The all-star team from the Glendora American Little League will begin play in the Little League Baseball West Region tournament Saturday evening, seeking the first of three victories needed to advance to the World Series.
If Glendora defeats its counterpart from the Honolulu Little League, the Hawaii state champion, it will advance to Monday’s winner’s bracket final against the winner of Saturday’s game between the all-star teams from the Sidewinder Little League of Peoria, Arizona, the Arizona state champion, and Tri City Little League of Rocklin, California, the Northern California champion.
A loss would put Glendora into an elimination bracket game against the Sidewinder-Tri City loser Sunday in the modified double-elimination tournament.
There were six teams in the 2021 tournament. Nevada and Utah have been shifted to the Mountain Region, one of two new U.S. regions. Little League International also added two international teams to expand the World Series field to 20.
Glendora qualified for the West Region tournament with a 10-2 victory over the all-star team from the Del Rey American Little League in the championship game of the Southern California tournament Monday, avenging a 6-4 loss to Del Rey American a day earlier.
Glendora went 3-0 to win the Section 3 championship, outscoring its opponents 38-10. It began tournament play with a 6-5 loss to the all-star team from the La Verne Little League, then facing elimination each time, won its next five games in the District 20 tournament, including 12-4 and 15-0 victories over the all-star team from the Glendora National Little League in the championship series.
Glendora is 12-2 in its three tournaments.
Honolulu went 6-0 to win two tournaments to become the Hawaii state champion.
The 7:30 p.m. game from Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino will be streamed by ESPN+.
The tournament is set to conclude Friday.