The 2016 Little League World Series officially starts on Thursday afternoon, with 16 teams from nine different countries vying for the title of best in the world.
Little League World Series 2016: Times, TV schedule, online streaming for Thursday
The opening round begins with four games on Thursday
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Four of the eight opening round games take place on Thursday in Williamsport, Penn., with ESPN televising all four Thursday contests. Online streaming of each game will be available through WatchESPN.
The Mexican team is San Nicolas Little League from Nuevo Leon, just south of Texas, and will battle the team from Aguadulce, Panama in the first game on Thursday from Volunteer Stadium, with Panama representing Latin America in the double-elimination tournament.
Mexico’s lone Little League World Series title came in 1957 with a team from Monterrey in Nuevo Leon.
Endwell, New York represents the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, and starts things off with a game against Warwick, Rhode Island, representing New England in a game at Lamade Stadium.
New York made the regional round in 2015, but this year they lasted a step further, qualifying for Williamsport.
“Last year, I think we knew we had a good team so it was exciting when we won,” said coach Scott Rush told WBNG television in New York. “This year, I think a lot of people expected us to win, which puts a little bit of a different dynamic on it, but it was just as exciting.”
The third game features a team from Hills Little League in Sydney, Australia battling the team from Emilia, Italy, representing Europe-Africa. The kids from Sydney have their own handshake:
G'Day mate! 🇦🇺 #LLWS pic.twitter.com/Cz1kD811Fh
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 14, 2016
Thursday’s final contest features Bend, Oregon, representing the Northwest, battling the Southeast region, won by Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
Thursday schedule & broadcast info
All times Eastern
Game 1: Mexico vs. Latin America, Volunteer Stadium, 1 p.m.
TV: ESPN (Dave Flemming, Kyle Peterson, Marysol Castro) Online: WatchESPN
Game 2: Mid-Atlantic vs. New England, Lamade Stadium, 3 p.m.
TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech, John Kruk, Jaymee Sire) Online: WatchESPN
Game 3: Australia vs. Europe-Africa, Volunteer Stadium, 5 p.m.
TV: ESPN (Flemming, Peterson, Castro) Online: WatchESPN
Game 4: Northwest vs. Southeast, Lamade Stadium, 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN (Ravech, Kruk, Jessica Mendoza, Sire) Online: WatchESPN
See More:
