Little League Western Regional Starts Today

The Little League Western Regional, whose winner will advance to the Little League World Series, begins today in San Bernardino, where Southern California’s representative, West Anaheim, will play Arrowhead of Glendale, Ariz., at 8 p.m.

In other first-round games at Western Regional Headquarters, Peccolle, Nev., faces Taylorsville, Utah, at 10 a.m. and Waipio, Hawaii, meets Mount Sentinel of Missoula, Mont., at 5 p.m.

There is no admission charge at 8,000-seat Al Houghton Stadium.

For the second consecutive year, the West and Northwest regionals will be conducted in San Bernardino, which has staged Little League playoffs since 1951.

The Northwest Regional, which concludes Aug. 12, includes teams from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

The West Regional, which concludes Aug. 13, has teams from Southern and Northern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.

ESPN will televise both regional finals. The champions advance to the World Series, Aug. 16-25 in Williamsport, Pa.

Little League, Inc., the largest international youth baseball organization in the world with approximately 2.8 million participants, last year expanded its World Series field from eight to 16 teams and doubled the number of regional tournaments. Eight of those will be staged over the next 10 days at five locations in the U.S.; six more regionals will be contested in Canada, Nicaragua, Poland, the Virgin Islands and the Philippines. Teams from Moscow and Monterrey, Mexico, have already qualified for the World Series by winning regionals.

Expansion did little to enhance California’s chances, though. The state has more Little League participants than any other location in the world, yet both of the state’s representatives continue to play in the West Regional.

California teams have dominated the West, advancing to the World Series 38 times since 1951. Southern California teams have played in Williamsport 25 times, including 11 of the last 15 years.

The 27-acre Western Regional complex, adjacent to Interstate 215 just south of Devore, has air-conditioned dorms for as many as 250 players and coaches