An Alaska team has a chance Thursday night to earn a berth in the Little League Baseball World Series.
The Dimond-West Little League team from Anchorage will play a Seattle team in the final of the Northwest Region Tournament. The game will be broadcast on ESPN starting at 5 p.m. AKDT. The winner advances to next week’s Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Players who compete in the Little League Baseball World Series are 10 to 12 years old. There are other age and gender groups following the Little League World Series format, including girls softball.
No Alaska team has ever advanced past the regional round in this tournament. Teams from Washington and Oregon have won 17 of the 21 Northwest tournaments. Prior to that, Alaska was in the Western Region, which was generally dominated by California teams.
Alaska went back-to-back!!! #LLWS pic.twitter.com/W32NeJ4SUO
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 5, 2023
Alaska topped Idaho 10-2 in the tournament’s opening round Saturday in San Bernardino, California. After falling to Washington 9-0, the Alaskans bounced back Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Idaho to reach Thursday’s rematch with Washington.
Other Alaska teams have reached the Little League World Series in other age and gender divisions. Most recently, the Nunaka Valley girls softball team won the championship in 2012.
Clarification: A previous version of this story reported that the Dimond-West baseball team, if it wins, would be the first from the state to qualify for the Little League World Series. Other teams from Alaska have reached the Little League World Series in other age and gender divisions, but not in this particular tournament.