TAYLOR, MICH (Fox 2) - The 44th Annual Junior League Baseball World Series will be held in Heritage Park August 9-16. The international tournament for 13- and 14-year-old youth teams has been held in Taylor since its inception in 1981.
The opening ceremony, featuring a parade of all 12 teams and a fireworks display, will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, August 8, at World Series Field inside the park. Opening ceremonies are free to the public.
The 12-team field is broken into six-team brackets. Teams from USA Central, East, Southeast, Southwest, West and Michigan District 5 (the host squad) compete for the USA bracket championship. Teams from Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Europe-Africa, Latin American and Mexico regions plan for the international title. The bracket champions play for the 2026 Junior League World Series Championship at noon on Sunday, August 16.
Last summer, Chung-Shan Junior LL (Chinese Taipei/Asia-Pacific) beat Vine Ingle LL (Macon, Georgia/USA Southeast) for the championship, its fourth straight.
Qualified teams:
As of this writing, teams qualifying for the USA bracket include the following:
· EAST – Freehold Township LL, Freehold, New Jersey
· MICHIGAN DISTRICT 5 – Taylor North LL, Taylor, Michigan
· SOUTHEAST – Murfreesboro LL, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
· SOUTHWEST – Roadrunner LL, Albuquerque, New Mexico
· CENTRAL – Elmhurst Youth Baseball LL, Elmhurst, Illinois
· USA WEST – La Mirada LL, La Mirada, California
Five teams have qualified for the international bracket:
· ASIA-PACIFIC – Shing-Ming LL, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
· AUSTRALIA – Eastern Phantoms Charter Group
· EUROPE-AFRICA – Emilia Romagna LL, Bologna, Italy
· LATIN AMERICA – Aruba Center LL, Aruba, Santa Cruz
· MEXICO – Liga Matamoros A.C., Matamoros, Tamaulipas
· CANADA – To-be-determined
Note: The Canadian regional champion will be either the Kingston LL, Kingston, Ontario or the Alberta D8 Travel Ball LL, Calgary, Alberta.
What we know:
All games will officially begin on Sunday, August 9, in four new time slots – 10 a.m. and 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Games in the double-elimination tournament continue through Wednesday, August 12, in the same time slots. At that point, the field will narrow and two games will be played on Thursday, August 13. Friday, August 14 is an off day, before games resume on Saturday, August 15 heading toward the championship game.
All games are played on World Series Field. Parking and admission are a $5 per car charge at the gate.
Fans should note that bench grandstand seating is available on both sides of the diamond and in some areas of the outfield. Berm seating is located down both lines and in some areas of the outfield, so blankets and lawn chairs are welcome. Food stands are also available around the diamond at reasonable prices.
Heritage Park (12111 Pardee Road) is located on the corner of Pardee and Northline roads, easily accessible from I-94, Telegraph Road and I-75. There are entrances to the park on Pardee Road just south of Brest and on Northline at Racho Road.
What's next:
2026 Junior League Baseball World Series Schedule
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
Opening Ceremonies and Fireworks 8 p.m. Free Admission.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 – OPENING DAY OF GAMES
G1 USA Central vs. USA Southeast, 10 a.m.
G2 Canada vs. Mexico, 1 p.m.
G3 USA East vs. Michigan District 5, 4 p.m.
G4 Europe-Africa vs. Australia, 7 p.m.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10
5 Asia-Pacific (bye) vs. Winner of Game 2, 10 a.m.
6 USA West (bye) vs. Winner of Game 1, 1 p.m.
7 Latin America (bye) vs. Winner of Game 4, 4 p.m.
8 USA Southwest (bye) vs. Winner of Game 3, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11
9 Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 7, 10 a.m.
10 Loser of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 3, 1 p.m.
11 Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 4, 4 p.m.
12 Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 8, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12
13 Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 11, 10 a.m.
14 Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 12, 1 p.m.
15 Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 4 p.m.
16 Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 6, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13
17 Loser of Game 15 vs. Winner of Game 13, 5 p.m.
18 Loser of Game 16 vs. Winner of Game 14, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15
19 International Championship Game: Winner of Game 15 vs. Winner of Game 17, 3 p.m.
20 USA Championship Game: Winner of Game 16 vs. Winner of Game 18, 6 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10
21 Junior League Baseball World Series Championship Game, International Champion vs. USA Champion, Noon
What they're saying:
Admission is $5 per carload of people per day or $15 for a week’s pass. Tickets are sold upon entry to Heritage Park. Fees include parking and game admission.
For up-to-date results, "how to watch on ESPN+", JLWS highlights and much more, visit the all-new Junior League Baseball World Series website through www.cityoftaylor.com/worldseries. Follow JLWS on Facebook and Instagram.
Dig deeper:
Past champions of the Junior League World Series
- 2025 Chung-Shan Junior Little League, Taichung, Chinese Taipei
- 2024 Shing-Ming Junior Little League, Taoyuan City, Chinese Taipei
- 2023 Tao-Yuan Junior Little League, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
- 2022 Chung Shan Junior Little League, Chinese Taipei
- 2021 Canceled
- 2020 Canceled
- 2019 Golden Hill Little League, Fullerton, California
- 2018 Shing-Ming Junior Little League, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
- 2017 Shing-Ming Junior Little League, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
- 2016 Shing-Ming Junior Little League, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei
- 2015 Chung-Shan Junior High, Tai Chung, Chinese Taipei
- 2014 Chung-Shan Junior High, Tai Chung, Chinese Taipei
- 2013 Chin Ming Junior Little League, Taipei City, Chinese Taipei
- 2012 Rockledge, Florida
- 2011 Palma Ceia/Bayshore Little League, Tampa, Florida
- 2010 Chung-Ching Junior Little League, Taipei City, Chinese Taipei
- 2009 Mountain View Little League, Scottsdale, Arizona
- 2008 Pabao Little League, Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
- 2007 Pearl City Little League, Pearl City, Hawaii
- 2006 El Campo, Texas
- 2005 Panama City, Panama
- 2004 Tampa, Florida
- 2003 LaMirada, California
- 2002 Cartersville, Georgia
- 2001 Aiea, Hawaii
- 2000 Aiea, Hawaii
- 1999 Hermanos Cruz, Arroyo, Puerto Rico
- 1998 South Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, California
- 1997 Salem Youth, Salem, New Hampshire
- 1996 Northwest 45, Spring, Texas
- 1995 South Lake Charles, Lake Charles, Louisiana
- 1994 Thousand Oaks, Thousand Oaks, California
- 1993 Roberto Rivera Miranda, Cayey, Puerto Rico
- 1992 Sunnyside, Tucson, Arizona
- 1991 Northwest 45, Spring, Texas
- 1990 Juan Antonio Bibiloni, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- 1989 Jose Maria Rodriguez, Manati, Puerto Rico
- 1988 Ligas Pequenas, Mexicali, Mexico
- 1987 West Rowland Heights, Rowland Heights, California
- 1986 Waldorf, Waldorf, Maryland
- 1985 Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida
- 1984 Pearl City, Pearl City, Hawaii
- 1983 Jose Maria Rodriguez, Manati, Puerto Rico
- 1982 Belmont Heights, Tampa, Florida
- 1981 Boardman, Boardman, Ohio