With the 2021 Little League Softball® World Series set to take place for the first time at its new home in Greenville, North Carolina, on August 11-18, it’s time to take a look at the 10 teams who will be taking the field inside Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park. Because the 2021 Little League Softball World Series features teams only from the United States, the top two teams from each of its five U.S. region tournaments have earned a spot in Greenville. Here are the teams, with a look at their run through their respective region tournaments:
Central Region
Champion: Missouri – Daniel Boone Little League (Columbia, Mo.)
Led by manager Nick Britton and coaches, Kerry Bush and Steve Regan, Daniel Boone Little League is heading to Greenville following an impressive 4-0 record at the Central Region tournament to take home the championship banner. In the championship game against fellow Central Region representative, Indiana, Missouri was able to post a two-hit shutout thanks to an impressive eight-strikeout performance in 5.1 innings of work by Hayden Bush. A team from Missouri has never won the Little League Softball World Series.
Runner-Up: Indiana – Zionsville (Ind.) Little League
Zionsville Little League has earned a spot in Greenville after a tough battle through the Central Region tournament, their only two losses coming to the champions out of Missouri. The 2021 team, led by manager Jeramiah Westerfield and coaches, Matt Schuckman and Todd Bradford, has been playing in honor of the team’s former coach, Steve Strecker, who unexpectedly passed away just a few years back. A team from Indiana has never won the Little League Softball World Series.
East Region
Champion: New York – South Orangetown Little League (Orangeburg, N.Y.)
Despite falling in the 2019 New York State championship in the minor league division, the team from South Orangetown Little League has returned in 2021 and battled through to earn a spot in Greenville as the East Region Champions behind manager Joe Chiappa and coach Bob D’Orio. A team from New York has never won the Little League Softball World Series.
Runner-Up: New Jersey – Robbinsville (N.J.) Little League
After becoming the first and only team from New Jersey to win the Little League Softball World Series in 2014, Robbinsville Little League is heading to back to the World Series at its new home in Greenville in search of the league’s second title behind manager, Mike Sabol, and coaches, Jason Penzone and Matt Halpin. This will be the league’s sixth Little League Softball World Series appearance.
Southeast Region
Champion: Virginia – Chesterfield (Va.) Little League
Led by manager, Bill Fiege, and coaches Kim Bossler and Steve Myers, Chesterfield (Va.) Little League heads to Greenville after a tough journey through the Southeast Region Tournament. Faced with a rain delay that led to a suspended game in the semifinals, Chesterfield (Va.) Little League was able to capture a 2-0 win to advance to the Southeast Region Championship where they took down the defending World Series Champion, Rowan Little League. The last time a team from Virginia won the Little League Softball World Series was in 2005 (McLean Little League).
Runner-Up: North Carolina – Rowan Little League (Salisbury, N.C.)
After taking home the title at both the 2015 and 2019 Little League Softball World Series, the defending champions are back to defend their title once again in 2021. Led by manager Donnell Poole, and coaches Allen Baker and Charlie Dry, the 2021 Rowan Little League team heads into the Little League Softball World Series after an impressive run in the Southwest Region Tournament, their only loss coming in the championship game. Those two championships were the only two Little League Softball World Series titles won by a team from North Carolina.
Southwest Region
Champion: Oklahoma – Green Country Little League (Muskogee, Okla.)
A new program launched in 2019, and led by manager John Hutchens and coaches Tailee Reding and Hayleigh Galvan, Green Country Little League is making the trip to Greenville after taking home the Southwest Region Championship banner with an 8-5 victory over Texas West in the final. A team from Oklahoma has never won the Little League Softball World Series.
Runner-Up: Texas West – Robinson (Texas) Little League
Robinson Little League is heading to Greenville after an impressive battle at the Southwest Region Tournament, their only losses coming to the region champions out of Oklahoma. The last team from Texas to win the Little League Softball World Series was Lake Air Little League (Waco, Texas) in 2017. In total, a team from Texas has won 13 times, including a span of 11 championships between 1992-2004.
West Region
Champion: Nevada – Summerlin South Little League (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Led by manager Jim Lenahan and coaches, Mark Koenig and Chris Malloy, Summerlin South Little League will be heading to Greenville after an impressive offensive performance at the West Region tournament, outscoring their opponents, 43-2. A team from Nevada has never won the Little League Softball World Series.
Runner-Up: Arizona – Cactus Foothills Little League (Cave Creek, Ariz.)
Cactus Foothills Little League earned a spot in Greenville after an intense journey through the West Region tournament that included a couple of tough matchups with the team from Southern California. In total, Arizona put up a combined 55 runs through five games in the region tournament. A team from Arizona has only won the Little League Softball World Series on one occasion, when Sunnyside Little League, from Tucson, took home the title in 2013.
Each of the 10 teams listed above will be divided into two pools for the first phase of play, named after two Olympic Softball gold medalists and Hall of Famers, Jennie Finch and Jessica Mendoza. Arizona, Missouri, New York, Texas West, and Virginia will be competing in the Jennie Finch pool, while Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Oklahoma will compete in the Jessica Mendoza pool.
WHAT👉: @LLSBWorldSeries | #LLWS
WHERE📍: @GreenvilleNC
WATCH📱📺: @espn networks
WHEN📅: August 11-18
WHO: (a thread 🧵) pic.twitter.com/o084uam8ci— Little League (@LittleLeague) July 31, 2021
To learn more about the Little League Softball World Series, including the full schedule and how to follow along, visit LittleLeague.org/LLSBWS.