​HAMILTON — The path to the Ohio Little League state tournament looked different for West Side Little League this summer.The expectations did not.West Side will open Ohio Little League state tournament play against Ironton at noon Saturday as the eight-team tourney gets underway July 18-24 in Boardman.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOnce again, Hamilton’s perennial powerhouse carries the weight of one of Ohio’s most successful Little League programs. A year after winning the Ohio state championship and advancing to the Great Lakes Regional, West Side returns with only two players from last year’s team, but another roster capable of making a deep postseason run.Standing in front of the club is another opportunity to add to one of the richest traditions in Ohio youth baseball. West Side is searching for its sixth trip to the Little League World Series after previously reaching the sport’s biggest stage in 1991, 1993, 2007, 2010 and 2021.Manager Tim Nichting, who is joined on the coaching staff by assistants Ken Coomer, Chris Hilton and Chris Craft, said the road to Boardman lacked one familiar stop.For the first time in years, West Side did not have to navigate the district tournament after being awarded an automatic berth into the state tournament because of a lack of participating teams. Rather than sharpening his club through meaningful tournament games, Nichting relied on scrimmages to prepare a roster filled with first-time state tournament players.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It’s always good to have a little tune-up,” Nichting said. “You definitely need one. We’ve been fortunate enough to play some scrimmages, and they’ve really helped us get on track and figure out what we need to do.”Despite the unusual path, Nichting said the team’s depth has become one of its biggest strengths.“I feel like we hit all the way through the lineup,” Nichting said. “Our pitching is pretty deep. We’re not afraid to throw a lot of kids out there in certain situations. We play good defense because we work hard on it, and we’ve got good team speed.”The quality Nichting values most, however, cannot be measured in a box score.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“One of the neatest things about this team is how well they all get along,” Nichting said. “That’s really a neat thing to have.”That chemistry has been especially important for a team introducing nine new players to West Side’s championship culture.Only Boone Treadway and Robert Frazier return from the 2025 state championship squad. Joining them on this year’s roster are Caiden Trent, Josiah Infante, Hudson Vonderheide, Zach Hilton, Leo Feltner, Bryson Williams, Finn Dykes, Jack McAdams, Xander Kincade and Walker Osborne.The influx of talent came after the league expanded its boundaries, allowing more players to become eligible for West Side.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTreadway understands what wearing a West Side uniform mean