By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Jim Freeman understood better than anyone what the Robbinsville 12-year-old all-star softball team was feeling going into its final game of Little League World Series pool play Monday.
Two years ago, Freeman took the first Robbinsville team to the World Series, where it finished second overall in a game televised by ESPN.
”It feels good to know we paved the way,” Freeman said. “I’m glad there are a lot of kids out there pushing to reach that level. What they’re experiencing out there, they’re going to have a lot of fun. We were out there eight or nine days, and it just flew by.”
Freeman followed this year’s second Robbinsville entry to the World Series from afar while focusing on his daughter Rebecca’s travel team has kept him on the move.
”It brings back a lot of great memories,” Freeman said. “Lauren (Fischer) and Rebecca have been talking about it. I hope they bring the whole thing home. Step one is getting yourself on TV.”
A TV appearance means that you’ve made it out of pool play into the semifinals, and Freeman was pulling hard for the Robbinsville contingent to get the same chance his group had in 2008. Back then, the current crop of 12s was winning the 10-year-old state title while dreaming of a trip to the World Series. They’ve made it a reality by following Freeman’s team’s trailblazing.
”I knew there was a strong program coming up behind us,” Freeman said. “I thought we were going to do it three years in a row. Peter Borowski had a good team last year. … I know there’s a good feeder program coming up. They’re so involved at the younger ages 9, 10, 11. Who’d have figured Robbinsville would get this good?”
Freeman’s group set the standard. The first step was knocking off a perennial District 12 power, West Windsor.
”It was tough to knock them off that pedestal,” Freeman said. “Rebecca and Lauren, they all knew it. They had to get through that West Windsor team. When they did it, there was no stopping them.”
Robbinsville has won four straight district titles now, and it is the dynasty. Extending that run beyond the district has only raised the bar.
”To get through the state title is one thing,” Freeman said. “To get through regionals, it’s awesome. If West Windsor had pushed through and made it to the series, things might be different. The experience of pushing the team that whole way to the World Series, it helped. It gives the kids something to look forward to.”
His players still have their East uniforms, and the memories from that trip remain with a group that has continued to flourish on the field.
”Those kids are going to remember it for a lifetime,” Freeman said. “Rebecca and Lauren still talk about their experiences. And they’ve traveled all over for softball. They’ve been out to South Dakota and Colorado. Playing in (the World Series) helped.”
Freeman hadn’t seen this year’s team play, but he did get a taste of its talent in its final practice before it headed out to Portland, Oregon. Rebecca Freeman threw batting practice to the 12s, her first time pitching since the World Series title game, according to her father.
”I saw the way they can hit,” the elder Freeman said. “That team can hit. Rebecca hasn’t been pitching, but she wasn’t throwing meatballs in there. If they get their bats going, they’ll be something else.
”I was shocked they couldn’t hit that Georgia girl (the Warner Robins team’s Avery Lamb, whom Robbinsville faced on Saturday) a little better. I’m sure they’ll come back the second time around.”
Freeman spoke to 12s manager Ed Horowitz before the team left for Portland. They talked about what to expect from the different teams in the World Series and how to handle the trip, and they left with a nice send-off from Robbinsville. They have switched roles from two years ago Freeman now supporting the 12s from home just as Horowitz and his players rooted for Freeman’s bunch two years ago.
”The community support, Ed’s getting the same stuff,” Freeman said. “Robbinsville is a great town. They support the kids. There were hundreds of people out there while they were practicing. I’m sure they’ll welcome them back. It’s nice to live in such a supportive community.”
And nice to give the community something to cheer for in the World Series for the second time in three years.

