With its 2024 Puerto Rico Region Championship victory over Jamie Collazo Little League, Radames Lopez Little League (Guayama, Puerto Rico) will make its return to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to represent the country in the 2024 Little League Baseball® World Series (LLBWS), Presented by T-Mobile.
Radames Lopez Little League finished the Puerto Rico tournament with a perfect 7-0 record, combining for 58 runs thanks to back-to-back double-digit scoring games to start, while four of its last five games were decided by only one run.
After a 2018 trip as the Caribbean Region champion that saw a 3-2 record, Radames Lopez Little League will once again represent the island as Puerto Rico earns direct entry in the 2024 event as part of the 20-team expansion. This year’s qualification will mark the country’s first appearance since 2022 and its 13th overall since 1959. Guaynabo Baseball Little League earned the country’s last bid two years ago to compete in the LLBWS, falling in the first round to the Latin America Region champion 3-1. Puerto Rico’s best run in the tournament was in 1999, when Juan A. Bibiloni Little League (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico) made it to the International Championship Game before losing to Japan.
In addition to a strong Little League community, Radames Lopez Little League also has a big connection to Major League Baseball as the current left fielder for the Washington Nationals, Eddie Rosario, got his start playing in the local league. During the 2018 season that led to their LLBWS appearance, Mr. Rosario was on hand during a ceremony prior to the MLB Puerto Rico Series to recognize a $75,000 donation from Major League Baseball to support Little Leaguers® in Puerto Rico impacted by the hurricanes.
In 2019, Little League expanded from 16 to 20 teams, adding two U.S. teams, and allowing two additional international teams to earn direct entry on a three-year rotation dependent on league and player participation. The randomly selected rotation grants Puerto Rico and Cuba direct entry in 2024 and Puerto Rico and Panama in 2025. In 2026, teams from Puerto Rico will play against other Caribbean Region teams for a spot in the tournament.
The first-round matchups for the 2024 LLBWS were announced on June 12, just one week after the anniversary of the first-ever Little League game and in the heart of the 65th National Little League® Week Celebrations, Radames Lopez Little League is slated to face off against the Japan Region champion in Game 5 of the series on Thursday, August 15, at 1.p.m. in Volunteer Stadium.
Additional information for the 2024 Little League Baseball World Series, including visitor resources, special guests, and more will be made available in the coming months at LittleLeague.org/WorldSeries. As a reminder, there is no cost to attend the Little League Baseball World Series as parking and tickets are completely FREE. To plan your visit to Williamsport, and learn more about what to expect during your trip, be sure to check out LittleLeague.org/Visit. Additionally, the dates for future World Series events can also be found at LittleLeague.org/WSDates.