Arizona coach steadies young pitcher with faith-centered mound visit

Arizona coach Drew Breivogel used a nationally televised mound visit at the Little League World Series to remind pitcher Camden Burke that his value and faith did not depend on the game’s outcome. With Arizona leading Hawaii 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning of a West Region tournament game, Breivogel approached Burke, who had thrown 82 pitches and appeared to be under pressure.

ESPN microphones captured the conversation. Breivogel told Burke he was proud of him and had known him since he was 8 years old. He then referred to the biblical account of Zacchaeus, observing that someone had planted the tree Zacchaeus later climbed. Turning back to the moment at hand, the coach put the stakes of youth baseball in perspective. “If you walk the next five guys, Jesus is still Lord,” he said. “If you strike out the next five guys, guess what: Jesus is still Lord.” Breivogel ended by telling Burke that he loved him and encouraging him to have fun. A social media post featuring the exchange had received more than 10 million views by the time TheBlaze published its report. Little League World Series players range in age from 10 to 13.

Hawaii’s Kawaihau Community Little League scored four runs during the inning and went on to defeat Arizona 5-2, eliminating the Chandler National Little League team from the tournament. Neither side scored again after the fourth inning. Online reaction to Breivogel’s remarks was divided. Many viewers supported his effort to calm and encourage the young pitcher, while some critics argued that a mound visit should focus on mechanics, scouting or game strategy. Another commenter accused the coach of using the televised moment to draw attention to himself because he knew he was wearing a microphone. Neither Breivogel nor Burke had publicly addressed the attention surrounding the exchange. Hawaii was scheduled to face Southern California in the West Region championship at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, with the winner advancing to the elimination tournament.

Editorial note: FMN prepared this summary from TheBlaze's August 14, 2026 report and independently structured it for readers.