Toms River's own champions soak up the feeling at the Little League World Series

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - They have been living here in Little League heaven all week - taking batting practice on the manicured stadium grass, riding on parade floats through the historic downtown, doing ESPN interviews, and signing autographs.

Walking even a few yards with them through the large crowd at the opening-day ceremonies of the Little League World Series gave one a taste of their young celebrity.

"Hi, Kevin!" three teenage girls with Canadian accents shouted to Kevin Blum, 13, the Toms River team's power hitter, as he walked with his father, Karl, a team coach. Vancouver's Little Mountain Little League represents Canada this year.

"How do you know my name?" Blum asked shyly as he signed autographs for the girls.

"From the TV," one of them said, giggling.

"That was pretty cool," Blum said.

Of the 16 teams competing, Toms River represents the United States' Mid-Atlantic Region, so it is the equivalent of the tournament's home team. The team will take on Hamilton, Ohio, Saturday morning in its first game of the double-elimination tournament.

Russ Petranto was walking with his son, Russell, 13, who plays second base, past the main stadium when a group of youths approached and asked the young player to sign a hat.

"He didn't miss a beat," Petranto said. "He just signed it and thanked them, and I was like, 'What is this, Yankee Stadium?' "

While enjoying the spotlight, the Toms River players have also gotten a big kick out of hanging around with their dorm mates from the Japanese team. They have spent hours together in the recreational room playing ping-pong, even though they can't communicate.

"We talk through signals," said Toms River rightfielder Billy Lumi, 13. "They showed us how to hold the paddles like they do."

The Toms River players have been palling around with the Mexican team, too. The two teams shared a float in Thursday's Grand Slam Parade through Williamsport, the Toms River kids laughing when the Mexican players shouted, "You are beautiful!" to the girls lining the route.

"They were all having a blast together," said Billy's father, Bill Lumi.

But the most exciting moment so far, Billy Lumi and Kevin Blum agreed, was stepping onto the Howard J. Lamade Stadium grass for practice earlier this week.

Their dorm overlooks the stadium, which looks like a miniature Wrigley Field tucked into the foothills of the Susquehanna Valley. It has two sets of grandstands and towering lights.

It seats 10,000 and the terraced hills beyond the outfield fence can accommodate 35,000 more.

"It's awesome," Billy Lumi said.

"I have been dreaming of this moment ever since I was a little kid," Kevin said.

Waiting for the opening-day ceremonies to begin, the players lined up in the tunnel under one of the other stadiums, waiting for their turn to walk out onto the field, holding their banner for the cheering crowds. They were playing rock-paper-scissors and goofing around with the Japanese team.

Seeing her son, Zack, 12, a pitcher, and the rest of the team march onto the field, Pam Burns, lost her breath for a moment. The enormousness of it all. His was among 7,000 teams nationwide at the start, and now the boys are competing for the title.

"Wow!" she said.

On the field, the players turned to look at the left-field scoreboard to see a video of an astronaut who would throw out the tournament's ceremonial first pitch from aboard the International Space Station.

"This is cool," Kevin Blum whispered to his father. "But don't you just want to play?"

The team is ready to go, said manager Pete Deceglie, taking a quick lunch break before afternoon practice.

He would let the players stay up until about 10:30 p.m., he said, and then it would be the regular game-day routine: morning batting practice, a team meeting on the field, and then the players will gather in a circle and do the cheer.

"We are TR!" they will shout.

Then the kids will take the field.