The iconic green hills of Howard J. Lamade Stadium are manicured, the iconic hill behind the outfield fence is prepped for cardboard-box sledding, and 20 teams from around the world have arrived in Central Pennsylvania.
On Wednesday, August 19, the 79th Little League Baseball® World Series officially gets underway in South Williamsport, launching nearly two weeks of international competition, camaraderie, and quintessential summer baseball.
The double-elimination tournament opens Wednesday morning at Volunteer Stadium before shifting to the famous Lamade Stadium for afternoon and evening slate games.
Ten teams from across the United States will compete in the U.S. Bracket, while ten international teams—representing regions from Asia-Pacific and Latin America to Europe-Africa and Canada—will battle in the International Bracket.
Wednesday Opening Games Schedule:
Game 1 (International): Latin America vs. Caribbean (Volunteer Stadium)
Game 2 (U.S.): Southeast vs. Northwest (Lamade Stadium)
Game 3 (International): Canada vs. Asia-Pacific (Volunteer Stadium)
Game 4 (U.S.): Metro vs. New England (Lamade Stadium)
While the tournament crowned a champion on the field at the end of August, the event remains one of youth sports’ most celebrated cultural exchanges. Players spend their stay housed together at the International Complex, trading pins, sharing meals, and building friendships that span continents.
Fans attending the 12-day event can expect free admission and parking—a hallmark tradition of the tournament—alongside fan zone activations, pin-trading tents, and the famous view from the Lamade Stadium hill, where thousands of spectators gather with cardboard boxes to slide down the steep slope during games.
A major highlight of the tournament’s opening week arrives Sunday, August 23, with the return of the MLB Little League Classic. Major League Baseball stars will land at Williamsport Regional Airport to attend youth games during the day before taking the field at Historic Bowman Field for a prime-time national broadcast.
With games broadcast daily on ESPN platforms, South Williamsport once again becomes the epicenter of the baseball world through the World Series Championship Game on Sunday, August 30.
