After an exciting week of competition, the final four teams are set to take the field for Championship weekend of the 2021 Little League Baseball® World Series.
Below are the four teams who have worked their way from their local Little League® fields to the biggest stage in youth sports as they get set to face off for the Tom Seaver and Hank Aaron Championships on Saturday, August 28, and the ultimate prize of being named Little League Baseball World Series Champion on Sunday, August 29.
Tom Seaver Championship (12:30 p.m. – ABC)
Ohio – West Side Little League (Hamilton, Ohio)
Serving as the visiting team in the Tom Seaver Championship, West Side Little League from Hamilton, Ohio, has made it to the final weekend after earning a spot in the World Series as the Great Lakes Region runner-up. Ohio heads into the weekend with a 4-1 record in the World Series after dropping its only game in a 9-0 loss to California on Sunday, August 22. Leading the way at the plate has been Chance Retherford (.333 avg., 4 RBI) and Chase Moak (.444 avg., 2 RBI), while JJ Vogel (10.2 IP, 1.125 ERA, 17 Ks) has been their star on the mound. Squaring off against South Dakota for the Tom Seaver Championship, Ohio is in search of its state’s first ever Little League Baseball World Series championship title.
South Dakota – Sioux Falls (S.D.) Little League
Heading into the weekend with an unblemished 3-0 record throughout the World Series, the Midwest Region Runners-Up out of Sioux Falls (S.D.) Little League are in search of the state’s first World Series title this weekend. In its three games, South Dakota has only allowed one hit, thanks to a pair of no-hitters by Gavin Weir (11.2 IP, 29 Ks) and impressive pitching by Maddux Munson (6.0 IP, 4 Ks). Offensively, Weir also leads the team with 4 RBI and the team’s only home run, while Noah Kuenzi (.429 avg., 2 RBI) helped drive in the team’s other two runs to get them to the championship weekend.
Hank Aaron Championship (3:30 p.m. – ABC)
Michigan – Taylor (Mich.) North Little League
Representing the state of Michigan as the Great Lakes Region Champions, Taylor North Little League heads into the weekend with a 3-1 World Series record and is looking forward to a rematch as its only loss in the tournament came against Hawaii in a 2-0 shutout on August 25. The team is led by the hot bat of Jackson Surma (.462 avg., 4 RBI) as Michigan has combined for 29 runs over the course of its four games. On the mound, Ethan Van Belle (6.0 IP, 10 Ks) and Jakob Furkas (6.0 IP, 3 Ks) have led the charge as the team heads into the weekend with a 3.13 ERA. Making its first appearance as a league, Taylor North Little League is looking to bring home Michigan’s first World Series title since 1959.
Hawaii – Honolulu (Hawaii) Little League
Taking the field first as the home team for the Hank Aaron Championship, Hawaii is looking to bring back to World Series title to Honolulu Little League after winning it all in 2018. Leading the way with a 3-0 record, the West Region champions have put together 22 runs over the course of three games, with Kekoa Payanal (.625 avg) leading the way at the plate. On the mound, it has been lights out by Ryan Keanu (12.0 IP, 10 Ks, 0.50 ERA) and Kaikea Patoc-Young (5.0 IP, 6 Ks, 2.40 ERA) as Hawaii has held its opponents to only three earned runs.
The winners of both the Tom Seaver and Hank Aaron Championships will square off for the World Series Championship on Sunday, August 29 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
To learn more about the Little League Baseball World Series, including the full schedule and how to follow along, visit LittleLeague.org/LLBWS.