As Little League celebrates 75th years strong at the 2014 Little League Baseball World Series, the league representing the Canada Region has won its way to compete in South Williamsport.
In Valleyfield, Quebec, South Vancouver Little League from British Columbia, Canada, captured the banner as Canada Region Champions with the 4-1 win over Toronto High Park Little League from Toronto, representing Ontario, on Sunday, August 10.
With this victory, South Vancouver Little League completes the field of International Region Champions competing in the 2014 Little League Baseball World Series.
This will be the 55th Little League Baseball World Series appearance for a team from Canada, and the 15th time a team from British Columbia will advance to play in the tournament.
As Little League celebrates its 75th Anniversary at the Little League Baseball World Series, a team advancing from Vancouver is fitting, as it was one of the first international cities to charter a Little League program.
The first Canadian league chartered was Little Mountain Little League in Vancouver in 1951.
That same year, two leagues were also chartered in Panama, becoming the first international leagues. At the 2014 Little League Baseball World Series, the Little Mountain Little League Challenger Division will participate in the Challenger Exhibition Game on Saturday, Aug. 23 at 10:30 a.m. on Volunteer Stadium.
This is the first World Series appearance for South Vancouver Little League. The city last sent a team to South Williamsport in 2012 when Hastings Community Little League went 1-2.
At this year’s region tournament, the team from Vancouver went 6-2, scoring 53 runs while only allowing 18. With South Vancouver winning the Canada Region Champion, Emma March will become the 17th girl to play in the Little League Baseball World Series.
In addition to the 75th Anniversary of the founding of Little League, 2014 also marks the 40th Anniversary of girls in Little League and the founding of Little League Softball.
Emma, and her twin brother Evan, are a set of two twins on the South Vancouver roster, while Daniel and Matthew Suarez are the other twins on the team.
The Canada Region Champions will face the Mexico Region Champions on Friday, Aug. 15, at 1 p.m. at Volunteer Stadium, airing on ESPN.
On Friday, June 11, Guadalupe Linda Vista from Nuevo Leon won the Mexico Region Championship in Monterey.
All games at the Little League Baseball World Series will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks, the Watch ESPN app or ABC.
The 68th Little League Baseball World Series begins on Thursday, Aug. 14 in South Williamsport with the Championship Game scheduled for 3 pm (eastern time) Aug. 24
The World Series will culminate the year-long celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Little League.
For more information on the Series and to follow the action live, visit LittleLeagueBigLegacy.com.
