David Price, Lil Wayne and Michelle Obama are all watching Mo'Ne Davis

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Philadelphia phenom Mo’Ne Davis was already the star of the Little League World Series before she took the mound last week. But the high expectations didn’t rattle the young hurler.

Davis—one of just 18 girls ever to have played in the tournament—threw a complete game shutout Friday to lead her team, the Taney Dragons, to a first-round victory. Two days later, she knocked in a run and played three different positions during her squad’s second win.


Needless to say, she’s won over a lot of fans.

Detroit Tigers pitcher David Price, whose team is hoping to make it to the grown-up World Series, might be peeking at the scores when Taney plays Nevada on Wednesday night.

Not to mention these folks:

She’s gotten plenty of Philly love, including from the 76er’s Michael Carter-Williams, the NBA’s 2014 Rookie of the Year, and South Jersey native Mike Trout, now an All Star centerfielder for the Los Angeles Angels.

ESPN’s “Sport Science” compared her mechanics to those of Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. She only throws 70 mph, but when you consider that a Little League mound is closer to home plate than pro baseball’s, that speed is the equivalent to a 91 mph fastball in the Majors.

Aside from her prowess on the field, Davis brings a heap of confidence. She compared her curveball to that of Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, a six-time All Star.

When she took the mound on Friday, she had some good company: Mamie (Peanut) Johnson, the first and only woman to pitch in the Negro Leagues, was in attendance. The 78-year-old Johnson had 33 wins and 8 losses before she left the league to become a nurse.

Even with her dominance on the baseball diamond, you might see her on a basketball hardtop in the future. Local sports reporter Dennis Deitch found this fun video of her bewildering an opposing defender with a crossover in a young bball game years ago.

There is video of Mo’ne Davis breaking some kid’s ankles with a crossover when she was like 10. http://t.co/dnmkPA3mJq— Dennis Deitch (@DennisDeitch) August 18, 2014

Darren Rovell, a sports business reporter for ESPN, found someone selling baseballs allegedly autographed by Davis. If she keeps torching batters through the rest of the series, $199 might start to seem like a bargain.

With reporting from Jordan Fabian

Ted Hesson was formerly the immigration editor at Fusion, covering the issue from Washington, D.C. He also writes about drug laws and (occasionally) baseball. On the side: guitars, urban biking, and fiction.

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