Little League World Series 2017: US, International Bracket, TV Schedule and More

Southwest representative Lufkin, Texas, is getting another opportunity to confront powerhouse Southeast champion Greenville, North Carolina, and this time it's for the United States championship of the Little League World Series.

Greenville defeated Lufkin 2-1 in a seven-inning game Wednesday night, and that allowed North Carolina to clinch its trip to the U.S. championship game. Lufkin rebounded from that loss with a 14-4 defeat of Fairfield, Connecticut, Thursday night.

Lufkin is a tough and resilient team that has already pushed Greenville quite hard in their previous meeting. However, the North Carolina team is something of a juggernaut, having outscored their three Little League World Series opponents by a 24-1 margin.

Undefeated Tokyo will meet Reynosa, Mexico, for the international championship. Japan swept its way into the final by outscoring its three opponents 22-1, while Mexico defeated Canada 6-2 Thursday to earn its trip to the title game.

The international championship game will be played Saturday at Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, at 12:30 p.m. ET, while the U.S. title game will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the same venue. Both games will be televised by ABC.

Lufkin displayed quite a bit of determination in its 14-4 win over Fairfield. The Texans showed no ill effects from their loss to North Carolina and they scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning. Collin Ross hit a three-run homer in the inning and Mark Requena pitched 4.2 innings to earn the victory. 

Texas manager Bud Maddux had no doubt that his team would play well after losing the previous night.

"I know these young men and I know what they've gone through to get here," Maddux said, per Chris Masse of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. "You never want to lose a game, but all that meant was we got to play another game. We got to swing the bats and play defense."

The assignment will be even bigger on Saturday as Lufkin attempts to get the best of Greenville. Ross said he is going to be prepared to face the powerful North Carolina team. 

"I'm ready for it," Ross said. "I'm ready for Saturday. I just want to get out and play."

Mexico rode home runs from Jorge Garcia and Jorge Lambarria in its 6-2 victory over Canada Thursday. It will need even more of that clutch hitting if it is going to get the best of a very strong Japanese team.

Predictions

There's little doubt that Greenville and Lufkin have been the two best American teams in the tournament, and their matchup in the U.S. final should be a classic.

Lufkin is a tough team that has shown it can respond to adversity and it does not get down on itself after a tough loss. The Texans had nothing to be ashamed of after losing to North Carolina earlier this week, and they gave Greenville an excellent battle.

Look for another hard-fought, low-scoring game. While Texas will leave it all on the field, North Carolina is just a little bit better and it should earn the U.S. championship.

Japan appears to be the best international team, and it should be able to get the best of Mexico.

Look for a meeting between North Carolina and Japan in Sunday's Little League World Series championship game. That game will be played at 3 p.m. and televised by ABC. The consolation game is at 10 a.m. on ESPN.