More than 100 dedicated umpires have been selected to volunteer across the seven Little League® World Series events in 2024.
“Being named an umpire at one of our seven World Series events is an honor that thousands of Little League umpires strive for each year and has long been known as an opportunity to showcase their hard work and give back by helping to provide a fun and memorable experience for the hundreds of participants from around the world,” said Stu Hartenstein, Little League Director of Umpire Development and Operations. “As we look ahead to yet another exciting summer and continue to find new ways to enhance our umpire development opportunities, we are proud to announce the well-deserving volunteers who have been selected to serve at this year’s events.”
The selection process to become a World Series umpire is lengthy and rigorous and has become an honor that only a select group have gone on to achieve. In order to be eligible to volunteer in a Little League World Series event, an umpire must first have competed in a region tournament event. After that experience is completed, the process for selection to work a World Series begins with an application submitted by each volunteer umpire through the Umpire Registry. Once received, the District Administrator may also provide comments to the region office for review. Additionally, select umpires may also be invited to participate in a Tournament Umpire Identification Camp, held in person at one of Little League’s five U.S. Region locations to help assess their skills and provide further education. The Little League International selection committee then considers all nominated umpires in coordination with the nine U.S. Region offices before selecting those who most closely meet the selection criteria. Individuals who meet those qualifications are then screened annually by the Little League International selection committee and region staffs for selection to umpire in a Little League World Series tournament.
Appointment as a member of the volunteer umpiring crew for a World Series is the highest honor that Little League can bestow on an umpire. To support their efforts, Little League International provides each of the selected volunteers with a travel stipend to help offset the costs to attend their respective World Series events.
Below is the listing of volunteer umpires who will take the field for each of the seven World Series events this summer, along with the city/state/country and region (in parentheses) that they represent:
2024 Little League Softball® World Series, Presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods (Greenville, N.C.)
- Dan Anzini – Cameron Park, Calif. (West Region)
- Rodito Badian – Silay City, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- Tiesh Diaz-Cruz – Yabucoa, P.R. (Latin America Region)
- Brett Joiner – Buna, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Christopher Lewis – Woolwich Twp., N.J. (East Region)
- Brad Parker – Gresham, Ore. (West Region)
- Mark Pigg – Arvada, Colo. (Southwest Region)
- Patrick Reed – Luray, Va. (Southeast Region)
- Jeffrey Ross – Rye, N.H. (East Region)
- Kevin Southall – South Point, Ohio (Central Region)
- Scott Strache – Chicago Ridge, Ill. (Central Region)
- Anthony Thornton – Hobe Sound, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- Wout van der Horst – Wormer, Netherlands (Europe and Africa Region)
- Dominic Wright – Tampa, Fla. (Southeast Region)
For the first time in 2024, Little League International will also be bringing in three veteran Crew Chiefs to assist with mentorship and on-site assistance in Greenville:
- Mitch Lemponen – Ashtabula, Ohio (Central Region – 2021 LLSWS)
- Mark Pigg – Arvada, Colo. (West Region – 2017 LLSWS)
- Jamie Sims – Portland, Ore. (West Region – 2022 LLSWS, 2015 LLBWS)
2024 Junior League Softball World Series (Kirkland, Wash.)
- Robert Anderson – Davenport, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- Jason Becker – Mukilteo, Wash. (West Region)
- Charles Carpenter – Austin, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Mark Dieringer – Port Lavaca, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Pat Fletcher – Victoria, British Columbia (Canada Region)
- Jennifer McLeod – Spring Hill, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- Rein Merkx – Rosmalen, Netherlands (Europe and Africa Region)
- Darryl Nobles – Lostine, Ore. (West Region)
- Alex Ordanza – La Union, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- Scott Rakowski – Lebanon, Ind. (Central Region)
- Mark Saurer – Louisville, Ky. (Central Region)
- Julius Trimbach – Oaklyn, N.J. (East Region)
- Heath Warren – Port Deposit, Md. (East Region)
2024 Senior League Softball World Series (Lower Sussex, Del.)
- James Bailey – Gainesville, Va. (Southeast Region)
- David Baker – Plains, Pa. (East Region)
- Gareth Gilson – Langford, British Columbia (Canada Region)
- James Gleason – Sparta, Mich. (Central Region)
- David Hildebrand – Albuquerque, N.M. (Southwest Region)
- Lloyd Jackson Jr. – St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (Latin America Region)
- Benito Pena – San Antonio, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Johnson Pambid Reyno – Isabela, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- James Rose – Martinez, Calif. (West Region)
- Stephen Roth – Yorktown, Va. (Southeast Region)
- George Spragens – Lebanon, Ky. (Central Region)
- Jay Sullivan – Wethersfield, Conn. (East Region)
- Emmitt Tucker – Clinton, Mont. (West Region)
2024 Little League Baseball® World Series, Presented by T-Mobile (Williamsport, Pa.)
- Victor Andino-Texidor – Carolina, P.R. (Latin America Region)
- Tiesh Diaz-Cruz – Yabucoa, P.R. (Latin America Region)
- Andrew Downs – Nova Scotia, Canada (Canada Region)
- Jason Field – Rocklin, Calif. (West Region)
- Jared Grissinger – Palmyra, Pa. (East Region)
- Zachary Gump – Enola, Pa. (East Region)
- Steven Lewis – Tampa, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- Todd Marr – Arlington, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Mario Martinez – Albuquerque, N.M. (Southwest Region)
- Jessie Cecil Munar – Laoag City, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- David Noegel – Orlando, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- George Rodriguez – Eastvale, Calif. (West Region)
- DJ Rose – McCordsville, Ind. (Central Region)
- Aaron Shrier – Woodland Hills, Calif. (West Region)
- Eddie Smith – Winter Garden, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- Rik van der Keer – Rijswijk, Netherlands (Europe and Africa Region)
In addition to the 16 umpires listed above for the Little League Baseball World Series this August, four veteran Crew Chiefs have been selected by Little League International staff to make a return trip to Williamsport where they will serve as mentors for the first-time volunteers both on and off the field:
- Mike Debelak – Torrance, Calif. (West Region – 2018, ’21 LLBWS, 2023 Crew Chief)
- Ricci Hall – Spencer, Mass. (East Region – 2017, ‘21 LLBWS)
- Brian Henry – Toccoa, Ga. (Southeast Region – 2016, ‘21 LLBWS, 2023 Crew Chief)
- Rob Ruhle – Madison, Wis. (Central Region – 2011 LLBWS)
2024 Little League Intermediate (50/70) Baseball World Series (Livermore, Calif.)
- Harold Brannen – Marietta, Ga. (Southeast Region)
- Matthew Glunt – Fredericksburg, Va. (Southeast Region)
- Mark Harvey – Lexington, Ky. (Central Region)
- Mike Kilroy – Macedonia, Ohio (Central Region)
- Bill Kosmas – Anacortes, Wash. (West Region)
- Denis Labonte – St-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec (Canada Region)
- Richard Ladnier – Sugar Land, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Bobby Marshall – Missouri City, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Giovanni Martina – Willemstad, Curaçao (Latin America Region)
- Michael Allan Amotorio Natividad – Tarlac City, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- Keith O’Brien – Holbrook, Mass. (East Region)
- Brian Riley – Davis, Calif. (West Region)
- Stefan Rohrbeck – March, Germany (Europe and Africa Region)
- Darren Zlasney – Flanders, N.J. (East Region)
2024 Junior League Baseball World Series (Taylor, Mich.)
- Giovanni Alvarez – Bridgeport, Conn. (East Region)
- Tony Bogart – Brea, Calif. (West Region)
- Jose Jude Callado – Cotabato City, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- Chris Ekstrom – Davenport, Iowa (Central Region)
- Christopher Kerley – Purcellville, Va. (Southeast Region)
- David Kramer – Bend, Ore. (West Region)
- Tyler Malaka – Lethbridge, Alberta (Canada Region)
- Julio Molina-Alvarado – Panama City, Panama (Latin America Region)
- Oscar Munoz – Richmond, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Jon Oakley – Sun Prairie, Wisc. (Central Region)
- Stephen Reynolds – Jayton, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Vito Ruggiero – Dunmore, Pa. (East Region)
- Karl Wacker – Ormond Beach, Fla. (Southeast Region)
2024 Senior League Baseball World Series (Easley, S.C.)
- Edwin Cancel-Garcia – Barceloneta, P.R. (Latin America Region)
- Zach Eagly – Midland, Mich. (Central Region)
- Jon Gross – Gilbert, Ariz. (West Region)
- David Lewis – Irvine, Calif. (West Region)
- Noel Matalobos Tizado – General Santos City, Philippines (Asia-Pacific Region)
- Christopher Mixon – Kathleen, Ga. (Southeast Region)
- Richard Morin – Embrun, Ontario (Canada Region)
- Darrin Muller – Windsor, England (Europe and Africa Region)
- Jeffery Quillin – Floresville, Texas (Southwest Region)
- Christopher Reynolds – Titusville, Fla. (Southeast Region)
- Mark Rulli – Hingham, Mass. (East Region)
- Phillip Sapien – Bernalillo, N.M. (Southwest Region)
- Boyd Stevens – Portsmouth, N.H. (East Region)
- Greg Wright – Indianapolis, Ind. (Central Region)
The U.S. Region Tournament umpire assignments will be announced on the respective Region pages on LittleLeague.org in the coming weeks.
All of the umpires at the Little League Baseball and Softball Region and World Series events will once again be provided with Gerry Davis Sports uniforms as part of a three-year agreement with Gerry Davis Sports as the Official Umpire Uniform Provider of the Little League World Series.
Volunteer umpires are one of the most important aspects in the success of local Little League programs around the world and play a pivotal role in the experience of all our players throughout the Little League International Tournament. As a way to continually develop these volunteer umpires throughout the year, Little League International offers a variety of digital training and educational resources available on LittleLeague.org/Umpires, a bi-monthly Fair Ball Newsletter, access to the free Little League Umpire Registry, and formal training through Umpire Clinics and Schools around the nation. Additionally, the umpires for the 2024 Little League Baseball and Softball World Series will once again participate in a multi-day orientation.
For more information on the Little League Baseball and Softball World Series, visit LittleLeague.org/WorldSeries.