Little League World Series 2018: Friday Schedule, TV Info and Bracket Prediction

Friday marks Day 2 of the 2018 Little League World Series, held annually in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. 

There are eight U.S. teams and eight international teams playing in a double-elimination tournament spanning 11 days. The U.S. teams and international squads are on opposite sides of the bracket, which sets up a U.S.-International contest for the LLWS championship on August 26. Japan is the defending champion, although last year's team hailed from Tokyo. This year, the country is represented by kids from Kawaguchi.

The tournament started with four games on the first day and another four games are set for Friday, which means every team will have made its tournament debut before the weekend. 

The Little League World Series offers kids a chance to become heroes on an international level, a dream usually only afforded to the pros. It's a dream come true for every player, parent and coach involved. 

Check out Friday's schedule, TV info and predictions below. 

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Prediction
Barcelona, Spain (Europe-Africa Region) vs. Kawaguchi, Japan (Japan Region)	2 p.m.	ESPN	Kawaguchi, Japan
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (Northwest) vs. Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (Great Lakes)	4 p.m.	ESPN	Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
Arraijan, Panama (Latin America) vs. Surrey, British Columbia (Canada)	6 p.m.	ESPN	Arraijan, Panama
Peachtree City, Georgia (Southeast) vs. Honolulu, Hawaii (West)	8 p.m.	ESPN	Honolulu, Hawaii

If Thursday's games are any indication, there will be plenty of nervous folks in Williamsport on Day 2. Every game on Day 1 was decided by three runs or less. Staten Island, New York, was the most comfortable winner, defeating Des Moines, Iowa, 5-2.

The most dramatic finish came in the Mexico-Australia contest, where the team from Matamoros won in walk-off fashion to win 3-2, per the Little League:

While no team is in danger of going home just yet, it's a much tougher road to the final when trying to claw back from the loser's bracket. 

A team to keep an eye on Friday is Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores, Michigan. They are representing the Great Lakes region for the second year in a row, and the Little Leaguers from Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores also made the LLWS in 2013. Perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that Brennan Hill, Grosse Point's pitcher and outfielder, is the third kid from his family to play at the LLWS.

According to the Detroit Free Press' Jeff Seidel, Brennan's older brother Drew played last year, and the eldest brother Tyler was on the 2013 squad. The boys' father, Jason Hill, is in Williamsport so often he's got a good routine down. 

"We are staying downtown, where we did for Tyler," Jason said, per Seidel. "It's a cool spot. We were able to get that hotel again. It’s nice knowing the ropes. It's helpful being able to go for a third time. You know what to expect."

Of course, another team to keep an eye on is Kawaguchi, Japan. The country is the second-most successful international team with 11 championships, trailing only Taiwan's 17. A team from Kawaguchi was runner-up in 2006, and there's always pressure on the group representing this baseball-loving country to perform.

They will be taking on a group from Barcelona, Spain, a city that conjures up visions of excellence on the soccer pitch rather than the baseball diamond. No doubt, the kids from Catalonia will be the underdogs, but perhaps their somewhat-unexpected appearance in this competition will allow them to play with a bit of freedom.