What to know about Media in the Little League World Series

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Beginning Wednesday, there will be different accents and cultures packing the stands of the Little League World Series, and yet one that may stick out the most had just a three-hour journey.

“Delco is like its own little world. I don’t think they’re ready for this accent,” Media Little League manager Tom Bradley told the Associated Press after Media’s 2-0 win over Northeast Washington, D.C., on Friday in the Mid-Atlantic Regional championship.

Bradley’s team will embark on its quest for the Little League World Series title Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the Southwest Regional winner, Needville Little League out of Texas.

Here’s what to know:

This year is the 76th installment of the Little League World Series. Founded by Carl E. Stoz, an oil company clerk, Little League was born in 1939, with the first Baseball World Series taking place in 1947 at Original Field at Memorial Park in South Williamsport, Pa.

The tournament originally was for teams in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but as the sport grew, it began to include teams from around the country. International teams weren’t allowed to compete in the tournament until 1957.

Two years later in 1959, the World Series was moved to its current home of Howard J. Lamade Stadium. The tournament expanded from eight teams to 16 in 2001 when Volunteer Stadium was built.

There have been 20 girls who have played in the Little League Baseball World Series, including Philadelphia native and former Taney Dragons pitcher Mo’ne Davis.

» READ MORE: Mo’ne Davis is on an internship with the Dodgers, continuing to inspire baseball fans across the country

For the second straight year, the Little League World Series will be a 20-team, 38-game tournament that features 10 U.S regional champions and 10 international region champions.

The tournament is a double-elimination format, featuring 10- to 12-year-olds. Hawaii won the World Series last season as it beat Curaçao, 13-3, in four innings.

The 20-team tournament is held in South Williamsport and will run from Aug. 16-27. International bracket games are played at Volunteer Stadium while the United States bracket is played at Lamade Stadium, both of which are on the Little League International Complex.

Lamade Stadium, which was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 20 places to see a sports event in the world in 1999, can hold 45,000 if you include the two hillsides in the outfield.

ESPN will telecast every game on its family of networks — ESPN and ESPN2, along with ABC.

Not until championship weekend. According to the Little League website, admission is free to get onto the grounds and seating in Lamade and Volunteer Stadiums and is on a first-come, first-served basis, except in Section 1 behind home plate.

Tickets are not made available to access Lamade Stadium for all championship games. However, no ticket is required to get onto the hillside in the outfield. More ticket information can be found here.

The Delaware County team, which went 3-0 in its Mid-Atlantic Regional in Bristol, Conn., last week, defeated Northwest Washington, D.C., 2-0, in the regional championship on Friday.

Media’s Trevor Skowronek played the hero in the bottom of the seventh when he punched his team’s ticket to Williamsport with a two-run, walk-off home run that he lifted over the right-center field fence. It was the first hit of the game for the Delco team and Skowronek’s second home run in the tournament.

Right-hander Austin Crowley was stellar on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings while striking out 13. There was one point in the game when Crowley fired off seven consecutive strikeouts.

Left fielder Cole Carroll made a game-saving catch in the seventh inning.

Media’s first game is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Needville Little League of Texas, the Southwest Regional champion.

Here’s some information on Needville:

If Media wins its first game, it will play Friday at 7 p.m. against the Midwest Regional champion, Fargo (N.D.) Little League.

If it loses, Media will drop to the elimination bracket and play on Saturday at 2 p.m. against the loser of Northwest and New England. Both games would be featured on ESPN.

Click here for a full schedule of the World Series.

It is close to a three-hour drive.

Little League suggests all visitors park in the South Williamsport Sports Complex, which is located behind the Little League complex. The address for the lot is 617 E. Mountain Ave., South Williamsport Pa., 17702.

Once you park, you will need to walk to the stadiums and go through security checkpoints. Handicap shuttles will be made available from designated points near the parking lot.

In addition, if you are staying or parking in downtown Williamsport, there will be public transportation made available through River Valley Transit’s South Side Route.

Tickets cost $10, which provide unlimited rides throughout the tournament, and can be purchased at the RVT Trade & Transit Centre information office or from any of the RVT Little League/South Side Bus Operators.

Buses will depart from the RVT’s Trade & Transit Centre (Bay 12) in downtown Williamsport every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour each day of the tournament. RVT will provide service along its Super Nightline routes on Sundays. Return service will be every 30 minutes.

If you chose to use ride share services, use the address for the South Williamsport Sports Complex: 617 E. Mountain Ave South Williamsport, Pa., 17702.

Yes. The most recent one to make it to Williamsport is Upper Providence Little League from Oaks in 2021. Taney Dragons Little League out of Philadelphia made it in 2014.

» READ MORE: Scott Bandura is now a pro ballplayer, but he’s OK with being remembered as a Taney Dragon

There have been two additional Delco teams that have made it to the Little League World Series in the 12U division as well: Exchange Club Little League in Upper Darby in 1957; and Newtown Edgmont Little League finished third in the then eight-team tournament in 1967.

Yes, two. Levittown Little League was the last to win it all in 1960 when it defeated North East Optimist Club Little League of Fort Worth, Texas. Joseph Mormello Jr. threw a no-hitter in the 5-0 championship win, striking out 16.

The other team was Morrisville Little League in 1955.

Yes. The first to do it was Hammonton, N.J., Little League in 1949. Then Morrisville and Levittown followed before Lakewood, N.J., Little League won it in 1975.

The last team to do it was the Toms River Little League team out of New Jersey in 1998, which featured former Major League third baseman Todd Frazier. Frazier was inducted into the Little League Hall of Excellence last summer.

The Phillies and Washington Nationals.

Both teams will travel to Williamsport on Sunday 20 to spend the day with players from each of the Little League teams before playing at night at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.

Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field is home to the Williamsport Crosscutters, the former Phillies affiliate in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League before it cut its ties in 2020. The Crosscutters now compete in the MLB Draft League.

This is the sixth season that MLB and its players association will host the MLB Little League Classic after launching it in 2017 when the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the St. Louis Cardinals.

The game will serve as a home game for the Nationals and can be watched on ESPN as part of Sunday Night Baseball. It is the second time the Phillies are playing in the MLB Little League Classic. The last time they took part was in 2018 against the New York Mets.