Watch: Little League Coach Declares, 'Jesus Is Still Lord' Live on ESPN
Arizona Little League coach Drew Breivogel created a viral moment when he went out to talk to his pitcher on the mound during the team’s Western Regional playoff game against Hawaii on Sunday in San Bernardino, California.
The first words out of his mouth to his player, which were broadcast on ESPN+, were, “I’m so proud of you.”
Breivogel noted that he had known the pitcher since he was eight years old and was so impressed with the fruit of the boy’s labor over the years to get to that point.
“Remember Zacchaeus in the Bible? Someone planted that tree 30, 40 years prior, so he could climb up into it” to see Jesus passing by and be saved of his sins, Breivogel noted. “We’re talking salvation. This is a baseball game. Right?”
“If you walk the next five guys, Jesus is still lord. If you strike out the next five guys, guess what? Jesus is still lord.”
He concluded by telling the boy and his teammates, “I love you. Have some fun,” he said.
According to the scoreboard on the screen during the talk, the coach’s words of encouragement came at the top of the 4th inning, when Arizona was up 2-to-1, but Hawaii’s bats were getting hot.
THE GREATEST LL MOUND VISIT OF ALL TIME!!
“If you walk the next 5 batters Jesus is still lord,if you strikeout the next 5 batters Jesus is still lord”
🙏🏻 ✝️🙏🏻✝️ #llws #espn #patmcafee pic.twitter.com/T3ZiQhQI73
— Ryan (@RyanF786) August 13, 2026
The Hawaiian team would go on to score four runs in the inning and win the game, 5-2, denying the state champion Chandler National All-Stars team from Arizona the chance to join nine other U.S. regional teams in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the Little League World Series.
The last time Arizona sent a team to the Series was 2007, when now New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger played for the team, ABC affiliate KNXV-TV reported.
In an interview before the big game, Coach Breivogel said right at the outset, “We’re a team rooted in Jesus Christ: the one true God, the living God. We’re going to give all the glory to Him in everything that we do.”
Sports360AZ’s Sam Valente asked the coach later in their back-and-forth, “How has faith shaped your personal journey and the team’s journey?”
“Humility is something that we preach, and the Bible is really, really heavy on … not boasting in yourself, but boasting in the Lord,” Breivogel replied.
“Just because we’re ranked where we are or getting all the accolades … doesn’t mean we’re given anything, doesn’t mean our ticket is punched to Williamsport,” he noted.
The coach noted that Italy upset the heavily favored U.S. in the World Baseball Classic in March.
“So humility is the one thing that the Lord has us leaning on. Being humble,” Breivogel said.
Obviously, losing is humbling, but good for the coach in seeking to keep his players grounded and focused on the most important thing: Jesus is still Lord and loves them whether they win or lose.
Their responsibility is to be faithful in doing their best with the opportunities given to them.
The Little League World Series takes place from Aug. 19-30 in Williamsport, with 10 regional teams from the U.S. and 10 others from around the world.
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