'I just want to inspire': Meet Carsynn Meyer, who helps power Nevada in LLWS

Carsynn Meyer is a 12-year-old baseball player from Henderson, Nevada, who has made it to one of the biggest stages in youth sports. She helped her team, Paseo Verde Little League, win the Mountain Region championship and earn a spot in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Carsynn is one of only two girls competing in Williamsport this year. Her story is about hard work, courage, and a big dream to inspire other young girls around the world.

Carsynn has been playing Little League baseball for about four years. Most of that time, she has been the only girl on her team. She says her teammates have always made her feel welcome. "I just play baseball," she says. "Everyone's chill so I just hang out with them."

One moment that stood out came during the Mountain Region championship game against Montana in San Bernardino, California. Carsynn hit a double that helped seal her team's trip to Williamsport. The crowd went wild after the hit. "I was looking at the stands and like everyone was just screaming so loud," she said. It was a moment she will never forget.

Carsynn loves playing all over the field, but her main position is the outfield. She enjoys it because she gets to show off her speed. "The ball doesn't get hit out there a lot, and when it does, everyone just goes so hype if you make a play," she says. She also likes catching, even though she admits her body feels it the next day.

Baseball has been part of Carsynn's life since she was very young, as she grew up watching her older brother, Cade, play. She started playing in a coach-pitch league at age 8 and has loved it ever since. When she isn't on the baseball field, she plays basketball and flag football. She also enjoys baking in her spare time.

Carsynn's mother, Tiffany, is very proud of everything her daughter has done on and off the field. "She proves herself on and off the field with teammates," her mother wrote in a text from Williamsport. All of Carsynn's coaches have noticed how coachable she is and praised her great sportsmanship. Her parents say they are proud that she is not afraid to compete with the very best.

The Little League World Series has given Carsynn the chance to meet kids from all over the world. Players from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and many U.S. states are all in Williamsport together. They stay in a place called The Grove, where they hang out, play ping pong, video games, and pickleball. "It's stuff I've never seen before, all the different cultures and people here, it's crazy," she says.

Before the LLWS, Carsynn had already visited Williamsport in June for the Maria Pepe Legacy Series, an all-girls baseball event named after a Little League pioneer. She had to apply to be part of it, and when she returned home she told her teammates how amazing it was. She said they needed to go back "for the real thing" — and they did. That spirit helped push her team to win the Mountain Region championship.

Carsynn also met Kinley Rasmus, the other girl playing in Williamsport this year, who is from Phenix City, Alabama. Rasmus made history during the tournament by tying Mo'ne Davis' 2014 record for the most strikeouts by a girl in a single LLWS game. Carsynn introduced herself and said hello, proud to share this moment with another trailblazing girl. The two players represent a growing wave of girls in baseball.

Looking ahead, Carsynn plans to eventually move to softball, even though she has never played it before. She feels that everything she has learned in baseball will give her a strong head start. For now, she is focused on soaking in every moment in Williamsport. "It's the experience of a lifetime," she says, and most of all she hopes her journey inspires girls everywhere to pick up a bat and play.