Junior League World Series

{{Short description|Recurring baseball tournament for children ages 12-14 help in Taylor, Michigan}}

{{for|the softball world series|Junior League World Series (softball)}}

{{see also|Junior, Senior & Big League Baseball}}{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}

{{Infobox Sports league

| title = Junior League World Series

| last_season = 2024 Junior League World Series

| logo = Junior League World Series field, Heritage Park 2.jpg

| caption = The field at Heritage Park in Taylor, Michigan

| sport = Baseball

| venue = Heritage Park

| founded = 1981

| teams = 12

| country = International

| champion = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan}}

| most_champs = {{flag|Taiwan}} (10)

| website = [http://www.littleleague.org LittleLeague.org]

}}

The Junior League World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 12, 13, and 14 years old.[http://www.littleleague.org/learn/about/divisions/baseball/jlbb.htm Junior League Baseball] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704212540/http://www.littleleague.org/learn/about/divisions/baseball/jlbb.htm |date=July 4, 2012 }}. Little League. Retrieved 2010-08-22. The tournament is held annually at Heritage Park in Taylor, Michigan. It is patterned after the Little League World Series, which was named for the World Series in Major League Baseball.

The Junior League World Series is one of eleven tournaments sponsored by Little League International. Each of them brings baseball or softball teams from around the world together in one of four age divisions. The tournament structure for each division's World Series is similar to that used for the Little League Baseball World Series.

Tournament history

{{see|:Category:Junior League World Series regions}}

File:Junior League World Series Wall of Champions.jpg]]

The tournament started in 1981, and was originally created for 13-year-old players competing in Little League's Senior League division (which at the time included 13- to 15-year-olds). In 1999, Little league spun a separate Junior League division off from the Senior League division, which included 13- and 14-year-old players (currently, 15-year-olds are also eligible if their date of birth is after May 1 of the current season). Unlike the Little League World Series — which has sixteen regions (eight in the U.S. and eight international) — the Junior League World Series has only twelve regions.[http://www.littleleague.org/series/2010divisions/jlbb/series.htm 2010 Junior League Regional Tournaments and World Series Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222224024/http://www.littleleague.org/series/2010divisions/jlbb/series.htm |date=February 22, 2014 }}. Little League Baseball Incorporated. Retrieved 2010-08-22. The twelve regional champions are divided into two pools (USA and International). The two best teams from each pool advance to the semi-finals, to determine the US champion and the International champion. The semi-final winners play for the World Series Championship. The losing teams face off in classification games.

Originally only US teams played in the tournament. As time progressed, however, international teams began to participate. The Puerto Rico Region was established as the first international region, in 1982. The Mexico Region followed in 1986, the Canada Region in 1988, the first European team in 1990, and the Australia Region in 2016. Prior to 2000, the Mexico and Puerto Rico regions each received automatic berths into the tournament. In 2000, a Latin America Region was formed and included the former Mexico and Puerto Rico regions. Starting in 2004, the Mexico Region now receives an automatic berth to the tournament in even-numbered years, while the Puerto Rico Region receives an automatic berth in odd-numbered years. (Each year, the teams from the region without an automatic berth instead participate in the Latin America Region tournament.){{cite web |url=http://www.cityoftaylor.com/node/482 |title=History of the Junior League Baseball World Series | City of Taylor |access-date=2014-03-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828200506/http://www.cityoftaylor.com/node/482 |archive-date=2012-08-28 }} From 1985–89 the Michigan state champion received a slot as the Host Team. In 2018, the Host Team was brought back to the tournament as the sixth United States region.

{{columns-start}}

The six United States regions are:

{{column}}

The six International regions are:

{{columns-end}}

List of champions

{{see also|List of Little League World Series champions by division}}

{{sticky header}}{{row hover highlight}}

class="wikitable sticky-header mw-datatable" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;"
scope="col"|Year

!scope="col"|Winner

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Score

!scope="col"|Runner–Up

!scope="col"|Region

scope="row"|1981

|{{flagicon|Ohio}} Boardman, Ohio

|Central

|4–0

|{{flagicon|Virginia}} Richmond, Virginia

|South

scope="row"|1982

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Tampa, Florida

|South

|6–1

||{{flagicon|Illinois}} Libertyville, Illinois

|Central

scope="row"|1983

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Manatí, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

|3–0

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Altamonte Springs, Florida

|South

scope="row"|1984

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Pearl City, Hawaii

|West

|7–5

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Yabucoa, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

scope="row"|1985

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Tampa, Florida

|South

|10–3

|{{flagicon|Maryland}} Salisbury, Maryland

|East

scope="row"|1986

|{{flagicon|Maryland}} Waldorf, Maryland

|East

|4–3

|{{flagicon|Ohio}} Athens County, Ohio

|Central

scope="row"|1987

|{{flagicon|California}} Rowland Heights, Southern California

|West

|16–4 & 14–3

|{{flagicon|New York}} Wappinger, New York

|East

scope="row"|1988

|{{flagicon|MEX}} Mexicali, Mexico

|Mexico

|11–6

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Hilo, Hawaii

|West

scope="row"|1989

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Manatí, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

|2–9 & 9–2

|{{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)|1956}} Toccoa, Georgia

|South

scope="row"|1990

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Yabucoa, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

|6–4

|{{flagicon|Texas}} San Antonio, Texas

|South

scope="row"|1991

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Spring, Texas

|South

|2–7 & 7–1

|{{flagicon|Nevada}} Henderson, Nevada

|West

scope="row"|1992

|{{flagicon|Arizona}} Tucson, Arizona

|West

|8–1 & 5–4

|{{flagicon|Louisiana|1912}} Lake Charles, Louisiana

|South

scope="row"|1993

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Cayey, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

|9–1

|{{flagicon|MEX}} Reynosa, Mexico

|Mexico

scope="row"|1994

|{{flagicon|California}} Thousand Oaks, Southern California

|West

|20–3

|{{flagicon|Ohio}} Hamilton, Ohio

|Central

scope="row"|1995

|{{flagicon|Louisiana|1912}} Lake Charles, Louisiana

|South

|3–4 & 8–2

|{{flagicon|California}} Northridge, Southern California

|West

scope="row"|1996

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Spring, Texas

|South

|7–5

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Aiea, Hawaii

|West

scope="row"|1997

|{{flagicon|New Hampshire}} Salem, New Hampshire

|East

|4–1

|{{flagicon|California}} Mission Viejo, Southern California

|West

scope="row"|1998

|{{flagicon|California}} Mission Viejo, Southern California

|West

|6–2 & 9–6

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Waco, Texas

|South

scope="row"|1999

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Arroyo, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

|1–0

|{{flagicon|MEX}} Hermosillo, Mexico

|Mexico

scope="row"|2000

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Aiea, Hawaii

|West

|2–1

|{{flagicon|CAN}} Langley, Canada

|Canada

scope="row"|2001

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Aiea, Hawaii

|West

|6–5

|{{flagicon|VEN|1954}} San Francisco, Venezuela

|Latin America

scope="row"|2002

|{{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)|2001}} Cartersville, Georgia

|South

|3–2

|{{flagicon|PAN}} David, Panama

|Latin America

scope="row"|2003

|{{flagicon|California}} La Mirada, Southern California

|West

|8–7

|{{flagicon|PAN}} Santiago, Panama

|Latin America

scope="row"|2004

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Tampa, Florida

|South

|5–2

|{{flagicon|VEN|1954}} Punto Fijo, Venezuela

|Latin America

scope="row"|2005

|{{flagicon|PAN}} Panama City, Panama

|Latin America

|3–0

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Tarpon Springs, Florida

|South

scope="row"|2006

|{{flagicon|Texas}} El Campo, East Texas

|Southwest

|2–1

|{{flagicon|MEX}} Guaymas, Mexico

|Mexico

scope="row"|2007

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Pearl City, Hawaii

|West

|6–2

|{{flagicon|PHI}} Makati, Philippines

|Asia–Pacific

scope="row"|2008

|{{flagicon|CUR}} Willemstad, Curaçao

|Latin America

|5–2

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Hilo, Hawaii

|West

scope="row"|2009

|{{flagicon|Arizona}} Scottsdale, Arizona

|West

|9–1

|{{flagicon|ARU}} Oranjestad, Aruba

|Latin America

scope="row"|2010

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taipei, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|9–1

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Tyler, East Texas

|Southwest

scope="row"|2011

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Tampa, Florida

|Southeast

|2–1

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

scope="row"|2012

|{{flagicon|Florida}} Rockledge, Florida

|Southeast

|12–10

|{{flagicon|ARU}} Oranjestad, Aruba

|Latin America

scope="row"|2013

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|11–2

|{{flagicon|Arizona}} Rio Rico, Arizona

|West

scope="row"|2014

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taichung, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|9–1

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Corpus Christi, West Texas

|Southwest

scope="row"|2015

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taichung, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|12–0

|{{flagicon|Virginia}} Stephens City, Virginia

|Southeast

scope="row"|2016

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|9–1

|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} Kapaa, Hawaii

|West

scope="row"|2017

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|12–1(F/5)

|{{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

|East

scope="row"|2018

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|2–0

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Lufkin, East Texas

|Southwest

scope="row"|2019

|{{flagicon|California}} Fullerton, Southern California

|West

|8–3

|{{flagicon|PRI}} Guayama, Puerto Rico

|Puerto Rico

scope="row"|2020

|colspan=5 style="text-align:center;" |Cancelled due to COVID-19 crisis{{Cite web|url=https://www.littleleague.org/news/little-league-cancels-2020-world-series-and-region-tournaments/|title = Little League® Cancels 2020 World Series and Region Tournaments|date = 30 April 2020}}

scope="row"|2021

|colspan="5" style="text-align:center;" |Cancelled due to COVID-19 crisis

scope="row"|2022

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taichung, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|7–1

|{{flagicon|Texas}} Corpus Christi, West Texas

|Southwest

scope="row"|2023

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|6–0

|{{flagicon|Michigan}} Taylor, Michigan

|Host

scope="row"|2024

|{{flagicon|ROC}} Taoyuan, Taiwan

|Asia–Pacific

|5–0

|{{flagicon|Michigan}} Taylor, Michigan

|Host

Year

!Winner

!Region

!Score

!Runner–Up

!Region

=Championships won by country/state=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
scope="col"| Teamscope="col"| Championshipsscope="col"| Last
scope="row" | {{flagicon|ROC}} Taiwan

| 10 || 2024

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} Puerto Rico

| rowspan="3" |5 || 1999

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Florida}} Florida

| 2012

scope="row" | {{flagicon|California}} Southern California

| 2019

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Hawaii}} Hawaii

| 4 || 2007

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Texas}} Texas

| 3 || 2006

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Arizona}} Arizona

| 2 || 2009

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Ohio}} Ohio

| rowspan=8| 1 || 1981

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Maryland}} Maryland

| 1986

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Mexico}} Mexico

| 1988

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Louisiana}} Louisiana

| 1995

scope="row" | {{flagicon|New Hampshire}} New Hampshire

| 1997

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)}} Georgia

| 2002

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Panama}} Panama

| 2005

scope="row" | {{flagicon|Curaçao}} Curaçao

| 2008

See also

Footnotes

{{reflist}}