Little League World Series 2015: Schedule, Predictions for Top Remaining Teams
Sixteen teams from the United States and across the world converged on Williamsport, Pennsylvania, last week with dreams of winning the 2015 Little League World Series title, but now only four teams have a chance to make that a reality.
On the international side, hard-hitting Mexico will take on undefeated Japan Saturday for a chance to move on to the final, while a clutch Texas team will face a massive challenge in going up against a Pennsylvania squad that is both undefeated and playing in front of the home crowd.
With only the cream of the crop still vying for an opportunity to win it all in Williamsport, here is a closer look at the schedules for all four remaining teams along with the key players who could push them toward a championship.
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Little League World Series Schedule
| Saturday, Aug. 29 | 12:30 p.m. | International Championship | Mexico | Japan |
| Saturday, Aug. 29 | 3:30 p.m. | United States Championship | Texas (Southwest) | Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic) |
| Sunday, Aug. 30 | 10 a.m. | Third Place Game | International Championship Game Loser | United States Championship Game Loser |
| Sunday, Aug. 30 | 3 p.m. | World Series Championship | International Championship Game Winner | United States Championship Game Winner |
Little League World Series Predictions
| International Championship | Mexico | Japan | 8-5, Japan |
| United States Championship | Texas (Southwest) | Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic) | 6-3, Pennsylvania |
| Third Place Game | International Championship Game Loser | United States Championship Game Loser | 9-6, Texas |
| World Series Championship | International Championship Game Winner | United States Championship Game Winner | 3-2, Pennsylvania |
Breaking Down Remaining Teams and Top Players
Mexico: Raul Leon
With 36 runs in its past three games, Mexico is in fine form as it enters the international title game against Japan, which is the only team that has been able to defeat it thus far.
Mexico fell 3-1 to Japan in a tight battle, which has been a common result in recent years. In fact, Japan has been the only team capable of stopping the Mexicans in their tracks in Williamsport over their past three trips, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
The biggest reason why that streak of futility may change this time around, though, is the presence of Raul Leon. The power-hitting star has a batting average of .533 with two home runs and nine RBI in just five games.
Japan shut him down as he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in that game, but he has been nearly unstoppable ever since.
Momentum can be a major factor in baseball, which is why Mexico has to be considered a threat to upset the Japanese. If it is going to do so, however, it must score more than the one run it put up the last time the two teams played.
That falls largely on the broad shoulders of Leon, who could be the driving force behind one of the biggest victories in Mexican Little League World Series history if he is on his game once again Saturday.
Japan: Shingo Tomita
While Japan has technically lived up to expectations so far by going undefeated and maintaining its status as the favorite to win the 2015 Little League World Series championship, few would say that the Japanese have been dominant.
Their margin of victory through three games is a total of just five runs, including a 3-1 win over Mexico. Japan's most recent clash with Venezuela was even closer as the Japanese needed three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome Latin America's advantage and win 5-4.
Mexico subsequently crushed Venezuela in the ensuing game, which has set the stage for a highly intriguing international championship game between two teams that have impressed in different ways.
Japan easily could have lost a game or two already if a few plays had gone differently, and one can argue that the primary difference has been the play of leadoff hitter Shingo Tomita. He is hitting .444 with two home runs and four RBI as Japan's tone-setter.
He is a difficult out, and his ability to either get on base or hit one out of the park is a constant source of frustration for Japan's opponents.
Mexico actually held him in check as he went 0-for-2 in their prior matchup, but Tomita will undoubtedly continue to be a handful in Saturday's contest.
Texas (Southwest): Caleb Low
With Texas' three victories at the Little League World Series coming by a total of seven runs, it hasn't exactly dominated the competition. Nevertheless, it has found a way to get to within one win of representing the United States in the LLWS title game.
Many excellent players have contributed to that success both at the plate and on the mound, including the likes of Ben Gottfried, Jarrett Tadlock and Zack Mack, but the hero during Pearland's 9-7 triumph over California on Thursday was Caleb Low.
He stepped into the batter's box with the score tied 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth having gone 0-for-5 for the tournament primarily as a reserve. With Mack on base, though, Low cranked a two-run shot over the wall to send Texas to the Final Four, as seen in this GIF courtesy of The Cauldron:
That decisive hit set off a frenzy in Williamsport and led to reaction from many on social media, including St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and Texas native Randal Grichuk:
None of Texas' three wins has come easily, especially those against California, but Texas always seems to find a way to get the job done.
It was unable to come out on top when it faced Pennsylvania previously, but after such an emotional victory over California and with so much momentum on its side, Texas well may ride the wave all the way to a championship.
Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic): Cole Wagner
While Pennsylvania wasn't necessarily expected to be the dominant team in this tournament, it certainly has been with a record of 3-0 and a winning margin of 30-8, including a pair of shutout victories.
The Mid-Atlantic representative's most recent win was a 3-0 triumph over Texas, whom it must get past in order to reach the LLWS championship game.
As seen in this tweet courtesy of Little League, a team from Pennsylvania winning the Little League World Series in front of all its supporters has been a long time coming:
If Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, is ultimately going to get the job done, then it will need a couple of big efforts from Cole Wagner. In addition to being the team's starting pitcher for the win over South Carolina, Wagner has been a dominant force at the plate.
In three games, he is hitting .625 with three home runs and six RBI. He also seems to have a great state of mind and attitude entering the United States title game:
There is little doubt that Pennsylvania has benefited from the incredible fan support in Williamsport, but it also looks to be the best overall team on the American side at the very least.
Eliminating a never-say-die squad like Texas won't be easy, but Lewisberry seemingly has the makings of a team that is meant to go all the way.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.
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