28 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: MOT, Middletown, Delaware

I have the privilege of calling a Little League World Series once again this year! This will mark my third consecutive call of the Intermediate 50/70 Baseball World Series, held from July 28-August 4 in Livermore, California. It's for 13-year-olds, played on a field slightly larger than Little League but still smaller than Junior League (50 feet from the pitcher's mound to home plate, 70 feet between the bases). Following this tournament and its qualifiers closely over the last three years, I've come to expect fantastic action and stories, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to you again this year!

The 2024 Intermediate World Series will air on ESPN+, and I will lay out the backstory for one of the 12 competing teams each day from now until the tournament's start on July 28. I hope you'll read along and remember a nugget here and there when you watch the tournament!

MOT, Middletown, Delaware

League:
MOT Little League
Location:
Middletown, Odessa, Townsend, Delaware
Championships:

Delaware Dist 1
East Region
Record: 8-0
Date Qualified: July 25
Noteworthy:
1st team from Delaware to reach ILWS

Coaches: Kevin Koerner, John Murray, Jeremy Clark.

At the 12-year-old age level, there have only been two Delaware teams to qualify for the Little League World Series since its founding in 1957. So it was a surprise to many when the Delaware District 1 champions, the host of this year's 13-year-old East Regional, swept it without a loss.

But nobody at MOT (pronounced Em-Oh-Tee) felt surprised, because this group had always shown it was capable. State champs as 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds, they returned 11 players from the squad that competed at 12-year-old regionals in Bristol, Connecticut last year. With some imposing 6-foot frames and big-game pitchers like Mason Guth and Jordyn Brown, they expected to make noise.

So when they took the regional stage and calmly dispatched Fairfield American (Connecticut) and dashed around the basepaths to stun Hub City (Maryland), Little League watchers took notice. But when they run-ruled Keystone (Pennsylvania) in the winners' bracket final, they became serious contenders. A much-delayed-by-rain win over South Vineland (New Jersey) Thursday night avoided the logistical nightmare of playing a delayed 'IF' game on Friday and sent MOT to Livermore.

These are heady times for MOT, with state championships at the 10- and 12-year-old age levels joining the 13s and the Senior League softball squad. Those players also start in the World Series this weekend, but in a less exotic (albeit cheaper logistically) destination of Sussex County ... Delaware. The 50/70 boys and their families are dealing with hastily arranged flights to California and, from the sounds of things, are having a ball. We'll see if that translates to the field, starting this afternoon on ESPN+!

Road to Livermore
Delaware Dist 1
July 5	at Dover	W	20-0 (4 inn.)
July 6	Camden-Wyoming	W	18-6 (5 inn.)
July 8	Milford	W	11-0 (5 inn.)
East Region
July 20	Fairfield American CT	W	5-2
July 21	Hub City, Hagerstown MD	W	5-4
July 22	Greater Nashua NH	W	18-5 (5 inn.)
July 23	Keystone, Clinton County PA (winners' bracket final)	W	11-1 (6 inn.)
July 25	South Vineland NJ (final)	W	2-0
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	Vine Ingle, Macon GA	L	4-6
July 30	Livermore CA (elim)	L	5-6 (9 inn.)
Aug 1	South-West Germany (Goodwill)	L	0-3

27 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Scripps Ranch, San Diego, California

Scripps Ranch, San Diego, California

League:
Scripps Ranch Little League
Location:
San Diego, California
Championships:

California District 32
Southern California Section 6
Southern California
West Region
Record: 18-2
Date Qualified: July 18
Noteworthy:
2nd World Series bid (2018)
Coaches: Lance Taschner, Al Taschner, Rich Ragus

The final qualifier for this year's tournament, Scripps Ranch also has the most impressive resume. Veterans of Southern California state tournaments against high-level competition over the last three summers (including beating 2023 world champion El Segundo as 11-year-olds in 2022), this 13-year-old campaign culminated at last week's West Region tournament in Nogales, Arizona.

Seeded third for the single-elimination bracket, Scripps Ranch stunned and shut out two of the most consistent, high-level Little League programs in the region and previous Intermediate League World Series participants Central Maui and Bollinger Canyon on back-to-back nights to reach Livermore, with Landon Miller and Aaron Tinoco handling the pitching.

Scripps Ranch has been to Livermore before, in 2018, under the same manager, Lance Taschner. Its 20-game gauntlet to reach the World Series and its first-round bye make the San Diego league one of the major favorites in this year's U.S. bracket.

Road to Livermore
California District 32
June 14	Rancho Penasquitos, San Diego	W	16-0 (4)
June 15	Clairemont Hilltoppers, San Diego	W	12-5
June 17	Point Loma, San Diego (winners' bracket final)	W	8-0
June 20	Point Loma, San Diego (final)	L	4-6
June 21	Point Loma, San Diego (final)	W	12-5
Southern California Section 6
June 25	Oceanside National	W	10-0 (5)
June 28	at Encinitas (winners' bracket final)	W	11-1 (5)
June 30	at Encinitas (final)	W	10-0 (5)
Southern California
July 2	Laguna Beach	W	9-2
July 6	Santa Anita	W	10-7
July 8	Upland National	W	5-4
July 10	East Hills Yorba Linda (winners' bracket final)	W	7-6
July 12	East Hills Yorba Linda (final)	W	5-2
West Region
July 17	Central Maui, Wailuku HI (group)	L	1-5
July 19	San Xavier, Tucson AZ (group)	W	11-0
July 21	Post Falls ID (group)	W	21-1 (4)
July 22	Cascade, Turner OR (group)	W	22-3 (4)
July 23	Douglas AZ (quarterfinals)	W	21-2 (4)
July 24	Central Maui, Wailuku HI (semifinals)	W	4-0
July 25	Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon CA (final)	W	5-0
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 29	Vine Ingle, Macon GA	W	12-9
July 31	Eastbank, Kenner LA	L	1-11 (5)
Aug 1	Livermore CA (elim)	L	5-12

26 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Eastbank, Kenner, Louisiana

Eastbank, Kenner, Louisiana

League:
Eastbank Little League
Location:
Kenner, Louisiana
Championships:

Louisiana (unopposed)
Southwest Region
Record: 4-0
Date Qualified: July 25
Noteworthy:
2019 Little League World Series champions (12yo)
2nd consecutive Louisiana qualifier

Coaches: Scott Frazier, Chris Schexnaydre, Ryan Roussel

Many teams that win their state title by default do not last long when they get to regionals. Untested as a group by recent game action and typically hailing from states with lower participation numbers, they go out in the early rounds. But when teams in the Southwest Region saw Eastbank Little League as the Louisiana state champion, they knew this was different.

Eastbank sauntered into New Braunfels, Texas (Hurricane Beryl forced a relocation from Sugar Land) and lapped the field, putting up at least 11 runs in all four wins. The Cajuns wound up racing out of town due to more bad weather, getting to Houston late Thursday to catch a Friday flight to their ultimate destination: Livermore.

The league, located adjacent to Louis Armstrong Airport near New Orleans, was only founded in 2013, and its founder, Scott Frazier, led the 12-year-old team to the 2019 Little League World Series championship. Frazier thought that was his last hurrah as a coach, but like so many teams, this group's motivation began with their elimination as 12-year-olds, when they battled through illness to reach extra innings against Ascension Parish in the state final, trying to force the 'IF' game. Down a run in the 8th and down several players due to a stomach bug, Eastbank loaded the bases, but a snappy double play ended their all-star campaign. (For the neutrals out there who might want a taste of Louisiana baseball atmosphere, here's the clip; Eastbank fans, look away.)

Ascension Parish (which reached Livermore last year but did not offer a 13-year-old league or all-star team this year) saw its 12-year-olds go on to the Southwest Region final against Needville, Texas, which eventually reached the U.S. championship game as the unbeaten team. So Eastbank knew it was competitive with the country's best, and the 13-year-olds proved it this week.

In Livermore, Eastbank will open against tournament veteran HYR, and it will need to show off its pitching depth (it has some: the first two games in New Braunfels were combined no-hitters) in a hurry. Righty Joe Banquer, who started three of Eastbank's four games in the regionals and went the distance against San Antonio's Northside Suburban on Thursday, will not be available to pitch until Tuesday.

Road to Livermore
Southwest Region
July 20	Deer Creek, Edmond OK	W	19-0 (5)
July 21	Santa Fe NM	W	16-0 (5)
July 23	Northside Suburban, San Antonio TX (winners' bracket final)	W	13-1
July 25	Northside Suburban, San Antonio TX (final)	W	11-1 (6)
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	HYR, Georgetown IN	W	8-2
July 29	Livermore CA	W	4-2
July 31	Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA	W	11-1 (5)
Aug 3	Livermore CA (US final)	W	3-1
Aug 4	West Seoul KOR (World Series final)		6pm PT

25 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand, Québec

Diamond Baseball, Mirabel, Québec

League:
Diamond Baseball Little League
Location:
Boisbriand, Québec
Championships:

Québec
Canada
Record: 7-2
Date Qualified: July 24
Noteworthy:
2nd appearance in 3 years (2022, 2024)
3rd appearance (tied for most by Canadian team)

First Canadian team to win 2 games (2022)

Coaches: Laurent-Philippe Laurin, Jean-Luc Turgeon, Alex Blais

Quebec's Diamond Baseball will make its third appearance in Livermore this year after peaking at the right time in Canadian nationals, downing the British Columbia-based host district in the semifinals and the British Columbia champions in Wednesday's final, despite losing twice in the round roubin.

Two years ago, Diamond Baseball went farther than any Canadian team in Intermediate League history, notching two wins, the second over Liga Pabao from Curacao, propelling them to the international bracket final. This year, they'll open with Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, with the winner facing Pabao on the tournament's second day.

Diamond Baseball may bring one other first to Livermore this year: a former participant turned assistant coach! 20-year-old Alex Blais may be the youngest coach in Intermediate League history, and having been a player on the 2017 Diamond Baseball team, I feel confident he is the first participant to return as a coach. He's actually played at the Intermediate League, Junior League, and Senior League World Series, all while preparing for the elite junior hockey career that he continues each fall and winter.

Road to Livermore
Québec
July 6	Royal Repentigny	W	10-3 (6 inn.)
July 7	Royal Repentigny	W	4-3
Canada
July 17	Cape Breton Ramblers, Halifax NS (group)	W	13-0 (5 inn.)
July 18	Layritz BC (group)	W	5-1
July 19	at Fraser Valley Firebirds, Coquitlam BC (group)	L	0-1
July 20	Lethbridge AB (group)	W	12-4
July 21	Kingston Colts (group)	L	5-11
July 23	at Fraser Valley Firebirds, Coquitlam BC (semifinals)	W	15-2 (5 inn.)
July 24	Layritz BC (final)	W	5-2
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	Amelia Guaynabo PR	L	4-12
July 30	Hills, Sydney AUS (elim)	L	2-3
Aug 1	HYR, Georgetown IN (Goodwill)	L	2-7

24 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Vine Ingle, Macon, Georgia

Vine Ingle, Macon, Georgia

League:
Vine Ingle Little League
Location:
Macon, Georgia
Championships:

Georgia District 5
Georgia
Southeast Region
Record: 8-1
Date Qualified: July 23
Noteworthy:
1st Georgia representative at 50/70 World Series.

1st baseball World Series appearance for Vine Ingle (reached Senior League Softball World Series last year)
Coaches: Harry DeHart, Chad Hickman, Tevin Chambliss

We get used to seeing some of the familiar leagues that qualify for World Series events year after year, but some of the most special stories come from the first-timers, achieving beyond anything their league has ever accomplished.

One such story this year is, simultaneously, one of the oldest and most established leagues in the field. Vine Ingle Little League, of Macon, Georgia, was established in 1954 and has been a mainstay of baseball in the area. But it had never sent a team to a Little League World Series event until its 16-year-old softball team qualified last year, and it follows that up one year later with its highest-achieving baseball team ever.

Vine Ingle had stopped its teenage baseball programs several years ago, but one of the many league alumni involved, coach Chad Hickman, remembered how much fun he had playing in the teenage divisions of Little League when he was in high school. Together with manager Harry DeHart, a league legend who retired from coaching 12-year-old major baseball in 2015 but keeps getting pulled back in, they called area kids who had played at younger ages and offered them the chance to play teenage Little League. Before they knew it, they had 58 players committed to field five teams, with a waiting list beyond that.

That built the robust infrastructure for a 13-year-old all-star team that has only a handful of kids from the 12-year-old team that went out in district play last year. Not many Georgia leagues field teenage teams, so the path to the Southeast Region tournament in Kernersville, North Carolina, was fairly simple. Once there, however, they ran up against history: Florida teams had won six of the last seven Southeast titles, and unbeaten Destin, Florida reached the title game unbeaten after beating Vine Ingle 5-2.

A deep pitching staff allowed Vine Ingle to keep throwing out solid arms despite having used two of its aces in the early rounds. The elimination bracket final saw a second one-run game of the tournament against South Durham, North Carolina. Leading 3-1 after Jayden Cannon (11 strikeouts) exhausted his pitch count, Vine Ingle elected to pull lefty Ross Greer in the 7th at the 20-pitch threshold to keep him eligible to pitch the championship game. After a wild pitch made it 3-2, another pitch to the backstop gave South Durham a chance to tie, but Vine Ingle corralled the ball and applied the tag at home plate in one of the tournament's most dramatic finishes!

The region championship game marked the third consecutive year a one-loss team beat the unbeaten team, perhaps making a case for a format change, but it worked just fine for Vine Ingle, as it came from behind to beat Destin 8-3. And maybe history is on its side after all: The only non-Florida team to win the region since 2015 was McCalla, Alabama in 2019, and McCalla went on to win the World Series championship.

Road to Livermore
Georgia District 5
June 22	at Chatham County, Savannah	W	10-0 (5)
June 22	at Chatham County, Savannah	W	20-0 (4)
Georgia
July 6	at Peachtree City	W	29-1 (5)
July 6	at Peachtree City	W	24-1 (3)
Southeast Region
July 19	South Durham NC	W	2-1
July 20	Alexandria VA	W	14-2 (5)
July 22	Destin FL	L	2-5
July 22	South Durham NC (elim bracket final)	W	3-2
July 23	Destin FL (final)	W	8-3
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	MOT, Middletown DE	W	6-4
July 29	Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA	L	9-12
July 30	HYR, Georgetown IN (elim)	W	6-4
July 31	Livemore CA (elim)	L	4-5

23 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: HYR, Georgetown, Indiana

HYR, Georgetown, Indiana

League:
Highlander Youth Recreation, Floyd County Little League
Location:
Georgetown, Indiana
Championships:

Indiana District 5 (unopposed)
Indiana
Central Region
Record: 8-0
Date Qualified: July 18
Noteworthy:
4th World Series bid in last 6 tournaments (2017, 2019, 2022, 2024)
Coaches: Matt Renn, Eric Jones, Adam DeSpain

Livermore is becoming familiar territory for the four-time Central Region champs, who outclassed everybody in a five-game run through the Central Region in Ankeny, Iowa.

HYR, as they're known, was impressive in both blowouts and close wins en route to Livermore, but the question always remains: How will they stack up at a higher level? The Central Region has the worst record (8-18) of American regions at the World Series. HYR did finish 3rd in the U.S. in 2019 and more recently in 2022, when they won a memorable 10-inning showdown against Needville, Texas, before falling to eventual world champion Danville, California and runner-up Central East Maui, Hawaii.

One question for this year's team is its pitching depth. In righthander Corbin Andres, HYR has a legitimate ace. His no-hitter in the Central Region championship game included the eye-popping total of 17 strikeouts against 23 batters (he struck out 7 in the first two innings thanks to a wild pitch). But due to scheduling, he has been able to appear in six of HYR's eight games, starting five. That won't be possible with Livermore's compressed schedule and better opposition. Will HYR let him go all out to win one of the early games, or will they cut him off at 35 or 50 pitches (as in regionals) with the expectation they will still be in the hunt when he is available to throw again?

The group shows plenty of other talent, however, including the speed and lefthanded swing of centerfielder Aiden DeSpain. Now HYR gets to test itself against the country's best.

Road to Livermore
Indiana
July 5	Hobart	W	14-0 (5)
July 7	Georgetown Community, Fort Wayne	W	11-1 (5)
July 9	Hobart (final)	W	11-1 (6)
Central Region
July 14	Whitefish Bay WI	W	7-5
July 16	South Oldham KY	W	11-1 (5)
July 16	Boone National IA	W	4-3
July 17	Sgt. Bluff-Luton IA (winners' bracket final)	W	11-1 (5)
July 18	Sgt. Bluff-Luton IA (final)	W	4-0
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	Eastbank, Kenner LA	L	2-8
July 30	Vine Ingle, Macon GA (elim)	L	4-6
July 30	Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand QC (Goodwill)	W	7-2

22 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Pabao, Willemstad, Curaçao

Pabao, Willemstad, Curaçao

League:
Liga Pabou (Pabao Little League)
Location:
Willemstad, Curaçao
Championships:

Curaçao
Latin America
Record: 8-2
Date Qualified: June 29
Noteworthy:
4th ILWS appearance (2014, 2016, 2022)

5 players won 12yo Little League World Series international championships in both 2022 and 2023, losing to U.S. teams in championship game.

15th league to appear in both 12-year-old (2023) and 13-year-old (2024) World Series in consecutive years.

Coaches: Sherrintley Da Costa Gomez, Argenis Martina, Sorick Liberia

One of the most recognized leagues in Little League Baseball, Liga Pabao (spelled Pabou in Papamiento, as Curaçao is spelled Kòrsou) makes its fourth appearance in Livermore. The veterans of five 12-year-old Little League World Series title games (including the last three international events in 2019, 2022, and 2023) have yet to break through and win the international bracket at the 13-year-old level (6-6 all-time record).

This group has every reason to believe a championship is possible, returning 11 players from last year's 12-year-old international champions and five players who have won that title two years in a row. You'd better believe they are motivated to finish the deal this time!

Getting here, however, was anything but easy. Their best-of-five series against Liga Pariba for the national title was gripping stuff: Three of the five games ended on walk-offs. (You can find most of them on YouTube!) The topper was a March 17 doubleheader in which Pariba walked off Game 4 in the series and almost had Game 5 won, with leads of 7-6 in the 7th and 9-7 in the 9th. But Pabao responded each time, culminating with ace pitcher Helmir Helmijr blooping a 2-run double to tie the score in the bottom of the 9th, then racing home from second base for the win when a throw trying to catch him sailed into the outfield. The place went nuts - check out this atmosphere!

As if being two-time defending international champions and being one strike away from elimination against your local rivals wasn't dramatic enough, Pabao took it down to the wire in the Latin American title game in the Dominican Republic. Leading a very game Coquivacoa team from Venezuela 3-2 in the 7th, Pabao faced a bases-loaded, one-out situation. But third baseman Sean Serverie snared a sharply hit line drive AND stepped on third base in another wild ending. The reactions to this one are priceless!

Unfortunately, we can't have Pariba or Coquivacoa in Livermore to feature in more drama, so Pabao will just have to find it against Puerto Rico, Korea, and others. The stars to watch are the beanpole lefthander Helmijr, the most outstanding pitcher of the Latin American championship, and Shemar Jacobus, its MVP. The biggest personality, however, is probably still Jay-Dlynn Wiel, who was the reliever giving up that line drive against Venezuela - he had told the kids from Hills, Australia, even before the Latin American regional that Pabao would definitely be there, and his teammates made good on his boast. D'Shawn Winklaar, Alexander Provacia Roach, and Joshua Acosta are all 2-time veterans of Williamsport, while Nassir El-Ossaïs had two of the most clutch home runs you'll find last year, including a tying grand slam in the championship game against El Segundo, California.

With strong front-line pitching (Helmijr and Juan Ramón Ferreras) but somewhat more questionable arms in relief, Pabao is not-to-be-missed entertainment, and if they face Korea, every other team in the tournament will be glued to the action, so you should too!

Road to Livermore
Curaçao
March 14	Pariba, Willemstad CUR	W	7-1
March 15	Pariba, Willemstad CUR	L	7-8
March 16	Pariba, Willemstad CUR	W	11-6
March 18	Pariba, Willemstad CUR	L	9-10
March 18	Pariba, Willemstad CUR	W	10-9 (9)
Latin America
June 24	at La Javilla, Santo Domingo Este DR (group)	W	4-3
June 25	Falcón, Cartagena COL	W	15-1
June 26	Center / South, Oranjestad ARU	W	9-0
June 28	Villa del Refugio MEX (semifinal)	W	9-2
June 29	Coquivacoa, Maracaibo VEN (final)	W	3-2
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 29	Amelia Guaynabo PR	W	10-4
July 31	West Seoul KOR	W	3-1
Aug 3	West Seoul KOR (Int'l final)	L	4-5

21 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: West Seoul, Korea

West Seoul, Korea

League:
West Seoul Little League
Location:
Seoul, Korea Republic
Championships:

Korea
Asia Pacific
Record: 11-0
Date Qualified: June 22
Noteworthy:
3-time World Series champion (15,18,23), 4-time International champion (15,18,22,23)
Coaches: Moon-sang Kim, Hyun-gi Lee, Jin-soo Kim

The four-time champions from West Seoul, Korea, enter seemingly every Intermediate League World Series as heavy favorites. This year's edition has both a unique motivation and, potentially for the second consecutive year, a truly worthy adversary in the international bracket.

The motivation comes from five players who were members of last year's South Seoul A 12-year-old team, which won the Korean and Asian-Pacific championships to punch a ticket to Williamsport. They were later disqualified, however, after a Taiwan protest revealed that two players from the South Seoul B team - which played against South Seoul A in nationals - had been added to the squad for the Asia-Pacific regional to replace injured players. Those players were clearly ineligible, and Korea was disqualified. So that quintet will finally get their moment at a Little League championship event in the U.S.!

The worthy adversary? Last year, it was Liga Mario Mendoza from Navojoa, Mexico, which split a pair of epic extra-inning encounters with West Seoul; only the fact that West Seoul won the second meeting, the international championship game, allowed the Korean squad to play and win the world title game.

This year's most likely adversary knows all about world title games: Liga Pabao from Curaçao has five players who have won the last two 12-year-old international championships, only to fall to U.S. teams in the world final in Williamsport. Pabao brings back almost the entire squad that lost to El Segundo, California, last year, and it is a real threat to finally be the last team celebrating.

So this West Seoul group has big work ahead. It does not appear a particularly powerful group, but the pitching and defense are exactly what we have come to expect. This based on Korea edging Chiba City, Japan 2-0 in a sharply played Asia Pacific championship game that happened to be held in Chiba province, a 45-minute drive away from the Japanese champions, who had a boisterous crowd at the final. Lefty Tae-min Kim and righty Yeon-jun Hong combined on a 2-hit shutout, and West Seoul's aggressive baserunning helped decide the contest.

Their Livermore draw is favorable, with games against South-West Germany and Hills, Australia to open the tournament if West Seoul stays unbeaten. That could leave Korea's pitching well-rested for two potential showdowns with Pabao, and if anybody has learned from last year, the key is: Win the second one!

Road to Livermore
Korea
April 27	Daegu Gyeongbuk (group)	W	9-2
April 27	Jeolla Jeju (group)	W	12-4
April 28	Chungcheong Gangwon (group)	W	6-3
April 28	Busan Geongnyam (group)	W	8-2
April 29	East Seoul (group)	W	4-2
April 29	Chungcheong Gangwon (final)	W	4-0
Asia Pacific
June 16	Hong Kong (group)	W	15-0
June 17	China (group)	W	10-0
June 18	Lorenz, South Tangerang, Indonesia (group)	W	21-0
June 20	World Baseball, Taipei City TAI (semifinal)	W	10-0
June 22	at Chiba City JPN (final)	W	2-0
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	South-West Germany	W	8-0
July 29	Hills, Sydney NSW AUS	W	8-1
July 31	Pabao, Willemstad CUR	L	1-3
Aug 1	Amelia Guaynabo PR (elim)	W	2-1
Aug 3	Pabao, Willemstad CUR (Int'l Final)	W	5-4
Aug 4	Eastbank, Kenner LA (World Series Final)		6pm PT

20 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: South-West Germany, Mannheim

South-West Germany, Mannheim

League:
South-West Germany Little League
Location:
Mannheim, Germany
Championships:

Germany
Europe-Africa
Record: 6-1
Date Qualified: June 28
Noteworthy:
1st team from Germany to qualify for any Little League World Series since 2013 (Big League).
1st team of majority German citizens to qualify for any Little League World Series (Germany began participating in 1960).
Coaches: James Cameron, Fabián Fermín Hernández, Yovany Castañeda Street

German teams have competed in Little League championship events for years, going back to 1960. The German language, however? It's been in short supply.

Previous teams representing Germany have been made up mostly of American citizens, usually from local military bases. This year, however, you may hear German in the dugout, and a lot of it: For the first time, a Little League team with a majority of German citizens will compete at the World Series.

This might not be a huge shock if you pay attention to international youth baseball. I certainly did not know that Germany has now won the last three WBSC Europe U-12 championships. Six players from last year’s team are on this year’s Little League 50/70 European champions from the South-West Little League, drawing players mostly from Frankfurt, Mainz, and Mannheim. Of the team’s 13 players, 11 are German citizens (2 American players come from non-military families living in Germany), and 5 have no major ties to another country.

Truthfully, I did not see them coming. At the Europe-Africa championship in the Czech Republic, it appeared certain that Rotterdam or the South Czech Republic would take the title, as teams from those countries do year after year, especially after the Czechs beat South-West Germany 7-1. But that game actually gave South-West Germany confidence, as they played well but had to save some pitching for later in the tournament. From there, they rolled to three straight wins, including wins over the South Czech Republic 4-1 in a rematch and Rotterdam 6-3 in a one-game final.

Their chances in the international bracket are hard to predict, especially given the opening assignment against defending world champion West Seoul, South Korea. Germany finished 9th out of 12 at the 2023 WBSC U-12 World Cup, its best finish ever, yet clearly toward the back of the pack. But righthander Bennet Lindner (already pitching for the German U-15 national team from 60 feet) and other standouts like Luis Fermin Giere, Felipe Morales Weggeman and Tino Bieth will arrive at the 50/70 World Series full of confidence. And they wouldn’t mind flying home with the first Sieg (win) earned by a team of predominantly German Little Leaguers.

Road to Livermore
Germany
June 15	vs. South-East Germany, Munich	W	12-0
June 16	vs. South-East Germany, Munich	W	10-2
Europe-Africa
June 24	Ile-de-France, Paris FRA	W	7-6
June 25	South Czech Republic, Brno CZE	L	1-7
June 26	Ile-de-France, Paris FRA (elim)	W	13-2 (6)
June 27	South Czech Republic, Brno CZE (elim final)	W	4-1
June 28	Rotterdam NED (final)	W	6-3
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	West Seoul KOR	L	0-8
July 30	Amelia Guaynabo PR (elim)	L	1-7
Aug 1	MOT, Middletown DE (Goodwill)	W	3-0

19 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Hills, Australia

Hills, Australia

League:
Hills Junior Baseball Association
Location:
Baulkam Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Championships:

Australia
Record: 5-0
Date Qualified: May 30
Noteworthy:
2nd Australian league and 14th overall to appear at both 12-year-old (2023) and 13-year-old (2024) World Series in consecutive years.
Coaches: Jarrad Salmon, Brett Drummond, Andrew Crane

Hills has become a familiar sight in Williamsport, winning four of the last eight Australian titles at the 12-year-old age level. In 2016, the team from the Hills District of Sydney even finished fourth in the international bracket after upsetting Curaçao. But this will be the league's first trip to Livermore, where Australian teams are 0-8.

Hills returns 10 players from last year's Williamsport squad and barely appeared to break a sweat in sweeping through five games (three of them run-rule wins) at the Australian national championships in May. Righty Adrian Jankuloski and lefty Jet Creamer, who each started in Williamsport last year, both return as key arms. Manager Jarrad Salmon, an assistant coach and parent who watched from the stands last year, takes over in the dugout.

The experience of taking international champion Pabao, Curaçao down to the wire in their Williamsport opener last year should provide Hills confidence ahead of a likely Game 1 matchup against West Seoul, Korea. Australian baseball is on a high right now following the No. 1 selection of Travis Bazzana (who played his Little League ball for Hills rival Ryde Hawks), so enthusiasm is high. What's more, Hills and Pabao players have been in contact since that tight contest in Williamsport and are looking forward to a rematch of some kind - ping-pong, if not baseball - in California!

Road to Livermore
Australia Region
May 27	Athletics (Victoria) (group)	W	7-2
May 28	Southern Titans (Western Australia) (group)	W	110 (5)
May 29	Gold Coast (Queensland) (group)	W	7-5
May 30	Mets (Victoria) (semifinal)	W	15-2 (5)
May 31	Athletics (Victoria) (final)	W	12-0 (5)
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 29	West Seoul KOR	L	1-8
July 30	Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand QC CAN (elim)	W	3-2
July 31	Amelia Guaynabo PR (elim)	L	3-8

18 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

League:
Amelia Guaynabo Baseball
Location:
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Championships:

Puerto Rico
Record: 5-0
Date Qualified: June 15
Noteworthy:
2nd Puerto Rican league to qualify for Livermore two years in a row.
Coaches: Rafael Cruz, Jason Catala, Jose Berrios

Puerto Rico alternates a direct bid to Livermore with Mexico, and even years mean a more straightforward path for island teams.

This year's representative is Amelia Guaynabo, the same league that finished third in the international bracket last year, beating Australia and Canada but falling to decisive defeats against the dominant teams, Navojoa, Mexico and the eventual champion, West Seoul, Korea.

There are no holdovers from last year's team, however, which had 11 veterans of the 12-year-old Little League World Series. This group, often known as Equipo Huskies Guaynabo, did not have that 12-year-old platform to build on, but it made relatively light work of the Puerto Rico state tournament, held over several consecutive weekends in May and June.

The winners' bracket semifinal against Liga Radamés López, the Puerto Rico champion last year as 12-year-olds, was the tightest and most emotionally charged of the bunch. Speedy leadoff man Austin Escobar came on in relief and escaped a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the 7th to preserve the one-run win. A group that felt it had always come up just short in big games then downed Liga Jaime Collazo of Vega Baja twice to book its spot in Livermore. According to manager Rafael Cruz, that makes 23 straight victories after an opening-game loss in regular-season play.

The confidence built during that streak - and some of the team's superstitions, such as not washing their uniforms when winning (thankfully for all, Little League will provide fresh 'Puerto Rico' threads in Livermore!) - will surely be tested on the international stage. Guaynabo must open on Sunday, the first day of the tournament, which raises the distinct possibility of playing every day of the tournament. That means pitching depth will be essential. A win in the potentially competitive opener against Canada would be followed by a crack at one of the international tournament favorites, Curaçao's Pabao.

Road to Livermore
Puerto Rico Region
May 18	987 Elite Cubs, Carolina	W	11-1
May 19	Castellana Gardens, Carolina	W	12-2
May 25	Radamés López, Guayama	W	9-8
June 8	Jaime Collazo, Vega Baja (winners' final)	W	10-3
June 15	Jaime Collazo, Vega Baja (final)	W	12-8
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 28	Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand QC CAN	W	12-4
July 29	Pabao, Willemstad CUR	L	4-10
July 30	South-West Germany (elim)	W	7-1
July 31	Hills, Sydney NSW AUS (elim)	W	8-3
Aug 1	West Seoul KOR (elim)	L	1-2

17 July 2024

2024 LLIWS Preview: Livermore, California

Livermore, California

League:
Livermore Little League
Location:
Livermore, California
Championships:

California District 57
Record: 3-1
Date Qualified: June 20
Noteworthy:
First World Series appearance with only players from Livermore LL; appeared in 2018 and 2019 as a co-op with tournament host Granada LL.
Coaches: John Lee, Dave Perotti, John Wilhite

The World Series is played in Livermore, California, but Max Baer Park is actually home to one of the city's two leagues, Granada Little League. Playing as a combined city team, Granada and Livermore Little Leagues made back-to-back appearances in 2018 and 2019, winning the U.S. championship in 2018.

But this year is all about Livermore Little League, representing the north and east sides of the city of 88,000 people. The league itself was formed by a 2016 merger of Livermore National and Livermore American Little Leagues, completed during the Livermore National league presidency of John Lee, who is now the manager of the first purely Livermore Little League team to reach the Intermediate League World Series. (Mergers are part of a trend across Little League; District 57 had 8 leagues compete in 12-year-old districts this year, down from 12 in 2014, and my home district had just 5 leagues compete this year, down from 15 in 2014.)

The 12-year-old "Williamsport year" is the peak of most Little Leaguers' careers, but those in California District 57 get a second year with glory close at hand, needing only to win the district as 13-year-olds to play at the international level. Winning the district, though, is no small feat. Bollinger Canyon (another recently merged league) won both the 13-year-old and 12-year-old levels last year, with the 12s edging Livermore in a close three games en route to the Northern California title. Ultimately, Bollinger Canyon narrowly missed out on Williamsport after losing to eventual world champion El Segundo in regionals.

For Livermore's 12-year-olds, most of whom have played together since age 8, that meant yet another year as second fiddle locally. Now 13, the 50/70 playing field served as this group's opportunity to shine, and they seized it. Unbeaten in the regular season with a similar roster, crunch time for the all-stars is always the mid-June District 57 tournament. Livermore and Bollinger Canyon had the misfortune to be drawn against each other in their tournament opener and engaged in an epic pitchers' duel between Livermore's imposing ace Jack Wilhite and Bollinger Canyon standout Jay Murai. Locked in a scoreless affair, both were pulled at the 65-pitch mark to preserve their eligibility to pitch four days later.

Livermore went on to win that opening-round nailbiter and another two days later against city rival Granada, rallying to win 2-1 behind the pitching of Grant Perotti and a walk-off single from Rhett Bystrom. After Bollinger Canyon won three consecutive elimination games, including a tight contest against Granada, it was time for Wilhite vs. Murai II. This time, Bollinger Canyon pulled out a 2-0 win to force a winner-take-all Game 9 of the tournament. Livermore still had an ace up its sleeve, however, as Bystrom out-dueled Bollinger Canyon's Mikey Wong. Tied at 2-2 in the 6th, the Nos. 10 and 11 hitters in Livermore's lineup, Gant Leathers and Cody Truitt, started a 2-run rally, and Bystrom made it hold up in the 7th to make Livermore the district's new top dog.

As the group prepares for its moment carrying the District 57 banner (literally!), a subplot beckons. The District 57 runner-up, you see, continues on in Northern California tournament play, and Bollinger Canyon has continued to win, all the way to the West Regional in Nogales, Arizona. Could Livermore be upstaged by Bollinger Canyon one more time? Could the district foes possibly meet at the World Series? Time will tell, but even if they do share the stage once again, Livermore will definitely feel this is its year to shine.

Road to Livermore
California District 57
June 15	Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon	W	3-2
June 17	Granada, Livermore (winners' final)	W	2-1
June 19	Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon (final)	L	0-2
June 20	Bollinger Canyon, San Ramon (final)	W	4-2
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 29	Eastbank, Kenner LA	L	2-4
July 30	MOT, Middletown DE (elim)	W	6-5 (9 inn.)
July 31	Vine Ingle, Macon GA (elim)	W	5-4
Aug 1	Scripps Ranch, San Diego CA (elim)	W	12-5
Aug 3	Eastbank, Kenner LA (US final)	L	1-3

Behind the Mic

Pages