Little League World Series 2014: Updated Schedule, TV Info, Records and More
One of the globe's definitive sporting events is underway.
The Little League World Series captures the attention of the globe on an annual basis, and this year's iteration will be no different, as an eye-popping 52 teams fight for just eight spots.
The tournament itself dates back to 1947, and although the United States holds the most titles, having won 33, Japan enters as the defending champs after upending California last year.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
With no money, contracts, trades or anything of the sort that the MLB brings to the table, the teams that consist of players between the ages of 11 and 13 provide the purest form of the sport possible, and it makes for one heck of a good time.
Let's take a look at the full schedule and standings since Regionals kicked off Friday.
Updated Schedule
| Monday - August 4, 2014 | |||
| LLB Southwest Regional Pool Play | 2:00PM | Longhorn Network | |
| LLB Midwest Regional Pool Play | 2:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB West Regional Pool Play | 2:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Pool Play | 4:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Midwest Regional Pool Play | 5:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Southwest Regional Pool Play | 6:00PM | Longhorn Network | |
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Pool Play | 7:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Pool Play | 7:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Southwest Regional Pool Play | 9:30PM | Longhorn Network | |
| LLB West Regional Pool Play | 10:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| Tuesday - August 5, 2014 | |||
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Pool Play | 11:00AM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB West Regional Pool Play | 11:30AM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB New England Regional Pool Play | 1:00PM | NESN | |
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Pool Play | 2:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Pool Play | 2:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB New England Regional Pool Play | 4:00PM | NESN | |
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Pool Play | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Southwest Regional Semifinal | 5:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB West Regional Pool Play | 7:30PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Southwest Regional Semifinal | 8:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Pool Play | 10:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| Wednesday - August 6, 2014 | |||
| LLB Midwest Regional Semifinal | 11:00AM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Pool Play | 11:30AM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Southeast Regional Semifinal | 1:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB New England Regional Pool Play | 1:00PM | NESN | |
| LLB West Regional Pool Play | 2:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Midwest Regional Semifinal | 3:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB New England Regional Pool Play | 4:00PM | NESN | |
| LLB Southeast Regional Semifinal | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Southwest Regional Final | 7:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Pool Play | 7:30PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB West Regional Pool Play | 10:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| Thursday - August 7, 2014 | |||
| LLB New England Regional Semifinal | 12:00PM | NESN | |
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Semifinal | 2:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB New England Regional Semifinal | 3:00PM | NESN | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Semifinal | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Semifinal | 7:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Semifinal | 9:00PM | ESPN 3 | |
| Friday - August 8, 2014 | |||
| LLB Mid-Atlantic Regional Semifinal | 11:00AM | ESPN | |
| LLB Midwest Regional Final | 1:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLB Mid-Atlantic Regional Semifinal | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLB West Regional Semifinal | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLB Southeast Regional Final | 7:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLB West Regional Semifinal | 9:00PM | ESPN | |
| Saturday - August 9, 2014 | |||
| LLB Great Lakes Regional Final | 2:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLB Northwest Regional Final | 4:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLB New England Regional Final | 7:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLB West Regional Final | 9:00PM | ESPN | |
| Sunday - August 10, 2014 | |||
| LLB Mid-Atlantic Regional Final | 6:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| Thursday - August 14, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 1:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 7:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| Friday - August 15, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 1:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 8:00PM | ESPN | |
| Saturday - August 16, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 12:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 2:00PM | ABC | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 5:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 7:00PM | ESPN | |
| Sunday - August 17, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 12:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 2:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 5:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 7:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| Monday - August 18, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 11:00AM | ESPN2 | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 1:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 6:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 8:00PM | ESPN2 | |
| Tuesday - August 19, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 12:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 7:30PM | ESPN | |
| Wednesday - August 20, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 7:30PM | ESPN | |
| Thursday - August 21, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Pool Play | 3:00PM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Pool Play | 7:30PM | ESPN | |
| Saturday - August 23, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS International Championship | 12:30PM | ABC | |
| LLBWS United States Championship | 3:30PM | ABC | |
| Sunday - August 24, 2014 | |||
| LLBWS Third Place Consolation Game | 10:00AM | ESPN | |
| LLBWS Championship | 3:00PM | ABC |
Full schedule courtesy of ESPN. All contests can be watched online at WatchESPN.
Regionals Standings
| Midwest | ||
| Joplin South, Missouri | 1-2 | |
| Plymouth/New Hope, Minnesota | 3-0 | |
| Canyon Lake, South Dakota | 3-0 | |
| Kearney, Nebraska | 1-2 | |
| Headid, Iowa | 0-3 | |
| Frontenac, Kansas | 1-2 | |
| Mid-Atlantic | Newark National, Delaware | 1-1 |
| Northwest Washington, D.C. | 0-2 | |
| Taney Youth Baseball, Pennsylvania | 2-0 | |
| Toms River, New Jersey | 2-0 | |
| Colonie, New York | 1-1 | |
| West Salisbury, Maryland | 0-2 | |
| New England | ||
| Fairfield, Connecticut | 2-1 | |
| Barnstable, Massachusetts | 0-1 | |
| Falmouth, Maine | 1-2 | |
| Goffstown, New Hampshire | 1-1 | |
| Cumberland, Rhode Island | 1-0 | |
| Williston, Vermont | 1-1 | |
| Southwest | ||
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | 2-0 | |
| Boulder, Colorado | 1-1 | |
| Biloxi, Mississippi | 1-1 | |
| Northside Suburban, Texas | 1-1 | |
| Lake Charles, Louisiana | 1-1 | |
| McAlester, Oklahoma | 0-2 | |
| Pearland, Texas | 2-0 | |
| Pine Bluff, Arkansas | 0-2 | |
| West | ||
| Honolulu, Hawaii | 2-0 | |
| Chandler, Arizona | 0-2 | |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | 2-0 | |
| St. George, Utah | 0-1 | |
| Encinitas, California | 0-1 | |
| Pacifica, California | 1-1 | |
| Northwest | ||
| Lynnwood, Washington | 2-0 | |
| Lewiston, Idaho | 0-2 | |
| Billings, Montana | 1-1 | |
| Cody, Wyoming | 0-1 | |
| Eagle River, Alaska | 1-0 | |
| North Bend, Oregon | 1-1 | |
| Great Lakes | ||
| Chicago, Illinois | 2-0 | |
| New Albany, Indiana | 1-1 | |
| Bowling Green, Kentucky | 0-2 | |
| Midland, Michigan | 1-1 | |
| Canfield, Ohio | 1-1 | |
| Burlington, Wisconsin | 1-1 | |
| Southeast | ||
| Brandon, Florida | 1-0 | |
| Peachtree City, Georgia | 1-0 | |
| Clemmons, North Carolina | 0-1 | |
| Bridgeport, West Virginia | 0-1 | |
| Jackson, Alabama | 0-1 | |
| Taylor, South Carolina | 1-0 | |
| Nashville, Tennessee | 1-0 | |
| Henrico, Virginia | 0-1 | |
| Canada | ||
| Lethbridge, Alberta | 2-1 | |
| St. John, New Brunswick | 0-3 | |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | 3-0 | |
| Toronto, Ontario | 2-0 | |
| Regina, Saskatchewan | 1-1 | |
| Montreal, Quebec | 1-1 | |
| Valleyfield, Quebec | 0-3 |
Full standings, including International Divisions, can be found at LLBWS.org.
Each year, there is a subtle complexity to the Little League World Series, as is sure to happen when so many teams and individuals from around the globe come together for one month to compete toward a common goal.
Little League President and CEO Stephen D. Keener broke down what the tournament means and how fans will benefit from the increased media coverage. per Brian McClintock of Littleleague.org:
"Our World Series tournaments are a wonderful example of the sportsmanship and competition that occurs on thousands of Little League fields every spring and summer. We are excited that our fans from around the world will be able to see more Little League International Tournament games than ever thanks to our broadcast partnership with ESPN.
"
The tournament is very much a chance for youngsters from smaller towns not normally known for sports to excel on a global scale.
Take the team from Rapid City, South Dakota, for example. The squad, led by Timberline All-Stars manager Loy Matthes, is off to a hot start in the Midwest region, as noted by its Sunday triumph over Joplin, Missouri, 9-7.
"I told our players throughout the year, even our league team before we get to the all-stars, we play as good of baseball here in Rapid City as anywhere in the United States," said Matthes before the tournament, per the Rapid City Journal's Richard Anderson. "We play top caliber here in Rapid City."
Want a more individual storyline that helps encapsulate what the tournament is all about?
Get familiar with the story of Little League umpire Tom Sauer from the Indianapolis area, who at 57 years of age has the same aspirations as anyone when it comes to making his way to Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Sauer has undergone a battle with cancer over the years, and he says manning the diamond at home plate has helped him through the tough times, per Autumn Allison of The Indianapolis Star:
"When I first was diagnosed with cancer, I was upset like most people would be. I kind of didn't want to do anything. Didn't want to talk to anybody. Kind of kept to myself, and then I said, 'You know what, this ain't me. I need to go out and do something.'
I'm so excited to be going to Williamsport. I just hope that (it goes well), because that's in front of 30,000 to 40,000 people to be umpiring, and it's on national TV and all that.
"
He is one of 16 umpires set to make the trip when things get underway on August 14.
Stories such as the underdogs from South Dakota and the human-interest angles of individuals such as Sauer make it one of the most identifiable and pure sports events around.
At the summer wears onward and the finals inch closer, be sure to soak up all of the action the Little League World Series has to offer.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
