Little League World Series 2023: Bracket Schedule, TV Info, Round 1 Predictions
The 2023 Little League World Series kicks off in Williamsport, Pennsylvania Wednesday with representatives from across the globe vying for the most coveted prize in the sport.
There are a number of storylines to track, including the host state's representative out of Media and whether dominant regional teams can maintain their momentum in the field of 20.
Ahead of the annual extravaganza, find out who plays when, where and what time to catch the action, and predictions for each of the first-round match-ups with this preview of the event.
Important Dates, TV Info
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Date: August 16-27
Location: Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
TV: ABC, ESPN, and ESPN 2
Streaming: ESPN+
Key Dates
August 16: First round begins
August 26: Bracket finals
August 27: Championship game
Round One Schedule, Predictions
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All times Eastern Standard Time
August 16
Europe-Africa (Brno, Czech Republic) vs. Panama (Santiago de Veraguas, Panama) (1:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Panama)
Mountain (Henderson, Tennessee) vs. Metro (Smithfield, Rhode Island) (3:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Metro)
Japan (Tokyo, Japan) vs. Cuba (Bayamo, Cuba) (5:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Japan)
Southwest (Needville, Texas) vs. Mid-Atlantic (Media, Pennsylvania) (7:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Mid-Atlantic)
August 17
Caribbean (Willemstad, Curaçao) vs. Australia (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) (1:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Caribbean)
Northwest (Seattle, Washington) vs. New England (Gray, Maine) (3:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Northwest)
Canada (Regina, Saskatchewan) vs. Asia-Pacific (Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei) (5:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: Asia-Pacific)
West (El Segundo, California) vs. Great Lakes (New Albany, Ohio) (7:00 p.m., ESPN, prediction: West)
August 18*
Latin America (Maracaibo, Venezuela) vs. TBD (1:00 p.m., ESPN)
Southeast (Nolensville, Tennessee) vs. TBD (3:00 p.m., ESPN)
Mexico (Tijuana, Mexico) vs. TBD (5:00 p.m., ESPN)
Midwest (Fargo, North Dakota) vs. TBD (7:00 p.m., ESPN)
*No prediction due to TBD opponent
Redemption for Curaçao?
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The 2022 Little League World Series ended in disappointment for 19 different teams but perhaps none more so than Caribbean representative, Curaçao.
The team out of Willemstad advanced to the finals of the annual tournament, only to fall 13-3 to Hawaii in what amounted to a humbling, anticlimactic conclusion to their momentous run to the finals.
2023 represents a shot at redemption as the Pabao Little League team returns to Williamsport with a chance to win the title that eluded them a year ago.
They will not have the opportunity to avenge the loss to Hawaii but they will face a field brimming with heavy-hitting offenses.
New Albany, Ohio's squad threw up 34 runs on opponents while the North Dakota's Fargo Little League scored 46. Those two teams figure to be among the favorites in the United States bracket.
Then there is the Asia-Pacific squad out of Chinese Taipei that dominated that region's tournament with 70 runs scored across five games.
Curaçao put up 47 runs of their own, but that is hardly the most impressive part of their performance throughout the regional competition. The defending International champions outscored opponents by 43 and completed four shutouts, proving their defense is as strong as its offense.
If the team can shut down even the most potent of offenses in LLWS competition, it is not a stretch of the imagination at all to suggest that they can return to the finals and win the title they fell just short of attaining last year in northern Pennsylvania.
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