If August is just around the corner, it must be time for the Little League World Series to start rounding into form. Eight teams of 10- to 12-year-olds gather at Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota this weekend to determine which one will be Florida's champion.
For the past three years, that's been the squad from Lake Mary. They've gone 11-1 during their current run of domination that's included the state's first LLWS championship in 2024. Last year's bunch cruised through the state tournament, outscoring opponents 49-2, but were stunned in the Southeast regional championship, one step short of a return to Williamsport.
After seeing the Lake Mary softball team qualify for the Little League World Series, the baseball team is out to become Florida's first
team to win four straight state titles. To do that, they first have to finish with the best record among the other three teams in their pool over the first two days of the state tournament. If there's a tie at the top, the head-to-head winner moves on to Sunday's championship game. A three-team tie would go to whoever allowed the fewest runs.
The winners of the two four-team pools in Sarasota will meet for the state title and a trip to Warner Robbins, Georgia, the site of the Southeast regional. Florida's champion will take on teams from seven other states from Alabama to West Virginia to see which one will wear the Southeast uniforms at the Little League World Series.
Little League World Series Florida teams
Info courtesy of Unpage.com.
Pool A
- Lake Mary: Section 3 (District 19)
- Northeast (St. Petersburg): Section 4 (District 5)
- Dr. Phillips (Orlando): Section 5 (District 14)
- Fort Lauderdale: Section 8 (District 10)
Pool B
- Chaires/Capitola (Tallahassee): Section 1 (District 20)
- Vero Beach: Section 2 (District 17)
- Sarasota American: Section 6 (District 16)
- Keystone (Tampa): Section 7 (District 6)
Little League World Series Florida state tournament schedule
Friday, July 24
- Game A1: Lake Mary vs. Northeast
- Game A2: Dr. Phillips vs. Fort Lauderdale
- Game B1: Vero Beach vs. Chaires/Capitola
- Game B2: Keystone vs. Sarasota American
Saturday, July 25
- Game A3: Game A1 winner vs. Game A2 loser
- Game A4: Game A2 winner vs. Game A1 loser
- Game B3: Game B1 winner vs. Game B2 loser
- Game B4: Game B2 winner vs. Game B1 loser
- Game A5: Game A1 loser vs. Game A2 loser
- Game A6: Game A1 winner vs. Game A2 winner
- Game B5: Game B1 loser vs. Game B2 loser
- Game B6: Game B1 winner vs. Game B2 winner
Sunday, July 26
- Championship: Pool A winner vs. Pool B winner
Little League World Series regionals schedule
Once Florida's champion is decided, they'll head to Warner Robbins, Georgia for the Southeast regional tournament starting Aug. 6. The regional champ will be crowned in a game starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11. Here's what the start of Florida's schedule looks like (all times Eastern).
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Florida vs. Georgia | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
- Friday, Aug. 7 (if FL loses): South Carolina or West Virginia vs. Florida | 10 a.m. | ESPN+
- Friday, Aug. 7 (if FL wins): South Carolina or West Virginia vs. Florida | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Little League World Series bracket 2026
Check out the full LLWS Southeast regional tournament bracket for every scenario for the Florida champion to qualify for the Little League World Series.
When does the Little League World Series start?
The 2026 Little League World Series begins in earnest Aug. 19 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Of the 10 U.S. teams and 10 international teams who will fill out the field, the champion will be determined at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Will Lake Mary be unseated as Florida Little League World Series rep?
