2002 Little League World Series

Children's baseball tournament Little_League_World_Series_official_logo_2002.gif August 16–August 25 16 Valley Sports American Little LeagueUSAKentucky Louisville, Kentucky Sendai Higashi Little LeagueJPN Sendai, Miyagi, Japan 2001 2003 The 2002 Little League World Series took place between August 16 and August 25 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Valley Sports American Little League of Pleasure Ridge Park, a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky, defeated Sendai Higashi Little League of Sendai, Japan, in the championship game of the 56th Little League World Series (LLWS). Notable players included 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Austin Dillon, a member of the Clemmons, North Carolina, Little League representing the Southeast region.Pockrass Bob http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-08-16/austin-dillon-little-league-world-series-michigan-race-tony-stewart-injury Austin Dillon used to pressure after playing in Little League World Series Sporting News August 16, 2013 September 25, 2013 September 28, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130928024311/http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/story/2013-08-16/austin-dillon-little-league-world-series-michigan-race-tony-stewart-injury dead Current hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies AA affiliate, Hartford Yard Goats, Zach OsborneYard Goats Coaching Staff to Return for 2025 Season https://www.milb.com/news/yard-goats-coaching-staff-to-return-for-2025-season 2025-08-23 MiLB.com en was the tournament MVP for the U.S. and World Champion Valley Sports American Little League. At the beginning of the 2002 tournament the Little League organization retired uniform number 11 for all teams playing in the LLWS from that year forward in honour of Fire Department of New York firefighter Michael Cammarata, a victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks,"Little League Honors a Hero". WNEP, August 21, 2017. who had worn that number during the 1991 LLWS. Qualification 2002 Little League World Series qualification Between five and twelve teams take part in 16 regional qualification tournaments, which vary in format depending on region. In the United States, the qualification tournaments are in the same format as the Little League World Series itself: a round-robin tournament followed by an elimination round to determine the regional champion. Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D Texas Fort Worth, TexasSouthwestWestside Little League New York 1909 Manhattan, New YorkMid-AtlanticHarlem Little League VEN 1930 Valencia, VenezuelaLatin AmericaLos Leones Little League JPN Sendai, Miyagi, JapanAsiaSendai Hagashi Little League Massachusetts Worcester, MassachusettsNew EnglandJesse Burkett Little League Kentucky Louisville, KentuckyGreat LakesValley Sports American Little League CANSaskatchewan Regina, SaskatchewanCanadaNorth Regina Little League CuraçaoANT Willemstad, CuraçaoCaribbeanPariba Little League Missouri Webb City, MissouriMidwestWebb City Little League California Aptos, CaliforniaWestAptos Little League GUM Hagåtña, GuamPacificCentral Little League MEX Monterrey, Nuevo León, MexicoMexicoCountry de Monterrey Little League Hawaii Waipio, HawaiiNorthwestWaipio Little League North Carolina Clemmons, North CarolinaSoutheastSouthwest Forsyth Little League KSA Dhahran, Saudi ArabiaTransatlanticArabian-American Little League RUS Moscow, RussiaEurope, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)Khovrino Little League Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. Pool play The top two teams in each pool move on to their respective semifinals. The winners of each met on August 25 to play for the Little League world championship. +Pool A Region Record Southwest 2–1 New England 2–1 Northwest 2–1 Midwest 0–3 +Pool B Region Record Great Lakes 3–0 Mid-Atlantic 2–1 West 1–2 Southeast 0–3 August 16 New England2–3NorthwestMidwest0–1Southwest August 17 West1–4Great LakesMid-Atlantic9–3SoutheastNew England2–1Midwest August 18 Southeast8–11WestWest10–4SoutheastNorthwest0–8SouthwestGreat Lakes2–0Mid-Atlantic August 19 New England6–0SouthwestMidwest1–2Northwest August 20 West2–5Mid-AtlanticSoutheast2–4Great Lakes International +Pool C Region Record Latin America 2–1 Pacific 2–1 Transatlantic 2–1 Canada 0–3 +Pool D Region Record Asia 3–0 Caribbean 2–1 Mexico 1–2 EMEA 0–3 August 16 Transatlantic3–2Canada August 17 Pacific1–11Latin AmericaMexico1–10CaribbeanEMEA0–7Asia August 18 Transatlantic6–9PacificMexico4–3EMEA August 19 EMEA0–13†(4 innings)CaribbeanAsia11–0†(4 innings)MexicoCanada3–9Latin America August 20 Asia5–0CaribbeanCanada7–12PacificTransatlantic6–5Latin America Elimination rounds August 21 - Lamade (Game ended by mercy rule) JPN Sendai, Japan 10 GUM Hagåtña, Guam 0 August 22 - Lamade VEN 1930 Valencia, Venezuela 0 CuraçaoANT Willemstad, Curaçao 3 August 21 - Lamade (11 innings) Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky 2 Texas Fort Worth, Texas 1 August 22 - Lamade Massachusetts Worcester, Massachusetts 5 New York 1909 New York, New York 2 August 24 - Lamade JPN Sendai, Japan 4 CuraçaoANT Willemstad, Curaçao 1 August 24 - Lamade Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky 4 Massachusetts Worcester, Massachusetts 0 August 25 - Lamade JPN Sendai, Japan 0 USAKentucky Louisville, Kentucky 1 August 25 - Volunteer USAMassachusetts Worcester, Massachusetts 1 CuraçaoANT Willemstad, Curaçao 9 2002 Little League World Series Champions100px|United States100px|KentuckyValley Sports American Little LeagueLouisville, Kentucky Notes † Game ended by "mercy rule" (at least a 10-run difference through 5 innings) Champions path The Louisville Valley Sports American LL went undefeated on their road to the LLWS, winning all eleven of their matches.http://www.unpage.org/greatlakes/glr-s2002.htm Great Lakes Region Tournament Historical Results Unpage.com August 29, 2010http://www.unpage.org/greatlakes/glr-2002.htm Great Lakes Region Tournament Unpage.com August 29, 2010 In total record was 17–0. RoundOppositionResultKentucky State TournamentGroup StageKentucky Clay County LL 7–1Group StageKentucky Morehead LL 1–0Group StageKentucky Owensboro Southern LL 6–4 (F/14)SemifinalsKentucky Richmond LL 11–0 (F/4)ChampionshipKentucky Owensboro Southern LL 3–0Great Lakes RegionalGroup StageOhio Hamilton West Side American LL 5–0Group StageIllinois Bradley-Bourbonnais LL2–1Group StageWisconsin Merrill LL4–1Group StageMichigan Grosse Pointe Farms-City LL3–1SemifinalsOhio Hamilton West Side American LL2–1Great Lakes Region ChampionshipIndiana Brownsburg LL8–1 In popular culture The U.S. semifinal between Valley Sports American Little League (Louisville, Kentucky) and Westside Little League (Fort Worth, Texas) lasted 11 innings, making it one of the longest games in Little League World Series history. The dramatic finish included back-to-back home runs in the top of the 11th inning, with Zach Osborne breaking the tie and teammate Aaron Alvey following with another blast. Osborne was later named MVP, while Alvey also set the tournament's strikeout record. Pitcher Josh Robinson took the mound in the bottom of the inning and recorded the final three outs to secure the victory for Valley Sports.Kentucky wins out on longest pitchers' duel in LLWS history https://www.espn.com/moresports/llws02/news/2002/0821/1421220.html ESPN.com 2002-08-21 2025-08-29Louisville Is a 2-1 Winner https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-22-sp-little22-story.html Los Angeles Times 2002-08-22 2025-08-292002 LLBWS Game 26 Recap http://www.littleleague.org/series/2002divisions/llbb/gamestories/21wednesday/game26/game26.htm Little League 2002-08-21 2025-08-29 In 2024, the game and the Fort Worth team's emotional journey were dramatized in the feature film You Gotta Believe, starring Luke Wilson and Greg Kinnear. The film highlights the team's run in honor of a teammate's father who was terminally ill and portrays the semifinal as a pivotal moment in their path to Williamsport.Luke Wilson and Greg Kinnear Lead an Inspiring Youth Baseball Team in "You Gotta Believe" Trailer https://people.com/luke-wilson-greg-kinnear-you-gotta-believe-trailer-exclusive-8668757 People 2024-06-25 2025-08-29You Gotta Believe, Inspiring Story of 2002 LLBWS Team from Texas, Set to Hit Theaters on August 30 https://www.littleleague.org/news/you-gotta-believe-inspiring-story-of-2002-llbws-team-from-texas-set-to-hit-theaters-on-august-30/ Little League 2024-07-11 2025-08-29Sandlot star returns to baseball in "You Gotta Believe" trailer https://ew.com/sandlot-star-returns-to-baseball-in-you-gotta-believe-trailer-8668660 Entertainment Weekly 2024-06-25 2025-08-29 Notable performances Several players from the 2002 tournament turned in performances that remain among the most memorable in Little League World Series history: Valley Sports pitcher Aaron Alvey recorded 44 strikeouts during the 2002 Series — the most by any player in a single Little League World Series to date. In the U.S. semifinal, he struck out 19 batters across nine no-hit innings before leaving under pitch-count rules.Little League Baseball World Series Records (PDF) https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/llbws-complete-records/ Little League 2025-08-29Kentucky wins out on longest pitchers' duel in LLWS history https://www.espn.com/moresports/llws02/news/2002/0821/1421220.html ESPN.com 2002-08-21 2025-08-29 Westside starter Walker Kelly matched Alvey's dominance in the same game, pitching nine innings of no-hit baseball with 21 strikeouts, one of the highest single-game totals in Series history.2002 LLBWS Game 26 Recap http://www.littleleague.org/series/2002divisions/llbb/gamestories/21wednesday/game26/game26.htm Little League 2002-08-21 2025-08-29Little League Baseball World Series Records (PDF) https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/llbws-complete-records/ Little League 2025-08-29 Valley Sports shortstop/pitcher Zach Osborne was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. In addition to hitting the decisive 11th-inning home run in the U.S. semifinal, he posted a 0.00 ERA over 13 innings pitched during the Series, as noted in the official record book.Louisville Is a 2-1 Winner https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-22-sp-little22-story.html Los Angeles Times 2002-08-22 2025-08-29Little League Baseball World Series Records (PDF) https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/llbws-complete-records/ Little League 2025-08-29 References External links 2002 official results via Wayback Machine Recap of championship game via Wayback Machine Dramatic 11th-inning walk-off home run by Zach Osborne – Valley Sports vs Westside, 2002 LLWS U.S. semifinal Official trailer for You Gotta Believe, featuring the 2002 LLWS semifinal Category:2002 Little League World Series Category:Little League World Series Little League World Series Little League World Series Category:Baseball in Louisville, Kentucky