2023 LLIWS Preview: Northwest Czech Republic, Prague

For the second consecutive year, I am thrilled to be calling Little League's Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series July 30-August 6! This is not the 12-year-olds you see on TV in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, every year, but kids one year older, playing on a slightly bigger field (50-foot pitching distance, 70-foot basepaths) in Livermore, California. It's a different vibe than Williamsport, but extremely cool nonetheless, and it was really special for me to call the 2022 tournament, including the championship game on ESPN2.

So leading up to the 2023 Intermediate 50/70 World Series, which will air entirely on ESPN+, I want to introduce each of the competing teams with whatever information I've been able to glean on their path to Livermore (and to your ESPN+ screen!).

Northwest Czech Republic, Prague

League:
Northwest Czechia Little League
Location:
Prague, Czech Republic
Championships:
Czech
Europe Africa
Record: 7-2
Date Qualified: July 1
Noteworthy:
1st team from Prague and 2nd Czech team other than South Moravia to qualify for Little League World Series at any age group
Coaches:
Richard Jarošík, Pavel Štilip, Hana Vančurová

It's been quite a year for Czech baseball, with the country's World Baseball Classic debut resulting in both increased awareness and in qualification for the tournament's next edition in 2026. Those Czechs were easy-to-root-for underdogs.

Domestically and in Little League's Europe-Africa region, however, the South Moravia Little League, now known as South Czechia, has been the dominant force. Upset by the Dutch in last year's 13-year-old Europe Africa final, signs pointed toward the South returning to Livermore in 2023.

Instead, we got more Czech underdogs!

The Warriors from the Northwest region, which includes the capital, Prague (Praha), took advantage of the single-game championship final favored in many tournaments to come out of the elimination bracket and knock off South Czechia in the Czech final and, more than a month later, do the same against favored Kennemerland Little League from the Netherlands in the Europe Africa final.

Manager Richard Jarošík, formerly a trainer of e-sports athletes, is fond of fiery pre-game pep talks and  prioritized team spirit over Czech national-team pedigree in selecting this year's all-stars (based in part on his studies in physical education and sport at Charles University in Prague). He may need every ounce of motivation he can find, given the opening-game matchup against Korea. But his team's journey to California provides us with one more Czech baseball underdog story in 2023!

Road to Livermore
Czech Republic
May 20	East / Moravia-Silesia	W	19-1
May 21	South / Brno (winners' final)	L	7-10
May 21	Northeast / Liberec (elimination final)	W	20-10
May 21	South / Brno (final)	W	7-4
Europe Africa
June 26	Kennemerland, Netherlands	L	2-4 (8 inn.)
June 28	Northeast Czech Republic	W	13-1
June 29	Croatia North	W	12-2
June 30	Southwest Germany (elimination final)	W	5-1
July 1	Kennemerland, Netherlands (final)	W	4-3 (8 inn.)
Intermediate Baseball World Series
June 30	West Seoul, Korea		3 pm PT
TBD	TBD		TBD