Solely 4 groups stay as they give the impression of being to take dwelling the Championship Banner on the 75th Anniversary of the Little League Baseball® World Collection. Fu-Lin Little League (Taipei Metropolis, Chinese language Taipei) will face Pabao Little League (Willemstad, Curaçao) within the Worldwide Championship, with Honolulu (Hawaii) Little League squaring off in opposition to Nolensville (Tenn.) Little League in america Championship sport.
Right here’s how the 4 greatest Little League Baseball groups on the planet made it to Championship Weekend:
Worldwide Championship
Recreation Information:
- Saturday, August 27, 2022
- 12:30 p.m., Howard J. Lamade Stadium
- Dwell on ABC
Fu-Lin Little League Workforce Profile
Path to the Worldwide Championship
Fu-Lin Little League is trying so as to add to Chinese language Taipei’s LLBWS-record 17 championship banners. These 17 championships throughout 30 appearances make up practically half of the 37 whole worldwide championship titles over the course of the occasion’s 74-year historical past. The Area’s historical past on the LLBWS has produced a number of information, together with essentially the most consecutive appearances in championship video games with six (1977-82; 1986-91) in addition to two of the match’s seven good video games (1973, 1979).
Fu-Lin Little League’s Area match began poorly after falling to South Korea in its opening spherical sport. Nevertheless, the loss could be its final of the summer time because the group rebounded shortly by placing collectively three straight wins, together with a tightly contested rematch in opposition to South Korea within the championship sport.
The squad introduced its momentum to Williamsport, the place the Asia-Pacific Area Champions pulled out a 2-0 first-round win in opposition to the group from Italy earlier than defeating Panama, 7-0. The Fu-Lin pitching workers would then go on to give up its solely run in Williamsport to Mexico however remained within the winner’s bracket because of some sizzling bats.
Gamers to Watch
Tseng-Yi-Che – Catcher
Tseng has been the centerpiece of Fu-Lin’s elite protection and a menace within the batter’s field, knocking in two RBIs whereas batting .455 within the match. He has logged a success in each sport to date, together with a pair of two-hit video games in opposition to Mexico and Europe-Africa.
Wang Yuan-Fu – Third Base
Wang’s .500 batting common is 20th within the match and his 4 RBIs rank 13th amongst all LLBWS gamers. Wang has paced the dynamic Asia-Pacific hitters from the cleanup spot, accumulating six whole bases and just one putting out as soon as.
Key Stats:
- Asia-Pacific’s protection has been the important thing to the groups’ LLBWS run, permitting solely three runs for the reason that begin of the Area Event.
- Supervisor Chang Tzu-Chein describes his pitching workers as “all being above-average,” which means there is no such thing as a one ace amongst the 5 pitchers who’ve thrown to date. At the least two pitchers have appeared in each sport to date, together with 5 within the group’s first sport in opposition to Europe-Africa.
Pabao Little League Workforce Profile
Path to the Worldwide Championship
Pabao Little League from Willemstad, Curaçao, is again within the Worldwide Championship sport for the second consecutive time after inserting second within the 2019 LLBWS. The league makes up 10 out of Curaçao’s 14 appearances in Williamsport and can look to tack on another win to the nation’s 46-24 file within the LLBWS. Curaçao’s sole championship banner got here in 2004 however has since completed as runners-up in 2005 and 2019.
This yr’s Caribbean Area Event noticed Curaçao win 5 of their six matchups within the Dominican Republic, and the group replicated their Area Event file in Williamsport. The truth is, this yr’s Pabao Little League group took the very same path as final yr’s, with each squad’s dropping their second-round matchup earlier than battling by means of the elimination bracket to the Worldwide Championship sport.
In Williamsport, the Curaçao group has managed to grind out win after win with its again in opposition to the wall, with three of the elimination video games being determined by two runs or much less. The power of this group has been on the pitcher’s mound, the place Reangelo Decaster, Jay-Dlynn Wiel, and Davey-Jay Rijke have shut opposing hitters down.
Gamers to Watch
Davey-Jay Rijke – Pitcher, Shortstop
Davey-Jay Rijke has finished just a little little bit of every little thing for Pabao Little League. The leadoff man has notched six runs for his group whereas hitting .353, however his actual power is on the bump. Whereas he can be ineligible to pitch for the remainder of the match attributable to pitch depend guidelines, Davey-Jay has already asserted himself as a dominant power on the mound with a LLBWS-leading 31 strikeouts, zero walks, and just one earned run by means of 12 innings of labor.
Jay-Dlynn Wiel – Third Base, Pitcher
The one-two punch of Davey-Jay and Jay-Dylnn has silenced opposing bats all match, with Jay-Dlynn solely giving up one earned run in 10 innings whereas putting out 13 hitters. The ace can be unavailable for the Worldwide Championship sport however is able to choosing up the slack together with his bat hitting .333 with two RBIs and just one strikeout.
Key Stats
- Together with his two greatest pitchers unavailable for the Worldwide Championship sport, supervisor Zaino Everett will probably flip to the hard-throwing Reangelo Decaster to face Chinese language Taipei.
- Reangelo stands at 5’9”, 151 kilos and may deliver the warmth together with his fastball. He has surrendered just one run by means of seven innings pitched, putting out 13 batters within the course of.
- Exterior of Reangelo, Jay-Dlynn, and Davey-Jay, Curaçao’s different pitchers have solely thrown a mixed 4 innings, with 5 earned runs and 6 whole strikeouts.
United States Championship
Recreation Information:
- Saturday, August 27, 2022
- 3:30 p.m., Howard J. Lamade Stadium
- Dwell on ABC
Honolulu Little League Workforce Profile
Path to the U.S. Championship
Hawaii has despatched a group to Williamsport 15 instances, profitable three championship banners and claiming runner-up honors twice. Because it did in 2018, Supervisor Gerald Oda’s We>Me motto has as soon as once more powered Honolulu Little League again into the U.S. Championship sport after a dominant run by means of the West Area and LLBWS tournaments.
The West Area match noticed the group from Hawaii put up 25 runs whereas permitting simply 5 in San Bernardino, California. There was just one event all through your entire West Area match when the group discovered itself dropping, 3-2, in opposition to Northern California after three innings. The lead didn’t final for lengthy, because the Honolulu group would go on to 10-run-rule Northern California, 13-3, in 5 innings. Kekoanui Payanal was the group’s chief by means of the Area match, batting .600 with 5 RBIs and two of the group’s 5 dwelling runs throughout three video games.
Hawaii introduced the identical highly effective bats with them to Williamsport, the place they’ve put collectively a tournament-leading 11 dwelling runs in 4 video games. Of the highest six hitters who’ve hit essentially the most homeruns within the LLBWS, 4 of them play for Hawaii.
Gamers to Watch
Jaron Lancaster – Shortstop, Pitcher
Jaron has change into must-watch tv throughout his 4 video games in Williamsport, batting .600 to go together with 5 RBIs, two dwelling runs, and just one strikeout. The shortstop has additionally made his fair proportion of exceptional performs within the discipline, and regardless of being certainly one of Hawaii’s prime pitchers, has solely been known as upon to pitch a complete of 4 innings. In 4 innings of labor, he has but to permit an earned run and struck out eight whole batters.
Cohen Sakamoto – Pitcher, Outfielder
Cohen’s 17 strikeouts by means of 9 innings of labor is second within the LLBWS to date, and he has but to permit a success in your entire match. His dominance on the mound is to not be overshadowed by his talent within the batter’s field, the place he has logged a success in 5 of his seven at-bats, launching two dwelling runs and raking in 9 RBIs. His .714 batting common is first amongst LLBWS gamers with no less than 5 at bats within the match.
Kekoanui Payanal – Infielder
The leadoff hitter on probably the most dominant offenses within the LLBWS this yr, Kekoanui Payanal is likely one of the few Little Leaguers® who has performed in Williamsport twice. Kekoanui is a returner final yr’s Honolulu Little League squad that positioned second on the LLBWS and has blasted the second most dwelling runs within the match to date whereas batting .308 and knocking in 4 RBIs.
Key Stats
- On the mound Cohen Sakamoto and Jaron Lancaster have finished a lot of the heavy lifting. On the plate, nevertheless, is the place your entire Hawaii lineup thrives.
- At the least 5 gamers have recorded a success in each LLWS sport to date.
- Eight totally different gamers have logged no less than one two-hit efficiency.
- The Hawaii pitching workers has solely allowed 4 hits in your entire match
Nolensville Little League Workforce Profile
Path to United States Championship
Nolensville Little League returned to Williamsport once more this yr, however their look within the U.S. Championship is a drastic enchancment from final yr’s match after they misplaced their first two video games. Taking part in in Tennessee’s 10th LLBWS look, the group will look to win the state’s first-ever championship and clinch a spot within the closing for under the second time.
Nolensville Little League outscored opponents within the Southeast Area Event, 28-5, led by returning gamers Jack Rhodes and William Satinoff, plus supervisor Randy Huth. The skilled trio has assured Nolensville a prime 5 end on this yr’s LLBWS, one of the best season in league historical past.
Up to now in Williamsport, the Southeast Area champions have thrived on the defensive facet of the ball and produced by committee on offense. Nolensville has seen all of it by means of its 5 LLBWS video games. An additional innings victory in opposition to Indiana proved its potential to win shut video games, and an 11-run sport versus Utah asserted the squad as a power within the batter’s field. The primary sport of the LLBWS in opposition to New England and the latest victory in opposition to Texas displayed Nolensville’s potential to play stable baseball for a full six innings.
Gamers to Watch
William Satinoff – Shortstop
William Satinoff has produced a number of internet gems from shortstop, incomes a tip of the cap from opposing followers and training workers’s together with his spotlight reel performs. Batting leadoff on offense, Sati can also be hitting .400 with three RBIs by means of his 5 LLBWS video games.
Josiah Porter – Outfielder
Whereas Josiah is legally blind in his proper eye, you’ll by no means know by his stats. He’s batting .400 with six RBIs, good for fourth most in your entire match. Porter is taking Williamsport by storm this summer time whereas holding it down within the outfield, placing away 4 batters with out registering a single error.
Jack Rhodes – Catcher
One in every of two returning gamers, Jack has paced the Nolensville Little League group from the highest of the lineup and is tied for many hits within the match to date with eight. He additionally leads the LLBWS in doubles to date, accumulating a complete of 11 bases throughout 5 video games.
Key Stats
- Nolensville’s offense by committee has seen 12 of the 13 gamers on the roster register no less than one hit, and 4 totally different gamers log a two-hit sport.
- Catcher Jack Rhodes is certainly one of seven gamers within the LLBWS to register an ideal fielding share with greater than 20 whole probabilities.
- Outfielder Josiah Porter’s six RBIs are the fourth most within the LLBWS.
