Little League World Series 2015: Picks for Friday's LLWS Bracket
With the regionals now in the books, the 2015 Little League World Series officially kicks off Friday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as the best teams from across the United States and the world will jockey for position in order to earn the right to be called the best Little League team globally.
Although the highly anticipated tournament was supposed to begin Thursday, poor weather pushed all eight games to Friday instead.
The teams that were originally scheduled to play Thursday will be in action, and while the championship cannot be won on the first day of competition, a team can take a significant step toward losing it with a poor performance. Starting out fast is crucial in terms of not getting too far behind the eight ball, which is why every team will push hard for a victory Friday.
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Now that the 2015 Little League World Series is finally upon us, here is a look at Friday's schedule, complete with picks and further analysis regarding every game on the slate.
Friday's LLWS Picks
| 10 a.m. | Uganda (Europe-Africa) | Dominican Republic (Caribbean) | 7-5, Dominican Republic |
| 11 a.m. | Pearland, Texas (Southwest) | Portland, Oregon (Northwest) | 8-2, Texas |
| 1 p.m. | Venezuela (Latin America) | Australia (Sydney) | 10-4, Venezuela |
| 2 p.m. | Bowling Green, Kentucky (Great Lakes) | Bonita, California (West) | 12-2, California |
| 4 p.m. | Canada (White Rock, British Columbia) | Mexico (Mexicali Baja California, Mexico) | 9-7, Mexico |
| 5 p.m. | Taylors, South Carolina (Southeast) | Cranston, Rhode Island (New England) | 3-2, New England |
| 7 p.m. | Chinese Taipei (Asia-Pacific) | Japan (Tokyo) | 5-3, Japan |
| 8 p.m. | Lewisberry, Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic) | Webb City, Missouri (Midwest) | 6-5, Pennsylvania |
Analyzing Friday's LLWS Action
The Little League World Series will commence with a highly intriguing matchup between the always competitive Dominican Republic side from the Caribbean and upstart Uganda representing the Europe-Africa region.
The Dominicans lost only one game during qualifying to Curacao, but they were able to rebound and ultimately found their way to Williamsport. Uganda, on the other hand, was a perfect 5-0 during the preliminary round with an overall run differential of 67-2.
Uganda didn't make its first LLWS appearance until 2012, but head coach and Massachusetts native Evan Petty believes his team has a legitimate chance to make some noise this year, according to Braden Campbell of Boston.com: "They're only 12, it’s tough to see. But I'm telling them that they're going to come here, and 'no 12-year-old in the whole world is playing at a higher level than where you are right now. Right now you're at the top.'"
It is tough to argue with Petty's line of thinking considering how dominant Uganda has been thus far, but the competition goes up several levels at the LLWS. The Ugandans will learn that against a battle-tested Dominican team by dropping a close contest to open their run in Williamsport.
On the American side of the bracket, the Southwest representative from Pearland, Texas, will meet Portland, Oregon, from the Northwest on Friday.
Both teams enter the Little League World Series with momentum on their side after going undefeated in the regionals, with Texas outscoring opponents 41-7 and Oregon posting a differential of 48-18.
Although the players are different, Pearland made it to the LLWS last year, which means there is a history of excellence to uphold. Texas has twice won the Little League World Series title, while Oregon is still searching for its first.
It wouldn't be wise to sleep on the Northwest team, but it won't have enough to overcome the combination of hitting and pitching Texas brings to the table.
With a cumulative record of 15-0 in preliminaries, the Latin American entry of Venezuela and Australia's team from Sydney are on a collision course for what promises to be an intriguing clash Friday.
Both teams were rarely tested on the road to Williamsport, as Australia managed to plate 31 runs in a single game, while four of Venezuela's eight wins came by way of shutout.
The Aussies continue to make strides as a baseball-playing nation, but Venezuela almost always excels at the LLWS, as evidenced by its two titles.
Much like Uganda, Australia will be in for a bit of a rude awakening Friday when it finds out just how difficult the opposition can be in Williamsport.
The final matchup among games initially slated for Thursday may be the most entertaining of them all, as the underdog Great Lakes team from Bowling Green, Kentucky, will take on the team that may very well be the favorite on the American side in the form of Bonita, California, from the West region.
California was impressive in the regionals, as it went 4-0, including two wins over Hawaii, which has won two LLWS titles since 2005. As seen in this video, courtesy of Deadspin, Bonita also seems to have a flair for the dramatic:
Beating Hawaii twice is no small feat, and it is one of many reasons why California is a favorite moving forward. The state has won seven Little League World Series championships, which is first among American teams, and the San Diego area has contributed heavily to that.
Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the players are well aware of what they'll be representing at Williamsport, including star Walker Lannom: "Everyone wants (to be good). Especially after the 2009 (Park View) team won, I'm pretty sure Eastlake wanted to get there. That's all we wanted. We want to win it."
Kentucky is one team that could potentially stand in California's way, and it has some past success to uphold in its own right, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
There is no doubt Bowling Green is the underdog, as it actually lost a regional matchup to Wisconsin before bouncing back to beat it 13-0 in the deciding game. There is a lot to like about the Great Lakes team, but California had the toughest road to Williamsport, and it traversed that road masterfully.
Bonita has all of the makings of a potential LLWS champion, and it will make its first big statement Friday by defeating Kentucky.
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