Little League District 2 Preview: 6/27/2003
	A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

LITTLE LEAGUE STATE TOURNAMENT
Minors (9-10), Majors (11-12)

Folks call the basketball tournament March madness but I have seen them both and the Indiana state basketball tournament is relatively tame compared to the Little League all stars state tournament.

And it got a little crazier this year. Because of a schedule change brought on by a scheduling conflict with the Brickyard 400 auto race, the minors and majors must hold their tournaments almost simultaneously.

Let's go over the rules again folks. All tournaments are double-elimination but the first two rounds are the SAME tournament so if you lose in the first round, you carry that loss to the district finals. If you win the district, you start sectional play again undefeated. This is the most difficult tournament that I know of in all of sport. If you win every single game, it takes 11 or 12  wins to take the state title. But it is mathematically possible to win 16 times and NOT win the state crown.
But win or lose, don't let anybody tell you this is nothing.  Not only do most ballplayers begin their careers in Little League baseball or its equivalent. But most boys begin their careers in competitive athletics at the Little League level.

So, the Little League tourney will be as wild as usual. It's just that unless you can be in two places at once, you won't see as much of it this summer.

MINORS  (ages 9-10)

At DYER  -  Monday,  June 30
CP (1) vs. Hebron - 6 p.m.
Griffith (II) vs. Hessville - 8 p.m.

At DYER  -  Tuesday,  July 1
DYER (1) vs. CP (1) or Hebron at 6 p.m.
Monday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At DYER  -  Wednesday, July 2
Griffith (II) or. Hessville vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. winner
(winner advances to District II final in DYER undefeated)
Monday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. loser

At DYER -  Saturday,  July 5
Wednesday's 6 p.m. loser vs. Wednesday's 8 p.m. winner -  7 p.m.
(winner advances to District I finals in DYER with one loss)


At CEDAR LAKE  -  Sunday,  June 29
CEDAR LAKE vs. Munster National - 1 p.m.
Roselawn vs. Griffith (1) 3 p.m.

At CEDAR LAKE -  Tuesday,  July 1
Sunday's winners meet at 6 p.m.
(winner advances to District II final in DYER on July 7 undefeated)
Sunday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At CEDAR LAKE  -  Wednesday, July 2
Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. loser
(winner advances to District II finals in DYER on July 8 with one loss)


At Munster American -  Monday,  June 30
DeMotte vs. Hobart Township - 6 p.m.
LOWELL vs. Munster American - 8 p.m.

At Munster American  -  Tuesday,  July 1
Irving vs. DeMotte or Hobart Township at 6 p.m.
Monday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At Munster American -  Wednesday, July 2
Munster American or LOWELL vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. winner
(winner advances to District II final in DYER on July 7 undefeated)
Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. loser - 8 p.m.

At Munster American -  Saturday,  July 5
Wednesday's 6 p.m. loser vs. Wednesday's 8 p.m. winner -  7 p.m.
(winner advances to District I finals in DYER on July 8 with one loss)


At Whiting  -  Monday,  June 30
Whiting vs. Robertsdale - 6 p.m.
CP (II) vs. Highland American - 8 p.m.

At Whiting  -  Tuesday,  July 1
Whiting or Robertsdale vs. Highland National at 6 p.m.
Monday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At Whiting -  Wednesday, July 2
Highland American or CP (II) vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. winner
(winner advances to District II final in DYER on July 7 undefeated)
Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Tuesday's 6 p.m. loser - 8 p.m.

At Whiting -  Saturday,  July 5
Wednesday's 6 p.m. loser vs. Wednesday's 8 p.m. winner -  7 p.m.
(winner advances to District I finals in DYER on July 8 with one loss)


District II FINALS in DYER     Monday, July 7
Winner's bracket semifinal  - 6 p.m.
Winner's bracket semifinal - 8 p.m.

District II FINALS in DYER     Tuesday, July 8
Loser's bracket semifinal  - 6 p.m.
Loser's bracket semifinal - 8 p.m.

District II FINALS in DYER     Wednesday, July 9
Monday 8 p.m. loser vs. Tuesday 6 p.m. winner - 6 p.m.
Monday's 6 p.m. loser vs. Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner - 8 p.m.

District II FINALS in DYER     Thursday, July 10
Monday's winner meet - 6 p.m.
Wednesday's winners meet - 8 p.m.

District II FINALS in DYER     Friday, July 11
Thursday's 6 p.m., loser vs. Thursday's 8 p.m. winner - 7 p.m.

District II FINALS in DYER     Saturday, July 12
Championship round game one - 7 p.m.

District II FINALS in DYER     Sunday, July 13
Championship round game two - 7 p.m.  (if necessary) *
*winner advances to the Best-of-3 playoff series in DYER vs.
District I champion July 16-18)

SECTIONAL ONE Playoff series in DYER    Wednesday, July 16
GAME ONE -  7 p.m.

SECTIONAL ONE Playoff series in DYER    Thursday, July 17
GAME TWO -  7 p.m.

SECTIONAL ONE Playoff series in DYER    Friday, July 18
GAME THREE -  7 p.m.
(The Sectional champion goes to the eight-team state finals)

The majors (ages 11-12) is the spotlight bracket because that state winner goes to the Central States Regional in Indianapolis and potentially, to the famed 16-team Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.. Each school is allowed only one team (you can field two or more in other tournaments) and the winner of this bracket moves on in the only true world championship for children.

Less than 10 Indiana teams have ever advanced  to Williamsport and no Indiana team has ever won the Little League world championship.

With that said, there is a dynasty in force. Brownsburg in west suburban Indianapolis is the four-time defending champion of Indiana Little League baseball at the 11-12 year old level. That is unprecedented in state history. Dyer won the 12-year-old bracket in 1993 and 1997. Crown Point won in 1995 and lost to Brownsburg in the title game two years ago. Munster is the defending sectional (the winner of the sectional series goes to the state finals) champion. 

The district finals for 11-12 year olds is at Griffith and that's a small ballpark, even for Little League. There will be high-scoring games and that would probably favor Dyer, which usually has a dominating offensive team. IF Dyer and Crown Point do not lose in the first round, they will meet either July 5 or July 8. That is the premier rivalry in Little League baseball in northwest Indiana and worth the price of admission.

(I'm kidding about that last part. Admission to Little League games is always free.)

State Champions of the 1990s
2002 - Brownsburg
2001 - Brownsburg
2000 - Brownsburg
1999 - Brownsburg
1998 - Terre Haute North
1997 - DYER
1996 - Time Corners American (Fort Wayne)
1995 - CROWN POINT
1994 - Anderson Shadyside
1993 - DYER
1992 - South Bend South East
1991 - Time Corners National (Fort Wayne)
1990 - George Rogers Clark National (Jeffersonville)

State Champions of the 1980s
1989 - George Rogers Clark National (Jeffersonville)
1988 - Wabash
1987 - Chesterfield
1986 - Wabash
1985 - Warren Township National (Indianapolis)
1984 - Southport
1983 - Wabash
1982 - GRIFFITH
1981 - Terre Haute North
1980 - Center Grove (Greenwood)


MAJORS  (ages 11-12)

At CROWN POINT  -  Monday,  June 30
DeMotte vs. Munster American - 6 p.m.
CROWN POINT vs. Highland American - 8 p.m.

At CROWN POINT  -  Tuesday,  July 1
Monday's winners at 6 p.m.
(winner advances undefeated to the District II finals in Griffith on July 5)
Monday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At CROWN POINT  -  Wednesday, July 2
Tuesday's 6 p.m. loser vs. Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner
(winner carries one loss to the District II finals in GRIFFITH on July 6)


At CEDAR LAKE  -  Sunday,  June 29
CEDAR LAKE vs. Robertsdale - 6 p.m.
Highland National vs. Hobart Township - 8 p.m.

At CEDAR LAKE -  Monday,  June 30
Sunday's winners meet at 6 p.m.
(winner advances to District II final in GRIFFITH on July 5 undefeated)
Sunday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At CEDAR LAKE  -  Wednesday, July 2
Monday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Sunday's 6 p.m. loser
(winner advances to District II finals in GRIFFITH on July 6 with one loss)


At GRIFFITH  -  Monday, June 30
Hebron vs. Irving - 6 p.m.
Griffith vs. DYER - 8 p.m.

At GRIFFITH -  Tuesday, July 1
Monday's winners meet at 6 p.m.
(winner advances to District II final in GRIFFITH on July 5 undefeated)
Monday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At GRIFFITH  -  Wednesday, July 2
Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Monday's 6 p.m. loser
(winner advances to District II finals in GRIFFITH on July 6 with one loss)


At Hessville (HAMMOND)   Monday, June 30
LOWELL vs. Whiting - 6 p.m.
Munster National vs. Hessville - 8 p.m.

At Hessville (HAMMOND)   Tuesday,  July 1
Sunday's winners meet at 6 p.m.
(winner advances to District II final in GRIFFITH on July 5 undefeated)
Sunday's Losers meet at 8 p.m.

At Hessville (HAMMOND)  -  Wednesday, July 2
Monday's 8 p.m. winner vs. Sunday's 6 p.m. loser
(winner advances to District II finals in GRIFFITH on July 6 with one loss)


District II finals at GRIFFITH  -  Saturday, July 5
Winner's bracket semifinal - 6 p.m.
Winner's bracket semifinal - 8 p.m.

District II finals at GRIFFITH -  Sunday, July 6
Loser's bracket semifinal - 6 p.m.
Loser's bracket semifinal - 8 p.m.

District II finals at GRIFFITH  -  Monday,  July 7
Saturday's 8 p.m. loser vs. Sunday's 6 p.m. winner - 6 p.m.
Saturday's 6 p.m. loser vs. Sunday's 8 p.m. winner - 8 p.m.

District II FINALS in GRIFFITH    Tuesday,  July 8
Saturday's winners meet - 6 p.m.
Monday's winners meet - 8 p.m.

District II FINALS in GRIFFITH    Wednesday, July 9
Tuedsay's 6 p.n. loser meets Tuesday's 8 p.m. winner
(consolation championship)

District II FINALS in GRIFFITH   Thursday, July 10
Championship round game one - 7 p.m.

District II FINALS in GRIFFITH    Friday, July 11
Championship round game two - 7 p.m.  (if necessary) *
*winner advances to the Best-of-3 playoff series in GRIFFITH vs.
District I champion July 14-16)

SECTIONAL ONE Playoff series in GRIFFITH    Monday, July 14
GAME ONE -  7 p.m.

SECTIONAL ONE Playoff series in GRIFFITH  Tuesday, July 15
GAME TWO -  7 p.m.

SECTIONAL ONE Playoff series in GRIFFITH    Wednesday, July 16
GAME THREE -  TBA

(The Sectional one champion goes to the 56th Indiana state finals and will enter pool play
on Thursday, July 24 at the Wabash, Ind. Little League)

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Revised: July 10, 2004.