Little League World Series 2022: Thursday Schedule, TV Info and Bracket Predictions
The 2022 Little League World Series continues Thursday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with two games from each of the American and International brackets—the latter of which returns to the tournament for the first time since 2019.
American squads from Pennsylvania, Texas, Iowa and Indiana will stake their claim to early favorite status, while Chinese Taipei will make its first appearance as it attempts to carry on the legacy of the historically strong Asia-Pacific Region.
Will any of the eight teams competing Thursday be able to follow in the footsteps of Canada and Hawai'i—who were big winners from Wednesday's slate of games—in sending an emphatic message to the rest of the field?
Find out with this preview of Thursday's action in the annual extravaganza's 75th anniversary.
Thursday's Schedule
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Thursday Schedule
- Asia-Pacific Region (Chinese Taipei) vs. Europe-Africa Region (Italy) (1:00 p.m., ESPN)
- Midwest Region (Iowa) vs. Great Lakes Region (Indiana) (3:00 p.m., ESPN)
- Puerto Rico Region (Guaynabo) vs. Mexico Region (Tamaulipas) (5:00 p.m., ESPN)
- Southwest Region (Texas) vs. Mid-Atlantic Region (Pennsylvania) (7:00 p.m., ESPN 2)
The full bracket can be found here.
Chinese Taipei vs. Italy
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The Chinese Taipei team enters the competition as the most successful country in LLWS history, with a record 17 championships in its 30 appearances.
The country has been immensely successful in the international competition, its titles equaling nearly half of the 37 international titles won in the tournament.
While those stats may be encouraging to some, it places considerable pressure for the squad to knock off an Italy team that amassed the same win-loss record (4-1) in its regional competition as its opponent.
The Chinese Taipei team allowed zero runs in its four regional wins and should be able to ride its pitching and defense to victory in what has the potential to be one of the toughest round one games of the field.
Prediction: Chinese Taipei
Iowa vs. Indiana
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The Iowa team out of Davenport won the midwest region to advance to the LLWS but did so with plenty of drama. Except for their first game against Kansas, every game was won (or lost) by a single run.
Indiana swept its region, winning three games and cashing its ticket to Williamsport.
Iowa's ability to grind out victories in tighter matchups gives them the advantage in this one and should see them win, most likely by a run or two.
Prediction: Iowa
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Guaynabo vs. Tamaulipas
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For the first time in tournament history, Puerto Rico has its own region in the tournament, and the team out of Guaynabo will look to represent it against Mexico region representatives Tamaulipas.
It will be an uphill battle for the newcomers, who face a team from Tamaulipas who had no problem putting up runs in big numbers during its regional tournament. The team scored an average of seven runs per game in its regional bracket.
Tamaulipas should secure the win here and move on, with its offensive firepower too much for a mostly inexperienced Guaynabo squad.
Prediction: Tamaulipas
Texas vs. Pennsylvania
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The Pennsylvania team out of Hollidaysburg averaged 7.75 runs per game en route to its victory in the Mid-Atlantic Region bracket.
While that would seemingly put them in a position to be a heavy-hitting favorite Thursday, it runs into a buzzsaw in the form of a Pearland team out of East Texas that accumulated an unblemished record in its regional competition and averaged 12 runs per game.
While the host state's team will be looking to make a statement in its first game by knocking off the seemingly unstoppable Pearland team, expect Texas to earn the first of what could be many victories in this year's tournament in what is likely to be an offensive explosion.
Prediction: Texas
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