ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 Combine to Deliver Entire Little League World Series

ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 Combine to Deliver Entire Little League World Series

ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to present all 32 games of the Little League World Series Presented by Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Reduced Sugar from Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 21-30. ABC – entering its 47th consecutive year of Little League World Series coverage – will broadcast the International Championship Saturday, Aug. 29, at 12 p.m. ET, the United States Championship Aug. 23 at 3 p.m., and the Little League World Series Championship Sunday, Aug. 30, at 3 p.m. Every Little League World Series game on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will be available in high definition for the fifth consecutive year. All ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts will be simulcast on ESPN360.com.

Little League World Series action from Williamsport will begin Friday, Aug. 21 (full schedule attached), with the regional winners competing in the pool-play round – four consecutive games airing on ESPN – including: Mid-Atlantic (Staten Island, N.Y.) vs. Northwest (Mercer Island, Wash.) at 1 p.m.; Asia-Pacific (Chinese Taipei) vs. Europe (Germany) at 3 p.m.; Midwest (Urbandale, Iowa) vs. Southeast (Warner Robins, Ga.) at 5 p.m.; and New England (Peabody, Mass.) vs. Southwest (San Antonio) at 8 p.m. ABC’s opening weekend coverage will include two games – Southeast (Warner Robins, Ga.) vs. Mid-Atlantic (Staten Island, N.Y.) Saturday, Aug. 22, at 3 p.m., and the Great Lakes (Russellville, Ky.) vs. Southwest (San Antonio) Sunday, Aug. 23, at 2 p.m.

Game telecasts will continue daily (excluding an open date Friday, Aug. 28) through August 30 – the Little League World Series consolation game at 12 p.m. on ESPN and Little League World Series Championship on ABC at 3 p.m.

ESPN game commentators:

Pool Play – Aug. 21-25

• Play-by-play commentators Brent Musburger, Gary Thorne and Sean McDonough, analysts Orel Hershiser and Orestes Destrade and reporters Moises Arias and Dave Ryan.
• Arias is a 15-year-old actor who will star in an upcoming movie, The Perfect Game, about the team from Mexico which became the first non-U.S. squad to win the Little League World Series in 1957. Arias also plays the popular “Rico” character on Disney’s Hannah Montana show. He will tweet throughout the Little League World Series in addition to his reporting role.

Semifinals – Wednesday, Aug. 26, and Thursday, Aug. 27

• Musburger, Hershiser and Arias will provide commentary for both U.S. Semifinals (Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN;
• Thorne, Destrade and Arias will provide commentary for both International Semifinals (Wednesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. on ESPN).

International and United States Championships – Saturday, Aug. 29

• Musburger, Hershiser and Arias will call the International Championship Saturday at 12 p.m. and the United States Championship at 3 p.m. (both games on ABC).

World Series Championship and Consolation Game – Sunday, Aug. 30

• Karl Ravech and Destrade will form the booth for the consolation game Sunday at 12 p.m. on ESPN;
• Musburger will provide play-by-play for the Little League World Series Championship with Hershiser and Arias Sunday at 3 p.m. on ABC.

ESPN will televise a one-hour Little League World Series Championship Preview Sunday, Aug. 30, at 2 p.m., leading into the championship game on ABC.

2009 Little League World Series Schedule
All ESPN & ESPN2 telecasts simulcast on ESPN360.com

ESPN Classic Little League World Series Marathon
ESPN Classic will re-air several of the most memorable Little League World Series games in recent memory during an 11-hour marathon beginning Thursday, Aug. 20, at 12 p.m.:

12 p.m. – 1989 LLWS Championship: Trumbull, Conn. vs. Chinese Taipei – Chris Drury pitches the U.S. to a 5-2 victory over Chinese Taipei.
2 p.m. – 1993 LLWS Championship: Long Beach, Calif. vs. Panama – Sean Burroughs, coached by his MLB star father, leads the U.S. to a 3-2 victory.
3 p.m. – 2003 LLWS U.S. semifinal: Saugus, Mass. vs. Richmond, Tex. – Saugus prevails over Richmond 14-13, on a walk-off single to advance to the U.S. finals.
5 p.m. – 2005 LLWS Championship: Hawaii vs. Curacao – Hawaii hits a walk-off homer to beat Curacao 7-6.
7 p.m. – 2006 LLWS Championship: Columbus, Ga. vs. Kawaguchi City, Japan – In a classic pitching duel, the U.S. manages to break through for a 2-1 win.
9 p.m. – 2007 LLWS Championship: Tokyo, Japan vs. Warner Robins, Ga. – The U.S. wins three consecutive LLWS titles as Warner Robins gets the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to win 3-2.

ESPNU Re-airs Little League World Series Regional Finals
ESPNU will re-air each of the 2009 Little League World Series Regional Finals Thursday, Aug. 20:

12-2 a.m. (9-11 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Aug. 19) – Southwest Regional Final
2-4 a.m. – Southeast Regional Final
4-6 a.m. – Midwest Regional Final
2-4 p.m. – New England Regional Final
4-6 p.m. – Great Lakes Regional Final
7-9 p.m. – Northwest Regional Final
9-11 p.m. – West Regional Final

Little League World Series Facebook Page
ESPN has created a Little League World Series Facebook page, where fans can discuss the event and find scheduling information, photos, videos, poll results and more.