LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES CANCELLED, LOCAL IMPACT FELT

YOUNGSTOWN, OH- Although many may not associate the Little League World Series with Youngstown, there is more to meets the eye.  Especially what could have been in 2020.

In 2019, Boardman 11U Baseball won the State Championship over Hamilton in thrilling fashion to put Youngstown back on the map as one of the hot spots for baseball in the coming years.  That championship became a launching pad for dreams of heading to Williamsport in 2020 to once again spotlight our area.

On April 30th, 2020- those dreams were dashed.

The effect of the pandemic known as COVID-19 has forced officials at Little League to cancel the 2020 LLWS (Little League World Series.)  “Delivering this news comes with a very heavy heart. We have never had to cancel our World Series tournaments, but, right now, as our world comes together, we must do everything we can to help stem the spread of this deadly virus,” said Hugh E. Tanner, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman. “While we take this pause from the World Series and Regional Tournaments this summer, we are committed to working with our volunteers and staff to continue to provide an unparalleled youth sports experience to all children and be back stronger than ever in 2021.”

We spoke with Ohio Little League District 2 Director, Chet Cooper to explain the impact locally as well as what this means moving forward for Little League and its participants.