Seaside Heights To Honor Elmora Little Leaguers

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — New Jersey's 2019 Boys of Summer, the Elmora Troopers Little League team from Elizabeth, will be celebrated for their run to the Little League World Series on Friday in Seaside Heights.

Borough Mayor Anthony Vaz will present the team with a proclamation congratulating them on winning the Mid-Atlantic Region and representing New Jersey in Williamsport. The team is the 11th from New Jersey to reach the Little League World Series in the more than 60 years the tournament has existed.

The team will be honored at the Franklin Avenue stage at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, and then will get free beach access, ride passes for Casino Pier, pizza and other items.

The Elmora Troopers's home field is named after Trooper Thomas Hanratty, a 24-year-old Elizabeth native who played in the league growing up, NJ.com reported. He was hit by a car and killed during a traffic stop in 1992. The players wear his badge number, 4971, on their jerseys.

The team had vocal support from the New Jersey State Police during their run and captured the attention of much of the state and one of its most famous Little League stars, Todd Frazier. Frazier won the 1998 Little League World Series as part of the Toms River East American team.

Elmora defeated Oregon in its opener, 6-2, but then lost to Hawaii, 6-0, in the quarterfinals, and beat Rhode Island, 2-0, before falling last Wednesday 4-1 to Louisiana, the eventual World Series champion, to get knocked out of the double-elimination tournament. They finished as the fourth-best team in the nation.

Note: This article has been updated to correct Elmora's game results in Williamsport.

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