Irmo Little League pitcher Joe Giulietti.
Jill Giulietti/Provided
IRMO — When Joe Giulietti is on the mound and the game gets tight, his mom Jill can usually be found nearby, silently praying with every pitch.
She’s the more nervous one of the two when the stakes go up, while 12-year-old Joe, a standout pitcher for the Irmo Little League team, stays cool.
This week, you can expect a lot of silent prayers from Jill Giulietti as her son and the rest of the Irmo team take the field in front of a national TV audience at the Little League World Series.
Jill Giulietti, who serves as Team Mom, spoke with The Post and Courier on Aug. 11 while traveling to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the annual baseball tournament.
“This has been amazing,” she said. “This group of boys has worked together for many years.”
Irmo, representing the Southeast region, will play New England champion Braintree American at 3 p.m. Aug. 14 on ESPN.
Members of the Irmo Little League baseball team take a victory lap after a win.
Jill Giulietti/Provided
This is Irmo’s first appearance in the Little League World Series and just the fourth by a South Carolina team, according to USA Today.
The 12-player team is coached by Dave Bogan, who played Division III baseball for Kalamazoo College in southern Michigan. His motto for the team: Nothing is given. It is earned.
Bogan said he’s been overwhelmed by the support from friends near and far. Even his friends from high school have been reaching out to say congrats and wish his team well.
He knows he has a good team, but once the big game gets closer some “nerves are to be expected.”
Regardless of the outcome this week, it’s been a memorable ride for Bogan and Jill Giulietti and the rest of the Irmo baseball community.
“We all love baseball,” Giulietti said.