Erik Boal
News-Press staff writer Erik Boal is following the Glendale Senior
Softball team in its attempt to win back-to-back Little League World
Series titles. The following are odds and ends from Jeffersontown.
Out with the new, in with the old: With the exception of U.S.
South representative Dunedin Little League of Clearwater, Fla., and
U.S. East champion Bristol, Conn., the other eight Senior Softball
All-Star teams that have gathered at Skyview Park in Jeffersontown,
Ky., for this year's Little League World Series are all familiar
names.
The top three teams in last year's tournament -- Glendale, U.S.
Central champion Gladstone, Mich., and Asia-Pacific representative
Bacolod City, Philippines -- all survived their respective regional
tournaments and for their efforts, were all put in the same pool.
Midway Little League of Waco, Texas, also returns, albeit from a
different region.
In an effort to increase the number of teams in the 15-and
16-year-old tournament, Little League of America added a ninth region
-- the U.S. Southwest -- to increase the field from nine (like in
last year's double-elimination tournament) to 10, including the host
team from Kentucky District 2.
After representing U.S. South last summer, Midway became the first
U.S. Southwest champion Thursday night, defeating in-state rival El
Campo Little League twice after losing to the same team earlier in
the tournament.
As a result, Dunedin -- who survived a 24-team state tournament
before sweeping four games in its regional -- earned the bid as U.S.
South champion.
After losing to last year's U.S. East representative Nassau, Del.,
in a pool-play contest in its regional tournament Wednesday, Bristol
rebounded to defeat Concord, N.H., in the regional semifinal Thursday
before posting a 1-0 victory in Friday's championship game against
Pennsylvania's Nanticoke/Newport Little League, thus becoming the
second fresh face among the field.
But Bristol and Dunedin are both paired in Pool A with three
veterans in British Columbia, Canada, Kentucky District 2 and Puerto
Rico.
The other returning team, European champion The Netherlands, joins
Bacolod City, Gladstone, Glendale, and Midway Little League in Pool
B.
Of all the teams returning for the 2002 tournament, Glendale
boasts the most returning players with seven.
Loving this challenge: Following Sunday's opening ceremonies at
Skyview Park, all 10 teams were treated to an exhibition game
featuring two groups from Jeffersontown's own challenger division.
