With its 2-1 victory over Mallard Creek Little League in the North Carolina State Championship game, Rowan Little League (Salisbury, N.C.) has punched its ticket to Greenville, North Carolina, for the 2023 Little League Softball® World Series. The advancement to the tournament comes as part of the recent LLSWS expansion to 12 teams, now in its second year, that includes direct entry for the North Carolina state champion as the host state for the event.
Rowan Little League’s appearance in this year’s event marks the sixth trip by the league to the Little League Softball World Series in the past eight years, including a pair of World Series championships in 2015 and 2019. During its last appearance in 2021, as the Southeast Region B representative in an event that was made of only teams from the United States due to COVID restrictions, Rowan Little League finished the LLSWS with a 3-2 record.
Pitt County Girls Softball Little League will also have the opportunity to compete for a spot in Greenville through the Southeast Region Tournament as the North Carolina representative after defeating Mallard Creek Little League in the elimination bracket final to earn the runner-up bid. Since the tournament began in 1974, a team from North Carolina has represented the Southeast Region 10 times, with its only two championships coming from Rowan Little League.
With the first-round matchups for the 2023 LLSWS set, Rowan Little League will open the tournament with a first-round matchup in the Purple Bracket against the Central Region Champion in Game 1 on Sunday, August 6, at 10 a.m. ET. The winner of that game will take on the Asia-Pacific Region Champions while the loser will face off against the loser of Game 7.
In addition to the fun and excitement of the 2023 LLSWS, participants at this year’s event will also have the unique opportunity to spend time with the top athletes of the game as part of the first ever AU Pro Games at the LLSWS, featuring an Athletes Unlimited doubleheader at East Carolina University on Wednesday, August 9.
Following the most-watched LLSWS in history last year, the #SummerOfSoftball will be celebrated once again in 2023 as the program continues to make history with this year’s LLSWS Championship game being aired on ABC for the first time this summer while the championship games from six Little League Softball U.S. Region Tournaments will be broadcast on ESPN, after four years of airing on ESPN+ (the Southwest Region Championship will continue to air on Longhorn Network).
The 2023 Little League Softball World Series is set to take place in Greenville, North Carolina, from August 6-13. For more information on the 2023 LLSWS, including information on how to attend or watch from home, visit LittleLeague.org/LLSWS.