Little League World Series (Great Lakes Region)

Great Lakes Region
Most recent season or competition:
2023 Little League World Series qualification
FormerlyCentral Region (1957–2000)
SportBaseball
Founded2000; 24 years ago (2000)
No. of teams5
Country United States
Most recent
champion(s)
Ohio New Albany Little League, New Albany, Ohio
Most titles
 Kentucky (8)

Michigan Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores Little League, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (3)

Kentucky Bowling Green Eastern Little League, Bowling Green, Kentucky (3)

Official websiteLittle League Baseball & Softball Central Region Headquarters

The Great Lakes Region is one of ten United States regions that currently sends teams to the Little League World Series, the largest youth baseball competition in the world. The region's participation in the LLWS dates back to 1957, when it was known as the Central Region. However, when the LLWS was expanded in 2001 from eight teams (four U.S. teams and four "International" teams from the rest of the world) to 16 teams (eight U.S. and eight International), the Central Region was split into the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions.

The Great Lakes Region has a unique definition that does not correspond with the normally understood definition of the "Great Lakes" area, even when the context is restricted to the U.S. Although eight U.S. states (and the Canadian province of Ontario) border on the Great Lakes, only four of them are in Little League's Great Lakes Region:

One state that does not border any of the Great Lakes, and in fact has no territory within the Great Lakes watershed, is included in this region:

Two states that border on the Great Lakes, New York and Pennsylvania are in other regions; Pennsylvania plays in the Mid-Atlantic region, while New York plays in the Metro region. The remaining U.S. state that borders on the Great Lakes, Minnesota, is in the Midwest region. (The Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes have their Little League champions participate in a nationwide tournament, with the winner representing Canada in the International bracket at the LLWS.)

Following the 2021 LLWS, Wisconsin has been moved to the Midwest Region. This move coincides with a planned expansion of the LLWS from 16 to 20 teams. This expansion was originally scheduled to occur for 2021, but was delayed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Regional championship[edit]

The year's winner is indicated in green.

2001–2021[edit]

Year Illinois Illinois Indiana Indiana Kentucky Kentucky Michigan Michigan Ohio Ohio Wisconsin Wisconsin
2001 Lansing East LL
Lansing
Brownsburg LL
Brownsburg
Owensboro Southern LL
Owensboro
Roosevelt Park LL
Roosevelt Park
Fairborn American LL
Fairborn
Appleton Kiwanis LL
Appleton
2002 Bradley-Bourbonnais American LL
Bourbonnais
Brownsburg LL
Brownsburg
Valley Sports LL
Louisville
Grosse Pointe
Farms-City LL
Grosse Pointe Farms
West Side American LL
Hamilton
Merrill LL
Merrill
2003 Moline National LL
Moline
Brooklyn LL
Anderson
Owensboro Southern LL
Owensboro
Midland Northeast LL
Midland
Tallmadge LL
Tallmadge
Wausau Western LL
Wausau
2004 Mundelein National LL
Mundelein
Highland LL
Highland
Owensboro Southern LL
Owensboro
Western LL
Grand Rapids
West Side LL
Hamilton
Appleton Einstein LL
Appleton
2005 Limestone LL
Kankakee
Seymour LL
Seymour
Owensboro Southern LL
Owensboro
Western LL
Grand Rapids
Boardman Community
East LL
Boardman
Lakeland National LL
Bristol
2006 Lemont LL
Lemont
New Castle LL
New Castle
Owensboro Southern LL
Owensboro
Union Township Kids LL
Mount Pleasant
West Side LL
Hamilton
Appleton Einstein LL
Appleton
2007 Western Springs LL
Western Springs
New Albany LL
New Albany
Warren County Southern LL
Bowling Green
Taylor Northwest LL
Taylor
West Side LL
Hamilton
Wausau Northern LL
Wausau
2008 Jackie Robinson LL
Chicago
Jeff/GRC LL
Jeffersonville
Bowling Green Eastern LL
Bowling Green
Bay City Southwest LL
Bay City
Mt. Vernon LL
Mt. Vernon
Appleton Einstein LL
Appleton
2009 Jackie Robinson LL
Chicago
Bartholomew County National LL
Bartholomew County
Logan County/Russellville LL
Russellville
Grosse Pointe
Farms-City LL
Grosse Pointe
West Side LL
Hamilton
West Madison American LL
Madison
2010 Moline National LL
Moline
Terre Haute North LL
Terre Haute
Owensboro Southern LL
Owensboro
Richmond LL
Richmond
West Side LL
Hamilton
Burlington LL
Burlington
2011 Rock Falls LL
Rock Falls
Golfmoor LL
Evansville
North Oldham LL
La Grange
Grosse Pointe Park LL
Grosse Pointe Park
West Side LL
Hamilton
Burlington LL
Burlington
2012 Streator LL
Streator
New Castle LL
New Castle
Warren County South LL
Bowling Green
North Saginaw Township LL
Saginaw
West Side LL
Hamilton
Eau Claire National LL
Eau Claire
2013 Jackie Robinson West LL
Chicago
Hagerstown LL
Hagerstown
Knox County LL
Barbourville
Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL
Grosse Pointe Woods
West Side LL
Hamilton
Burlington LL
Burlington
2014 Jackie Robinson West LL
Chicago[2]
New Albany LL
New Albany
Warren County Southern LL
Bowling Green
Midland Northeast LL
Midland
Canfield LL
Canfield
Burlington LL
Burlington
2015 Olney LL
Olney
New Albany LL
New Albany
Bowling Green Eastern LL
Bowling Green
Bay City Southwest LL
Bay City
West Side LL
Hamilton
Burlington LL
Burlington
2016 Streator LL
Streator
Terre Haute North LL
Terre Haute
Bowling Green Eastern LL
Bowling Green
Essexville-Hampton LL
Essexville
West Side LL
Hamilton
Kenosha American LL
Kenosha
2017 Hinsdale LL
Hinsdale
New Albany LL
New Albany
Lexington Eastern LL
Lexington
Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL
Grosse Pointe Woods
West Side LL
Hamilton
Wausau National LL
Wausau
2018 Tri-Cities LL
West Dundee
New Albany LL
New Albany
St. Matthews LL
St. Matthews
Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL
Grosse Pointe Woods
New Albany LL
New Albany
Wausau National LL
Wausau
2019 River Forest Youth LL
River Forest
Silver Creek LL
Sellersburg
Bowling Green Eastern LL
Bowling Green
Bay City Northwest LL
Bay City
West Side LL
Hamilton
Glendale LL
Glendale
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Hinsdale LL
Hinsdale
Brownsburg LL
Brownsburg
Warren County South LL
Bowling Green
Taylor North LL
Taylor
West Side LL
Hamilton
Elmbrook LL
Brookfield

2022–present[edit]

Year Illinois Illinois Indiana Indiana Kentucky Kentucky Michigan Michigan Ohio Ohio
2022 Hinsdale LL
Hinsdale
Hagerstown LL
Hagerstown
North Laurel LL
London
Grosse Pointe Farms-City LL
Grosse Pointe Farms
West Side LL
Hamilton
2023 Elmhurst Youth Baseball LL
Elmhurst
Bedford LL
Bedford
Lexington Eastern LL
Lexington
Midland Northeast LL
Midland
New Albany LL
New Albany

LLWS results[edit]

As of the 2023 Little League World Series.

Year Champion City LLWS Record
2001 Brownsburg LL Indiana Brownsburg US Semifinal 3–1
2002 Valley Sports American LL Kentucky Louisville Champions 6–0
2003 Tallmadge LL Ohio Tallmadge Group Stage 1–2
2004 Southern LL Kentucky Owensboro Group Stage 1–2
2005 Southern LL Kentucky Owensboro Group Stage 0–3
2006 Lemont LL Illinois Lemont US Semifinal 2–2
2007 West Side LL Ohio Hamilton Group Stage 1–2
2008 Jefferson/GRC American LL Indiana Jeffersonville Group Stage 0–3
2009 Logan County/Russellville LL Kentucky Russellville Group Stage 0–3
2010 West Side LL Ohio Hamilton Group Stage 1–2
2011 North Oldham LL Kentucky La Grange Round 2 1–2
2012 New Castle LL Indiana New Castle Round 2 1–2
2013 Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL Michigan Grosse Pointe Woods Round 1 0–3
2014 New Albany LL[a] Indiana New Albany
2015 Bowling Green Eastern LL Kentucky Bowling Green Round 3 2–2
2016 Bowling Green Eastern LL Kentucky Bowling Green US Semifinal 2–2
2017 Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL Michigan Grosse Pointe Woods Round 1 1–2
2018 Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL Michigan Grosse Pointe Woods Round 3 2–2
2019 Bowling Green Eastern LL Kentucky Bowling Green Round 1 1–2
2020 LLWS not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021[b] Taylor North LL Michigan Taylor Champions 5–1
West Side LL Ohio Hamilton Runner-up 5–2
2022 Hagerstown LL Indiana Hagerstown Round 3 1–2
2023 New Albany LL Ohio New Albany Round 1 0–2
  1. ^ New Albany Little League of New Albany, Indiana was retroactively given the Great Lakes Region title when Jackie Robinson West Little League from Chicago was found to have fielded ineligible players.
  2. ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Little League International did not invite teams from outside the U.S. to the LLWS in 2021. Instead, the top two teams in each U.S. region qualified.

Results by state[edit]

As of the 2023 Little League World Series. Italics denote the state is no longer a member of the Great Lakes Region.

State Great Lakes
Championships
Record
in LLWS
PCT
Kentucky Kentucky 8 12–16 .429
Indiana Indiana 5 5–8 .385
Michigan Michigan 4 8–8 .500
Ohio Ohio 4 8–10 .444
Illinois Illinois 1 2–2 .500
Wisconsin Wisconsin 0 0–0
Total 22 35–44 .443

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Little League Baseball and Little League Softball World Series to Expand in 2021". Little League Baseball. Little League International. August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  2. ^ The Jackie Robinson LL was forced to forfeit all its wins in the tournament (as well as in the 2014 Little League World Series) due to fielding ineligible players.