HispanicBusiness

It may be America's pastime, but baseball today has global appeal. The increasingly international participation of players in the big leagues proves this out, but it's even more obvious in Little League--where the World Series truly attracts teams from around the world.

Out of 180,000 teams playing from around the world, only a handful are still playing--ready for the most prestigious tournament of all--the Little League World Series, now in its 63rd year.

At the end of tonight's Mid-Atlantic championship game between Somerset Hills (from Bernardsville, N.J) and South Shore (from Staten Island, N.Y.), youth baseball fans will know last of the sweet 16 teams ready that have qualified to play in the late-summer classic on the famed fields of Williamsport, PA. (Tonight's game will be televised on ESPN2 beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.)

The remaining 15 Little League teams that have already qualified for the annual youth baseball extravaganza for the top 11- and 12- year-old players around the world include:

Mid-Atlantic: TBD
West: Park View LL/Chula Vista, CA
Northwest: Mercer Island LL, WA
Great Lakes: Logan County/Russellville LL, KY
New England: Peabody Western LL, MA
Midwest: Urbandale LL, IA
Southeast: Warner Robins American LL/Warner Robins, GA
Southwest: McAlllister Park American LL, San Antonio, TX
Europe: KMC American LL/Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany
Mexico: Guadalupe Trevino Kelly LL/ Reynosa, Mexico
MEA: Arabian American LL/Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Caribbean: Pabao LL/Willemstad, Curacao in the Netherlands, Antilles
Japan: Chiba City LL/Chiba City, Japan
Asia-Pacific: Kuei-Shan LL/ Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
Latin America: Coquivacoa LL/ Maracaibo, Venezuela

Starting Friday, Aug, 21, All games will be televised live on ESPN2, with the exception of the International Championship, United States Championship and World Series Championship games, which will be broadcast live on ABC. Go to www.littlleague.org/series/2009divisions/llbb/series.htm for a complete schedule of games and times.