors Field, the Goleta Valley South Little League (GVSLL) All-Stars advanced to represent their community on the biggest stage at the Southern California State Tournament at Woodfield Park in Aliso Viejo, CA. Facing the absolute best programs in the state, our local athletes displayed immense grit, elite defense, and an explosive offense across two unforgettable games.
Game 1: GVSLL Battles Eventual State Champions Sweetwater Valley
In their state tournament opener, GVSLL ran directly into a powerhouse Sweetwater Valley Little League (SVLL) squad. Sweetwater Valley set an aggressive tone on the second pitch of the game with a solo home run to center field.
GVSLL starting pitcher Benn Hause settled down beautifully after the rocky start. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the second inning and held the potent SVLL offense to just one run through three frames.
Goleta Valley threatened offensively with line-drive singles from Dylan Corlett and Cade Venegas, but SVLL ace pitcher Isaac Rocha proved difficult to solve. GVSLL mounted its biggest rally in the bottom of the fourth when Calvin Firestone singled and Benn Hause followed with a hard ground-ball hit to right field. Rocha once again escaped the jam with a clutch strikeout.
SVLL extended their lead to 2-0 with a solo home run in the fourth, before blowing the game open with two late-inning, two-run doubles to secure a 6-0 win. Sweetwater Valley would utilize this momentum to march all the way to the SoCal State Championship banner.
Game 2: A Heartbreaking Elimination Thriller Against Vineyard
Relegated to the elimination bracket, GVSLL faced a highly anticipated rematch against Vineyard Little League (VLL)—the exact team Goleta Valley knocked out of the state tournament last summer. What followed was a back-and-forth, high-scoring epic battle.
Vineyard struck first with a solo home run in the top of the first, but GVSLL’s offense answered emphatically in the bottom of the second. Following hits from Dylan Corlett and a line-drive double by Walker Torres, GVSLL utilized a wild pitch and a passed ball to race ahead 2-1 before Quincy Niksto extended the lead to 3-1 with an RBI single.
The Goleta Valley crowd erupted in the bottom of the third inning. After hits by Nathan Diaz and Brooks Caldwell, Calvin Firestone crushed a towering, three-run line-drive home run to left field, stretching the GVSLL lead to a commanding 5-1.
Vineyard chipped away, scoring single runs in the fourth and fifth frames to pull within 5-3. GVSLL threatened to extend the lead after singles by Jase Hooper and Brooks Caldwell, but Vineyard’s pitching escaped further damage.
The game turned entirely in the top of the sixth inning. Capitalizing on a walk, an error, and a single, Vineyard loaded the bases. With an out and their season on the line, Vineyard’s Jackson Murillo delivered a crushing three-run homerun to center field, suddenly flipping the score to 7-5.
GVSLL fought down to their final breath in the bottom of the frame. Ethan Sierra hit a sharp line-drive single to right and Benn Hause reached on an error to place the tying runs aboard, but a final flyout secured the comeback win for Vineyard, avenging their previous tournament exit.
Across their highly competitive state tournament games against eventual champions Sweetwater Valley and rivals Vineyard, Goleta Valley demonstrated elite baseline production and true grit. Offensive firepower came from Brooks Caldwell and Dylan Corlett hitting 3-for-5 during the state tournament and Quincy Niksto and Calvin Firestone providing sure bats as well going 2-4 at the plate. Firestone provided fireworks with his 3-run homerun blast in the final game. The GVSLL pitchers at State were led by Benn Hause, Walker Torres, Jase Hooper, Brooks Caldwell, Calvin Firestone and Liam Anderson.
The 2026 GVSLL 12U All-Star Team includes: Liam Anderson, Brooks Caldwell, Dylan Corlett, Nathan Diaz, Calvin Firestone, Benn Hause, Jase Hooper, Brandon Muñoz, Quincy Niksto, Ethan Sierra, Walker Torres and Cade Venegas.
The team is managed by Bryan Corlett, with assistant coaches Daniel Hooper and Raymond Torres.
