Willard Hughes of West Des Moines won the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run regional final in KC. More than 50,000 kids competed across the nation.

Eight-year-old Willard now goes to the World Series for the age 7-8 finals. He and other finalists will attend Game 2 Saturday night in Toronto between the Blue Jays and Dodgers. The young ballplayers will be recognized for their accomplishments.

The Pitch, Hit & Run finals competition takes place the next day, Sunday, at 8:30 AM CT and can be watched by streaming on MLB.com.

Willard is a third-grader at Brookview Elementary in Waukee.

Photos: Scott Hughes