The 2012 Little League Baseball World Series  kicks off on Thursday, August 16 at 10:00AM PDT with an International pool game between Japan and Caribbean on ESPN and ESPN3.com.   

In Thursday’s second game, Northern California, and eventual Western Region champ Petaluma National, opens against Fairfield American, Fairfield, Connecticut, the New England champion, at noon PDT, on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com,. 

The championship game will be played ten days later on Sunday, August 26, at noon PDT, on ABC.

Sunnyvale National’s’ season came to an end on Monday in a 3-2 semifinal loss to Southern California at the Western Region Senior League Tournament in Ontario. Sunnyvale National was D44’s final surviving team in the 2012 postseason.

In 2001 Sunnyvale National finished third in the Senior League World Series. That run included Fremont High School pitcher and future major leaguer Troy Tulowitzki.

ESPN's coverage of Little League's postseason kicks off today with the Southwest Regional Semifinals at 2:00pm and 5:00pm PDT on ESPN2 and online on ESPN3.

Sunnyvale National defeated Benicia 8-0 to win the California Division II Senior League Tournament at Benicia on Friday night.  This was the if-necessary game, made necessary by a 7-3 loss Thursday night to a Benicia team which had survived its single game in the losers bracket after having been sent there by Sunnyvale National on Monday.  Both teams entered Friday night’s game even, with 3-1 records in the tournament.

National finished the tournament at 4-1.  Division is at the State tournament level, with California being divided into two virtual states, Northern and Southern, and as such Sunnyvale National can also be considered the Northern California State Champions.

The only District 44  team to have advanced from a Sectional tournament, Sunnyvale National is now the sole Section 5 team to have survived a Divisional tournament.

The Division II Champions will now play in the 2012 Little League Senior League Baseball Western Regional Tournament at classic Jay Littleton Ball Park in Ontario, California on July 31 - August 7.  First up is a game against Oregon's Redmond at 3:00pm on Wednesday, August 1, followed by games against Chino National on Saturday and Washington's Stilly Valley on Sunday.  The top two finishers from each pool compete in single-elimination play, with the winner being crowned the Western Region Champion and advancing to the Senior League World Series in Bangor, Maine on August 12 – 18.

One local District 44 team advances. In the Senior Division, Sunnyvale National went 3-0 on their way to winning the Section 5 Championship with a 10-0 victory over Evergreen (D59) on July 18 at Cambrian Park. They advance to the Division II tournament at Benicia Little League (D53), with a chance to play in the Western Regional Tournament in Ontario, California and the World Series in Bangor, Maine.  

Santa Clara Homestead's Juniors went 1-2 in Section, beating Gilroy (D59) 8-5 in their first game, but then suffering a pair of one-run losses, first 7-6 to Lincoln Glen (D12) and then 6-5 to Gilroy (D59) at Milpitas. Lincoln Glen (D12) took the championship with a 6-4 victory over Gilroy (D59) on July 17 and advance to the Division II tournament at Sunrise Little League (D8) in Stockton.  

Santa Clara Westside’s Majors compiled a 2-2 record in Section at Los Gatos, defeating Evergreen (D59) 11-6, losing to Quito (D12) 12-5, defeating Evergreen (D59) 12-10 and losing to Hollister National (D9) 8-3. Quito (D12) took the championship with a 10-6 victory over Hollister National (D9) and advances to the Division II tournament at Mission San Jose Little League (D14) in Fremont.  

In 10-11’s, Los Altos went 0-2, suffering a 10-9 loss to Almaden North (D12) and a 10-0 loss to Santa Cruz (D39). In the championship game on July 19 at Moreland, Almaden North (D12) defeated Santa Cruz American (D39) 7-6 and advances to the Division II tournament at Pajaro Valley Little League (D39).  

In Minors, Santa Clara Briarwood started off with a no-hit 10-0 victory over Gilroy (D59), but finished the tournament at 1-2 after an 11-6 loss to Los Gatos (D12) and a 15-7 loss to Hollister American (D9). Los Gatos (D12) took the sectional championship with a 7-6 win over Hollister American (D9) on July 19 at Gonzalesand advances to the Division II tournament at Cosumnes River Little League (D7).  

Congratulations to Austin Johnson (2012) on being named to the 2012 All-El Camino Baseball First Team.

Additional congratulations go to Cameron Longabaugh (2012) and Matt Kuhl (2013) on being named to the 2012 All-El Camino Baseball Second Team, and to Stan Sumibcay (2013) who received an Honorable Mention.

               Cameron Longabaugh                                        Matt Kuhl

The Santa Clara Homestead Red Sox defeated the Santa Clara Briarwood Cardinals 4-3 on Tuesday night at Briarwood to win the 2012 District 44 Major Division Tournament of Champions.  This was Homestead's first TOC crown since 2000.

In District 44 Little League Majors Division Tournament of Champions semifinal action on Saturday, Santa Clara Homestead defeated Moreland 19-11, and Santa Clara Briarwood defeated Los Altos 18-8, setting up an all Santa Clara championship game on Tuesday, June 19 at 5:30pm at Briarwood.

Briarwood Little League is located in Machado Park, at 3360 Cabrillo Avenue in Santa Clara, between Nobili Avenue and Calabazas Boulevard.