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The message from Staten Island South Shore Little League manager Bob Laterza hasn’t changed now that his team is in the Little League World Series.
The crux of it: Don’t let the opportunity pass you by, and “just keep your eye on the prize.”
Staten Island cleared the first hurdle of reaching the LLLWS — just the fourth time in South Shore Little League history and the first time since 2009 — with their 5-0 win over Morristown, N.J., last week.
Now they’ll face Nevada Paseo Verde Little League in the first game of the tournament on Thursday afternoon.
“We’ve got a winning attitude, and every game we go into we expect to win,” Laterza told The Post by phone on Wednesday. “That’s South Shore baseball, that’s Staten Island baseball. We play the house games the same way we play these.”
Staten Island was on the practice field when Laterza spoke with The Post, immersed in a lengthy practice before plans to have a meal and watch some of the other games taking place Wednesday.
The team has remained loose despite the big stage and with a potential behemoth of an opponent up next.
Nevada punched its ticket to Williamsport with a dominant win over Utah in the Mountain Region final that included pitcher Wyatt Erickson throwing a no-hitter while allowing just three baserunners.
Nevada, coached by Las Vegas Raiders equipment manager Adam Johnson, enters the tournament having shut out its past three opponents.
But Staten Island isn’t to be outdone, boasting a stable of talented pitchers — including lefty Stephen Grippo, who struck out seven in the Metro Regional final victory over New Jersey on Friday.
Offensively, Peter Giaccio has been one of Staten Island’s hottest bats.
He drove in the game-winning run against Connecticut last Wednesday and hit an RBI triple in the regional championship game.
Staten Island has been in Williamsport since Saturday, basking in the experience while trying to prepare for the tournament.
The players are seeking a balance between all the interviews and activities surrounding the tournament and preparing for the actual games.
“It’s all the interviews and everything else. The schedule is just packed with things like the [uniform] fittings,” Chace Curro told WABC Radio about the chaotic schedule. “And we got so much brand new stuff from Eastern and Adidas.”
On Tuesday, the team took part in a parade in Williamsport attended by 40,000 spectators, Laterza said.
Nevertheless, the coach is making sure to keep his players on a schedule.
After the parade, the coaching staff brought the players back to their dormitories — better known as “the grove” — and had everyone in bed by 9 o’clock.
“That way we’re rested whether they want to or not,” Laterza said with a chuckle. “We let them have their opportunities [to have fun] and then it’s time to work.”
The winner of Thursday’s game between Staten Island and Nevada will have to wait until next Monday to play their next game, while the loser will have to play Saturday to keep their Little League World Series dreams alive.
