Little League World Series 2015 schedule for Wednesday

A pair of spots in the respective championship games on both the United States and international sides of the bracket are up for grabs with two games on Wednesday at the 2015 Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pa.

First up on Wednesday is the team from Barquismeto, Venezuela battling the team from Tokyo, Japan for a spot in the International Championship Game on Saturday afternoon. Venezuela beat Australia 5-2 in the opening round, then dispatched Uganda 7-0 in their two contests to date.

Japan beat Chinese Taipei 7-5 in the first round, then outlasted Mexico 3-1 on Sunday, setting up Wednesday’s showdown.

The nightcap on Wednesday is on the U.S. side of the bracket, with the team from Pearland, Texas battling Lewisberry, Pa., for a spot in the U.S. Championship Game, also on Saturday. Texas beat Oregon 1-0 in their opener, then beat California 8-4 on Sunday.

Pennsylvania is essentially the home team here, roughly two hours from Williamsport. They beat the team from Webb City, Mo., 18-0 in the opening round, the most runs scored in any game of the tournament so far. In their second-round matchup, Pennsylvania got out to a 6-0 lead then got a walk-off win, 9-8 over South Carolina.

None of these four teams have lost yet, so even if they lose on Wednesday the double-elimination nature of the tournament still gives them a chance to win the Little League World Series. A loss on Wednesday means another game on Thursday, again for the right in the respective championship games.

ESPN will televise both games on Wednesday, with both also available online at WatchESPN.

Game 23: Venezuela vs. Japan, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Announcers: Karl Ravech, Nomar Garciaparra, Kyle Peterson, Jaymee Sire

Game 24: Texas vs. Pennsylvania, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Announcers: Ravech, Garciaparra, Peterson, Sire