News — Little League World Series

Winning a championship is a dream come true for any athlete, and for the West Suburban team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that dream just became a reality. This talented group of young athletes clinched the Little League Softball World Series title, marking the first time in nearly 50 years a team from Pennsylvania has taken home the trophy. The championship game, held in Greenville, North Carolina, was a nail-biting 1-0 victory against Floyds Knobs, Indiana, thanks to an outstanding performance by pitcher Reagan Bills. Not only did she dominate on the mound with eight strikeouts and just one hit allowed, but she also drove in the winning run. Let's dive into the inspiring journey of these determined girls and explore what this win means for them and their community.## Pennsylvania's Historic Victory

The West Suburban team from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, made history by clinching the Little League Softball World Series title. This victory marks a significant milestone for the state and the team.

First Win in 50 Years

Pennsylvania's softball scene has been waiting for this moment for nearly five decades. The last time a team from the state won the Little League Softball World Series was back in 1978 when Shippensburg took home the trophy.

This long drought makes the West Suburban team's victory even more special. It's a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of these young athletes from Johnstown.

The win has sparked excitement and pride across the state, reminding everyone of Pennsylvania's rich softball tradition.

The Championship Game Highlights

The final game was a nail-biter, with West Suburban facing off against a tough team from Floyds Knobs, Indiana. The game was held in Greenville, North Carolina, adding to the excitement of playing on a national stage.

The match turned out to be a pitchers' duel, with both teams struggling to score. In the end, West Suburban emerged victorious with a slim 1-0 win.

This close score shows just how competitive the game was and how well both teams played. It's a game that will be remembered for years to come in Little League Softball history.

Pitching Performance of a Lifetime

The championship game was defined by an outstanding pitching performance that kept the opposing team at bay and secured the win for West Suburban.

Reagan Bills' Unstoppable Pitching

Reagan Bills, the star pitcher for West Suburban, put on a show that will be talked about for years to come. Her performance on the mound was nothing short of amazing.

Bills dominated the game, allowing only one hit throughout the entire match. This level of control is rare, especially in a high-pressure situation like a championship game.

To top it off, Bills racked up an impressive eight strikeouts. Her ability to keep the opposing batters off balance was a key factor in West Suburban's victory.

The Winning Run at the Plate

Not content with just her pitching heroics, Reagan Bills also came through in a big way at the plate. In a game where runs were hard to come by, Bills stepped up when it mattered most.

She drove in the game's only run, which turned out to be the series-winning run. This clutch hit showed that Bills is a true all-around player, able to contribute both on the mound and at bat.

Her ability to perform under pressure, both pitching and hitting, was the difference-maker in this tight championship game.

The Road to Championship Glory

The journey to the Little League Softball World Series title was filled with challenges and memorable moments for the West Suburban team.

Five Wins, One Heroic Pitcher

West Suburban's path to victory in the World Series was marked by consistency and outstanding pitching. The team secured five crucial wins throughout the tournament.

What's truly remarkable is that Reagan Bills was the winning pitcher in all five of these games. This shows not only her skill but also her stamina and mental toughness.

Bills' ability to perform at such a high level across multiple games was a key factor in the team's success. It's rare to see one player have such a big impact throughout an entire tournament.

Johnstown's Place in Softball History

With this win, the West Suburban team from Johnstown has carved out a special place in Pennsylvania softball history. They've joined Shippensburg as only the second team from the state to win the Little League Softball World Series.

This victory puts Johnstown on the map in the softball world. It's a proud moment for the city, which is located about 90 minutes east of Pittsburgh in Cambria County.

The team's success will likely inspire young softball players across Pennsylvania and beyond, showing that with hard work and determination, any team can achieve greatness.

Dreams Realized on the Field

For many of the players on the West Suburban team, winning the Little League Softball World Series was the realization of a long-held dream.

Reagan Bills' Childhood Dream

Reagan Bills, the star of the championship game, shared her thoughts after the big win. Her words capture the emotion and significance of the moment.

This quote shows how winning the championship was the fulfillment of a childhood dream for Bills. It's a reminder of the impact youth sports can have on young athletes.

Bills' journey from a 5-year-old fan to a World Series champion is an inspiring story that many young softball players can look up to.

Team President's Proud Reflections

Jason Subich, the president of West Suburban, shared his thoughts on the team's unexpected success. His words reflect the pride and amazement felt by everyone involved with the team.

Subich's comments highlight the team's unity and the crucial role that Reagan Bills played in their success. It's clear that while they believed in their team's potential, the World Series victory exceeded even their highest expectations.

This reflection from the team president captures the joy and pride felt by the entire Johnstown community in the wake of this historic win.

The bracket has been set with the return of the International Teams. This should be a very exciting tournament and will be great to go full venue.

United States

• Great Lakes: Hagerstown Little League; Hagerstown, Indiana
• New England: Middleborough Little League; Middleborough, Massachusetts
• Northwest: Bonney Lake/Sumner Little League; Bonney Lake, Washington
• Metro: Massapequa Coast Little League; Massapequa, New York
• Mid-Atlantic: Hollidaysburg Area Summer Baseball Little League; Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
• Midwest: Davenport Southeast Little League; Davenport, Iowa
• Mountain: Snow Canyon Little League; Santa Clara, Utah
• Southeast: Nolensville Little League; Nolensville, Tennessee
• Southwest: Pearland Little League; Pearland, Texas
• West: Honolulu Little League; Honolulu, Hawaii

International

• Asia-Pacific: Fu Lin Little League; Taipei City, Chinese Taipei
• Australia: Brisbane North Little League; Queensland, Australia
• Canada: Little Mountain Little League; Vancouver, British Columbia
• Caribbean: Pabao Little League; Willemstad, Curacao
• Europe-Africa: Emilia Romagna Little League; Bologna, Italy
• Japan: Takarazuka Little League; Takarazuka, Japan
• Latin America: 14 de Septiembre Little League; Managua, Nicaragua
• Mexico: Matamoros Little League; Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
• Panama: Aguadulce Cabezera Little League; Aguadulce, Panama
• Puerto Rico: Guaynabo Baseball Little League; Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Brisbane North Region Little League (Queensland, Australia) was crowned as the 2022 Little League Baseball^® Australia Region Champion, earning direct entry into the 2022 Little League Baseball World Series (LLBWS) with a hard-fought win over Hills Little League. The 9-3 victory came after a dominant run through the Region Tournament, where Brisbane North Region LL poured in 59 runs over seven games.

After falling to Hills Little League (Sydney, Australia), 4-0, earlier in tournament pool play, Brisbane North Region LL won the rematch thanks to a strong start and stellar pitching. Hills opened up the scoring in the first inning after notching one run, but it would be their only lead of the game as Brisbane North Region answered swiftly, scoring four runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Hills fought back in the top of the fifth scoring two runs, but Brisbane North Region put the game out of reach after knocking in three runs thanks to two consecutive RBI singles.

This will be the first time Brisbane North Region LL makes the trek to Williamsport, second time a team from Queensland earns the honor, and the eighth time a team from Australia will compete in the LLBWS after the country gained direct entry in 2013.

Australia’s most successful trip at the LLBWS took place in 2016, where Hills LL notched two wins by taking down squads from the Europe and Africa Region and Caribbean Region before being knocked out of the elimination bracket by the Mexico Region team.

A rapidly growing Little League country, Australia is one of the few nations with an automatic bid into all four Little League Baseball tournaments, with their most recent direct entry into the Little League Intermediate (50/70) Baseball Division World Series starting in 2018.

With the first-round matchups of the 2022 LLBWS announced at the Chairman’s Celebration of the 28^th Little League International Congress, Brisbane North Region LL is set to square off against the winner of the Canada Region in Game 3 on Wednesday, August 17, at 5 p.m. on Volunteer Stadium.

Little League International will be celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of the LLBWS this year and will celebrate the history of the iconic event throughout the summer leading up to this year’s World Series in August. More information about the 2022 Little League World Series tournaments, including full schedules and downloadable brackets, can be found at LittleLeague.org/WorldSeries.

Due to the ongoing impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic, that included the cancellation of the 2020 Little League^® World Series and Regional Tournaments, the Little League International Board of Directors will postpone the expansion of the Little League Baseball^® and Little League Softball^® World Series until 2022. The decision allows the organization, and its local programs, to fully focus on providing the best 2021 season possible for all players, families, volunteers, and fans.

“After a thorough review of our organization’s strategic initiatives as well as the ongoing uncertainty of how the Coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact the Little League program, the Little League International Board of Directors felt this was the best decision for the success of our organization and for the overall experience of each of our 6,500 local leagues,” said Hugh. E. Tanner, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman. “We look forward to the continued efforts to make the experience at all our regional and World Series tournaments exciting and memorable. The expansion of our Little League Baseball and Little League Softball World Series is one of the centerpieces of our strategic plan, and, while we’re sad to delay these plans, we are excited to welcome more communities to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Greenville, North Carolina, in 2022.”

As many local Little League programs work on returning to play following the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the decision allows for both Little League International and its 6,500 local leagues to take the time to strategically evaluate their needs for a successful 2021 season. Little League International will continue to focus on providing the resources and guidance for families and volunteers, to help navigate local Little League seasons throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as plan for the Little League International Tournament, where so many Little Leaguers dream of playing in a regional or World Series tournament.

“Over the next year and a half, we are dedicated to providing the best guidance available, as we strategically evaluate and plan for all possible scenarios in 2021 and look forward to continuing our efforts to prepare for expansion and provide the once-in-a-lifetime experience to more children in 2022,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “With the celebration of the 75^th Little League Baseball World Series now pushed back until 2022 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it is only fitting that the decision to expand remains in coordination with that event, as we get ready to celebrate the next chapter of this iconic event.”

Originally announced in August 2019, the decision was made to expand the number of teams at the Little League Baseball World Series from 16 to 20 and Little League Softball World Series from 10 to 12 with the goal of providing more children with the opportunity to experience the benefits of the World Series, both on and off the field, as well as the overall journey through the Little League International Tournament.

Based on the postponement of the expansion, Little League International will continue to evaluate the timeline of its facility enhancements that are connected to the expansion in Williamsport. More information regarding the expansion, as it becomes available, will be communicated directly to local league officials and can be found on LittleLeague.org.

Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Little League International has made the difficult and disappointing decision to cancel its World Series and Region Tournaments for first time in organization history; commits approximately $1.2 million in support to local leagues
2020 MLB Little League Classic Presented by GEICO Also Canceled; Event Will Return in 2021
After a thorough assessment of the impact the devastating COVID-19 pandemic has had on 6,500 community-based Little League® programs in 84 countries and based upon the direction of governmental and public health authorities, and in consultation with medical professionals and our Board of Directors, Little League International has made the difficult and disappointing decision to cancel its seven World Series tournaments and their respective regional qualifying events.

“This is a heartbreaking decision for everyone at Little League International, but more so for those millions of Little Leaguers who have dreamt of one day playing in one of our seven World Series events,” said Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and CEO. “After exhausting all possible options, we came to the conclusion that because of the significant public health uncertainty that will still exist several months from now, and with direction from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, as well as senior public health officials and government leaders from locations where our other six World Series are held, as well as the their qualifying regional tournaments, it will not be possible to proceed with our tournaments as we’ve hosted them for nearly 75 years.”

As we assessed the feasibility of including these tournament opportunities as part of that resumption of play, a number of factors went into the decision to cancel the World Series and Regional Tournaments, including:

The inability to play qualifying tournaments in many of our U.S. and International regions, coupled with direction from federal officials regarding the complexity of international travel restrictions and immigration requirements.
An indication from teams from around the globe that they will be unable to participate or travel to these tournaments.
The testing and mitigation protocols that would need to be in place at these significant public events should an individual participating or attending an event be diagnosed with COVID-19.
The cancellation includes the 82 regional qualifying tournaments and their respective seven World Series events:

Little League Baseball – South Williamsport, Pa.
Little League Softball® – Greenville, N.C.
Intermediate (50/70) Baseball – Livermore, Calif.
Junior League Baseball – Taylor, Mich.
Junior League Softball – Kirkland, Wash.
Senior League Baseball – Easley, S.C.
Senior League Softball –Sussex County, Del.
As 2021 was originally supposed to be the playing of the 75th Little League Baseball World Series, that celebration will now take place in 2022. More information about World Series locations and future dates can be found at LittleLeague.org.

As a result of this decision, the 2020 MLB Little League Classic presented by GEICO, originally scheduled for August 23 between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, has also been canceled. Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have already committed to returning to Williamsport for the 2021 MLB Little League Classic next August.

“Delivering this news comes with a very heavy heart. We have never had to cancel our World Series tournaments, but, right now, as our world comes together, we must do everything we can to help stem the spread of this deadly virus,” said Hugh E. Tanner, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman. “While we take this pause from the World Series and Regional Tournaments this summer, we are committed to working with our volunteers and staff to continue to provide an unparalleled youth sports experience to all children and be back stronger than ever in 2021.”

To assist the local Little League programs as they continue to assess their local operations, Little League International will be crediting all chartered programs with the affiliation fees paid for their chartered teams in 2020, which totals approximately $1.2 million in support to local leagues. These funds will be credited through Little League’s Data Center and be available for local leagues to use on current balances, future affiliation and insurance fees, tournament enrollment, and other Little League-related expenses.

As each state and community will have different guidance for resuming organized youth sports, Little League International strongly encourages volunteers to confirm with their local and state health officials that it is safe to do so before resuming Little League activity after May 11. These playing opportunities could include not only regular season activities, but opportunities for local district, and, perhaps, state all-star tournament play to provide players, especially those moving up to a new age division in 2021, a tournament experience, if possible and safe.