2024 LLIWS Preview: HYR, Georgetown, Indiana

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!

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