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!
Pabao, Willemstad, Curaçao
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)
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).
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 |
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