2024 LLIWS Preview: Scripps Ranch, San Diego, California

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!

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