Ilwaco 2024 graduate Kaemon Sawa, pictured, was selected to the Kelso Premier Babe Ruth League All-Star team earlier this summer, representing area varsity players ages 16 to 18.

GIRARDEAU, Missouri — Two former Ilwaco Fishermen teammates are helping a regional baseball team reach the pinnacle of prep baseball.

Kaemon Sawa and Boston Caron, both Ilwaco graduates in the class of 2024, were selected to the Kelso Premier Babe Ruth League All-Star team earlier this summer, representing varsity players ages 16 to 18 from across the region.

Last weekend, the former Ilwaco teammates were instrumental in helping to secure victories in a regional tournament in Wyoming, earning the Kelso Premier team their first birth in the upcoming Babe Ruth League World Series, to be held in Missouri next month.

The Kelso Premier team defeated the Cheyenne Coyotes 7-1, then beat the Prosser Expos 7-5, followed by victories over the Lander Lobos 12-0 and Calgary Blues AAA 12-2. The team then nipped the RBI Dirtbags 6-4 to secure the championship, advancing to the World Series.

Kaemon Sawa, a standout lefty on the mound for the Fishermen over the past few seasons, was joined by fellow teammate and former Pacific League MVP, Boston Caron, who has excelled behind the plate as a catcher and beside it as a hitter, including belting an area-best 14 home runs over the last two seasons. Sawa provided key innings on the mound for the premier team while Caron continued his hot hitting last weekend in Wyoming, including smacking another moon shot — one of only five hit during the entire regional tournament.

Next, the team will represent the Pacific Northwest as they travel to Girardeau, Missouri, where they will play an international World Series, Aug. 8-16, including teams from Mexico, Netherlands, Australia and Dominican Republic, among other regional teams around the U.S.

To donate or support the Kelso Premier team’s journey to the Babe Ruth World Series, visit tinyurl.com/Kelso-baseball-support.