Little League World Series 2014: Breaking Down Full Bracket and Teams to Watch
From August 14-24 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, 16 teams—including eight from the United States and eight international—will compete for the 2014 Little League Baseball World Series title. 2014 marks the 75th anniversary of the first Little League game in 1939.
The field of 16 was set on Sunday with a thrilling win by the Taney Dragons of Philadelphia. LittleLeague.org has the final bracket. The other seven U.S. teams and eight international teams are detailed below:
| Great Lakes Region | Jackie Robinson West - Chicago, IL |
| Mid-Atlantic Region | Taney Youth Baseball Association - Philadelphia, PA |
| Midwest Region | Canyon Lake - Rapid City, SD |
| New England Region | Cumberland American - Cumberland, RI |
| Northwest Region | Lynnwood Pacific - Lynnwood, WA |
| Southeast Region | South Nashville - Nashville, TN |
| Southwest Region | Pearland East - Pearland, TX |
| West Region | Mountain Ridge - Las Vegas, NV |
| Asia-Pacific Region | Seoul - Seoul, South Korea |
| Australia Region | Perth Metro North - Perth, Australia |
| Canada Region | South Vancouver - Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Caribbean Region | Miguel Luzunaris - Humacao, Puerto Rico |
| Europe-Africa Region | South Moravia - Brno, Czech Republic |
| Japan | Tokyo Kitasuna - Tokyo, Japan |
| Latin America | Coquivacoa - Maracaibo, Venezuela |
| Mexico | Guadalupe Linda Vista - Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon |
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The series will kick off at 1 p.m. on Thursday with a game between Tokyo and the Czech Republic. The United States and international title games will be held Aug. 23, with the world championship game starting at 3 p.m. on Aug. 24.
Two teams in particular will make for compelling viewing within the United States bracket.
Taney Youth Baseball Association—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The nation's eyes will be on Philadelphia's Taney Dragons, after 13-year-old female pitcher Mo'Ne Davis pitched a three-hit shutout for an 8-0 win over Delaware that led her team to the LLWS.
According to Marc Kravitz of PhillyMag.com, Davis throws a 70 mph fastball and has played baseball since the age of seven.
Girls weren't allowed to take part in the LLWS until 1974; 40 years later, Davis becomes the 18th girl to compete, per Kurtis Larson of Canoe.ca. She is joined by South Vancouver's Emma March, making 2014 just the third time multiple girls have competed in the LLWS.
Taney outscored opponents 29-11 in the Mid-Atlantic Regional qualifying tournament. According to NBCPhiladelphia.com, 2014 marks the first year a team from Philadelphia has made it to the LLWS.
The win, in which Davis had six strikeouts, was her second win over Delaware in the regional. In the first, she struck out 10 batters.
South Vancouver—Vancouver, Canada
Female relief pitcher Emma March is fourth or fifth in Vancouver's lineup, according to PennLive.com, so she won't be starting and thus earning the international coverage that top pitcher Davis will. But her presence in the LLWS is no less notable.
South Vancouver was the last team in the international bracket to clinch a victory on Aug. 10, with a 4-1 win over Toronto High Park from Toronto, Ontario. Vancouver went 6-2 in the regional, scoring 53 runs and allowing just 18.
It is unlikely that March and Davis will play one another, as the international and United States brackets do not play against one another, unless Philadelphia and Canada compete for the world championship or if they meet in the consolation game on Aug. 24, per PennLive.com.
Jackie Robinson West—Chicago, Illinois
Another U.S. team to watch is the Jackie Robinson West all-stars, representing Chicago in a LLWS for the first time since 1983, according to the Chicago Tribune. After going 6-0 in the Great Lakes region to qualify, Jackie Robinson West will take on Lynwood Pacific on Thursday.
The come-from-behind win against New Albany in the Great Lakes final is just the beginning of this team's heartwarming story and the impact it is making not only on the city of Chicago, but the country.
Manager Darold Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times:
"You have 13 African-American players, volunteer coaches, and everybody throughout the league trying to do something positive for the city of Chicago. So this is huge. This gives our kids something to strive for, to set goals, and to accomplish. It gives them something to look forward to outside of the negativity.
"
Keep an eye out for West's No. 9 hitter Cam Bufford, whose grand slam over New Albany, Indiana, sent the team to the LLWS. Bufford was just trying to get a base hit when the ball went over the fence, per Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune.
With so many feel-good storylines and such rare talent in this year's LLWS, be sure to mark the schedule on your calendar and settle in for the annual display of heart and sportsmanship.
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