Little League District II Preview: 6/29/2003
	A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

2003 LITTLE LEAGUE STATE TOURNAMENT
Juniors (13-14), Seniors (15-16)

The Little League juniors-seniors brackets are the equivalent of Babe Ruth baseball in some towns. The Little League concept works better in smaller towns which cannot produce a team strictly of 13, 14 and 15 years olds as the Babe Ruth state tournament requires in this area.

The most difficult age bracket in baseball is the 13-year-old bracket because that's when boys must make the adjustment from the short distances of Little League age 12 to regulation baseball distances between the bases and the pitchers mound.  Up to age 12, baseball is a miniature version of itself. Once you reach age 13, you are playing baseball at the same infield distances that major leaguers use.  Little League combines the 13 and 14 year old bracket, allowing 13-year-olds a a chance to adjust to the larger distances, at least in all-star play. 

Lowell has easily been the strongest team in District II Little League juniors and senior in recent years (they are the defending champ in both juniors and seniors) and DeMotte is usually the big rival. In the senior bracket (ages 15-16), the Little League has allowed Hebron and Cedar Lake to combine and produce one all-star team. That team will be more competitive than they have been in this bracket.   Whiting has a team in the junior bracket (13-14) but not the senior bracket.

The winner of the district playoffs usually meets the District I champion in a three-game series for the right to go to the state finals. This is the major hurdle because District I includes Valparaiso, Merrillville, Hobart and Midtown (Gary).

Because of the odd number of districts, the champion of one or two districts every year goes directly to the state finals. This year, it appears, that because a District I team (Merrillville) hosts the state finals, District I's champion goes straight to the finals. Since District II would play District I at the sectional level,  the District II champion also goes directly to the state finals in the juniors (ages 13-14) bracket.

Obviously, that gives the 2003 District II Little League juniors champion, a much better shot at a state crown than they have had in past years.  But it does create a giant-sized competition jump between the district title game and the crucial opening game in the double-elimination finals.
As always, it is virtually impossible to lose the first game in a double-elimination all-star tournament of more than six teams and come back to win the tournament.

Nobody has that much pitching.

JUNIORS  (ages 13-14)
double-elimination in LOWELL (7 teams)
At LOWELL   -  Saturday, July 5
Wheatfield vs. CEDAR LAKE   - 12 noon
LOWELL vs. HEBRON   -   3 p.m.
Roselawn vs. Whiting   -    5:30 p.m.  

At LOWELL   -  Sunday,  July 6
Wheatfield or CEDAR LAKE vs. DeMotte  12 noon
LOWELL or HEBRON vs. Roselawn or Whiting

At LOWELL   -  Monday, July  7
Loser's bracket elimination game : 5:30 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Tuesday, July  8
Loser's bracket elimination game:  5:30 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Wednesday, July 9
Loser's bracket elimination game: 5:30 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Thursday, July 10
Winner's bracket final game: 5:30 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Friday, July 11
Wednesday's winner vs. Tuesday's winner: 5:30 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Saturday, July 12
Thursday's loser vs., Friday's winner:  2 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Sunday, July 13
Championship round game one:  2 p.m.
Championship round game two:   5 p.m.

(Sunday, July 13 winner goes directly to the state finals)


SENIORS  (ages 15-16)
double-elimination in LOWELL (5 teams)
At LOWELL   -  Saturday, July 5
LOWELL vs. Roselawn -  8 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Sunday,  July 6
DeMotte - HEBRON-CEDAR LAKE - 5:30 p.m.
Wheatfield vs. LOWELL or Roselawn - 8 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Monday, July  7
Loser's bracket elimination game : 8 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Tuesday, July  8
Winner's bracket final:  8 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Wednesday, July 9
Loser's bracket elimination game: 8 p.m..

At LOWELL   -  Thursday, July 10
Loser's bracket elimination game: 8 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Friday, July 11
Championship round game one:  8 p.m.

At LOWELL   -  Saturday, July 12
Championship round game two:   5 p.m.

(Saturday, July 12 winner faces the District I champion in a three-game
series July 17-19 at the home of the District I champion.)

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Revised: July 10, 2004.