2024 LLIWS Preview: Diamond Baseball, Boisbriand, Québec

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!

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

 

2023 LLIWS Preview: Vancouver Battalion, British Columbia

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!).

Vancouver Battalion, BC

League:
British Columbia District 6
Location:
Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
Championships:
Canada Region
Record: 7-1
Date Qualified: July 25
Noteworthy:
1st World Series appearance for District 6's multi-league team.
Coaches:
Moto Mukai, Daniel McGauley, Stacy Robertson

First, those threads! The pink jerseys! The Vancouver Battalion can really bring it, either via sartorial splendor or plain old baseball.

The Canadian champions pulled a slight upset in Tuesday's final, beating fellow British Columbia district team Fraser Valley FireBirds, who had dominated the tournament, by taking a 3-0 lead into the 7th and holding off a furious FireBird rally, topped off with an exciting catch to end the game by doubling up the potential tying run at second base.

With participation dwindling in the area after 12-year-old all-stars, the Battalion draw players from all five leagues in British Columbia District 6, and their squad blends a variety of cultures as well, no surprise in a melting-pot city like Vancouver. The Battalion 14-year-olds reached the Junior League World Series last year, so maybe this is the start of a trend.

Canada was 3-14 all-time in this Intermediate age level before Diamond Baseball went 2-2 last year, including an upset of Curacao. The Battalion first-timers get a rough opening game against either Navojoa, Mexico or Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, two teams with considerable tournament experience. But they played fantastic defense in the Canadian final, have the requisite big arms, and should be able to produce runs both with power and with small ball, so don't expect them to be satisfied with just making it to Livermore.

Road to Livermore
Canada Intermediate Nationals
July 16	vs. North Regina SK (round robin)	W	8-0
July 17	vs. Fraser Valley FireBirds BC (round robin)	L	5-8
July 18	vs. Diamond Baseball QC (round robin)	W	16-1
July 20	vs. Lethbridge AB (round robin)	W	7-5
July 21	vs. Ancaster Diamondbacks ON (round robin)	W	6-5
July 22	vs. Cape Breton Ramblers NS (round robin)	W	8-4
July 24	vs. Cape Breton Ramblers NS (semifinal)	W	12-2
July 25	vs. Fraser Valley FireBirds BC (final)	W	3-2
Intermediate Baseball World Series
July 31	Mexico / Puerto Rico		9am PT
TBD	TBD		TBD