Little League World Series (Great Lakes Region)

Last updated
Great Lakes Region
Most recent season or competition:
2025 Little League World Series qualification
Formerly Central Region (1957–2000)
Sport Baseball
Founded2000;25 years ago (2000)
No. of teams5
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
Most recent
champion(s)
Flag of Illinois.svg Clarendon Hills Little League, Clarendon Hills, Illinois
Most titles
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky (8)

Flag of Michigan.svg Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores Little League, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (3)

Contents

Flag of Kentucky.svg Bowling Green Eastern Little League, Bowling Green, Kentucky (3)

Official website Little League Baseball & Softball Central Region Headquarters

The Great Lakes Region is one of ten United States regions that currently sends teams to the Little League World Series, the largest youth baseball competition in the world. The region's participation in the LLWS dates back to 1957, when it was known as the Central Region. However, when the LLWS was expanded in 2001 from eight teams (four U.S. teams and four "International" teams from the rest of the world) to 16 teams (eight U.S. and eight International), the Central Region was split into the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions.

The Great Lakes Region has a unique definition that does not correspond with the normally understood definition of the "Great Lakes" area, even when the context is restricted to the U.S. Although eight U.S. states (and the Canadian province of Ontario) border on the Great Lakes, only four of them are in Little League's Great Lakes Region:

One state that does not border any of the Great Lakes, and in fact has no territory within the Great Lakes watershed, is included in this region:

Two states that border on the Great Lakes, New York and Pennsylvania are in other regions; Pennsylvania plays in the Mid-Atlantic region, while New York plays in the Metro region. The remaining U.S. state that borders on the Great Lakes, Minnesota, is in the Midwest region. (The Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes have their Little League champions participate in a nationwide tournament, with the winner representing Canada in the International bracket at the LLWS.)

Following the 2021 LLWS, Wisconsin has been moved to the Midwest Region. This move coincides with a planned expansion of the LLWS from 16 to 20 teams. This expansion was originally scheduled to occur for 2021, but was delayed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [1]

Regional championship

The year's winner is indicated in green.

2001–2021

2022–present

LLWS results

As of the 2025 Little League World Series.

YearChampionCityLLWSRecord
2001 Brownsburg LL Flag of Indiana.svg Brownsburg US Semifinal3–1
2002 Valley Sports American LL Flag of Kentucky.svg Louisville Champions6–0
2003 Tallmadge LL Flag of Ohio.svg Tallmadge Group Stage1–2
2004 Southern LL Flag of Kentucky.svg Owensboro Group Stage1–2
2005 Southern LL Flag of Kentucky.svg OwensboroGroup Stage0–3
2006 Lemont LL Flag of Illinois.svg Lemont US Semifinal2–2
2007 West Side LL Flag of Ohio.svg Hamilton Group Stage1–2
2008 Jefferson/GRC American LL Flag of Indiana.svg Jeffersonville Group Stage0–3
2009 Logan County/Russellville LL Flag of Kentucky.svg Russellville Group Stage0–3
2010 West Side LL Flag of Ohio.svg HamiltonGroup Stage1–2
2011 North Oldham LL Flag of Kentucky.svg La Grange Round 21–2
2012 New Castle LL Flag of Indiana.svg New Castle Round 21–2
2013 Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL Flag of Michigan.svg Grosse Pointe Woods Round 10–3
2014 New Albany LL [a] Flag of Indiana.svg New Albany
2015 Bowling Green Eastern LL Flag of Kentucky.svg Bowling Green Round 32–2
2016 Bowling Green Eastern LL Flag of Kentucky.svg Bowling Green US Semifinal2–2
2017 Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL Flag of Michigan.svg Grosse Pointe Woods Round 11–2
2018 Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores LL Flag of Michigan.svg Grosse Pointe Woods Round 32–2
2019 Bowling Green Eastern LL Flag of Kentucky.svg Bowling Green Round 11–2
2020 LLWS not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 [b] Taylor North LL Flag of Michigan.svg Taylor Champions5–1
West Side LL Flag of Ohio.svg Hamilton Runner-up5–2
2022 Hagerstown LL Flag of Indiana.svg Hagerstown Round 31–2
2023 New Albany LL Flag of Ohio.svg New Albany Round 10–2
2024 Hinsdale LL Flag of Illinois.svg Hinsdale Round 20–2
2025 Clarendon Hills LL Flag of Illinois.svg Clarendon Hills Round 21–2
  1. New Albany Little League of New Albany, Indiana was retroactively given the Great Lakes Region title when Jackie Robinson West Little League from Chicago was found to have fielded ineligible players.
  2. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Little League International did not invite teams from outside the U.S. to the LLWS in 2021. Instead, the top two teams in each U.S. region qualified.

Results by state

As of the 2025 Little League World Series.Italics denote the state is no longer a member of the Great Lakes Region.

StateGreat Lakes
Championships
Record
in LLWS
PCT
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky 813–16.448
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana 55–8.385
Flag of Michigan.svg Michigan 48–8.500
Flag of Ohio.svg Ohio 8–10.444
Flag of Illinois.svg Illinois 33–6.333
Flag of Wisconsin.svg Wisconsin 00–0
Total2437–48.435

References

  1. "Little League Baseball and Little League Softball World Series to Expand in 2021". Little League Baseball. Little League International. August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  2. The Jackie Robinson LL was forced to forfeit all its wins in the tournament (as well as in the 2014 Little League World Series) due to fielding ineligible players.