Little League World Series 2015: Round 1 TV Schedule and Tournament Predictions

The 2015 Little League World Series kicks off Thursday with play in both the United States and International brackets. It's a modified double-elimination tournament that will eventually see the champions from each bracket face off for the title.

As always, the annual summer showcase is an outstanding display of baseball in its purest form. Kids from around the globe playing for the love of the game above all else, and the level of sportsmanship is typically off the charts.

Let's check out all of the important information for the opening round, including the television details for each contest, before making predictions for which two teams that will make it all the way to the championship game on Aug. 30.

Round 1 Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Bracket	Team	Team	TV
Thursday, Aug. 20	1 p.m.	INT	Caribbean	Europe-Africa	ESPN
Thursday, Aug. 20	3 p.m.	U.S.	Southwest	Northwest	ESPN
Thursday, Aug. 20	5 p.m.	INT	Latin America	Australia	ESPN
Thursday, Aug. 20	7 p.m.	U.S.	Great Lakes	West	ESPN2
Friday, Aug. 21	2 p.m.	INT	Canada	Mexico	ESPN
Friday, Aug. 21	4 p.m.	U.S.	New England	Southeast	ESPN
Friday, Aug. 21	6 p.m.	INT	Japan	Asia-Pacific	ESPN
Friday, Aug. 21	8 p.m.	U.S.	Midwest	Mid-Atlantic	ESPN

Tournament Picks

United States: Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania, Red Land LL)

The Mid-Atlantic region is always one of the most competitive groups in the preliminary stages. It's accounted for 10 LLWS titles, including four from past Pennsylvania representatives, and last year yielded breakout star Mo'ne Davis from Taney Little League in Philadelphia.

The Keystone State should be well represented once again this time around. Red Land's team dominated the regional play, outscoring opponents 36-5. New Jersey, which won its other two games by a combined 17-4 score, got blown out twice by Pennsylvania (13-2, 12-0).

Jackson Township (N.J.) manager Evan Glaser expects big things from the team that knocked out his squad, as noted by Geoff Morrow of Penn Live: 

"

I'll tell you what, they're going to be tough to knock off. I'm going to be rooting for them being that they're Mid-Atlantic champions. I look forward to watching those guys on TV. Those guys never take a cheap swing. I think they're going to have a lot of success. And I would be shocked if they're not in it towards the end.

"

Of course, putting the ball in play is always vital to success in the Little League World Series. The defense isn't nearly as reliable as at the higher levels of baseball, which means any time a player can force the opponent to make a play, something good can come out of it for the offense.

Red Land is also going to benefit from what amounts to home-field advantage, as Jon Meyer of WNEP pointed out:

The strong offense, led by Ethan Phillips, who tallied eight runs batted in during the two victories over New Jersey, is going to carry this team a long way. Perhaps all the way to the championship.

International: Japan (Tokyo Kitasuna LL)

Japan is no stranger to success at the Little League World Series. The nation's representative has brought home nine titles, including two of the past three, leaving it second to only Taiwan in terms of international competitors.

While each team is a little different in terms of strengths and weakness, there's always been one constant of the Japanese squads: strong fundamentals. They usually aren't going to make the game-changing mistake that costs them a key game.

Like Pennsylvania, Tokyo Kitasuna faced very little resistance in the regional round. They won all four games by a combined score of 44-4, simply outclassing opposing teams both on the mound and at the plate to earn the trip to Williamsport.

Japan doesn't get an easy opener, though, which Matthew Embury of OnPitRoad.com highlighted:

It's always difficult to compare the international teams to each other before they take the field. But Japan's track record is unmatched in recent years, and all signs from the country's tournament for the berth point toward a strong Tokyo Kitasuna roster.

John Beauge of Penn Live reported Japan is sharing facilities with Pennsylvania leading up to the tournament and the players are already bonding. It surely wouldn't come as a surprise if the new friends end up playing for the trophy in the end.