Will a South County team make it to this year’s Little League World Series?

Play ball! Yes, it’s that time of the year again … Little League Baseball’s tournament season.
The marquee event remains the 12U division finals in South Williamsport, Pa., scheduled to be played Aug. 13-24. The event will showcase 10 United States regional champions and 10 international teams.

Closer to home, the Intermediate (50/70) World Series is scheduled July 27 to Aug. 3 in Livermore. Qualifying for this division, along with the Junior Division World Series (Aug. 3-10 in Taylor Mich.) and Senior Division World Series (July 26 to Aug. 2 in Easley, S.C.), has already begun at the local level.

Besides the iconic 12U division, Little League International also offers state championships in the 11U and 10U divisions.

The race for those championship banners has also begun.

Eastlake Little League captured California District 42 championship banners last weekend in both the Intermediate and Senior divisions. District 42 serves Chula Vista, Eastlake, South San Diego and Imperial Beach.

Both teams are chartered under Eastlake Little League, though the Senior team also includes players from Sweetwater Valley. The Intermediate team also includes players from Sweetwater Valley and Chula Vista National.

California District 66 Little League has served San Diego, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove and National City since 2000. Lemon Grove Little League will represent the district in Junior League all-star play this summer while Spring Valley Little League will represent the district at the Senior Division level.

California District 41 Little League serves East County. Local leagues include Alpine American, El Cajon National, El Cajon Western, Fletcher Hills, Jamul, Julian, Lakeside American, Lakeside National, Mountain Empire, Rancho De Oro, Rios Canyon, Santee National, Singing Hills and West Hills.

Rancho De Oro defeated Singing Hills, 10-0, to win the district Intermediate championship while Alpine topped Rancho De Oro in this year’s district best-of-three Junior League championship series.

Mountain Empire is the District 41 Senior League representative.

Qualifying continues beyond the local level, leading teams to sectional and regional events.
There are six U.S. regional divisions for the Intermediate Division World Series: California D57, Central, East, Southeast, Southwest and West.

There are six U.S. regional divisions for the Senior Division World Series: Central, East, South Carolina D1, Southeast, Southwest and West.

There are six International region tournaments for the Intermediate, Junior and Senior divisions. They include Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe-Africa and Latin America in both the Intermediate and Senior divisions and Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Europe-Africa, Latin America and Puerto Rico for the Junior League World Series.

U.S. regions in the 12U Little League Division include New England, Mid-Atlantic, Metro, Great Lakes, Southeast, Midwest, Northwest, Mountain, Southwest and West.

California District 42 Little League
2025 Tournament of Champions

Major Division: Imperial Beach 5, Park View 4
Minor Division: Park View 9, Eastlake 1
9U Division: Park View 3, Sweetwater Valley 1
8U Division: Sweetwater Valley 5, Park View 4
7U Division: Park View 7, Eastlake 6
6U Division: Sweetwater Valley 10, Park View 0

A word from District 42 administrator Ernie Lucero

“I really want to thank all the league presidents for making the 2025 Tournament of Champions a great success. The host leagues from Imperial Beach, South Bay, Park View and Sweetwater Valley and all of their volunteers made this an enjoyable event.

Every one of you helped all of us enjoy the game of baseball, watching the faces of the little kids participating and enjoying the games. This very positive distraction helps us at a time when bigger world problems take front and center.

These days the pool of qualified and knowledgeable volunteer umpires is greatly reduced, so I truly admire and appreciate the work of our umpires Steve Loa, Frank Ramirez and others. Without them this tournament would not be possible. Other key individuals who help make our tournament memorable are Ray Diaz and Sal Hernandez of District 42. They oversee all aspects of the tournament to ensure ease, fairness, and success. Several other individuals also contribute priceless contributions to the tournament, but there are just too many to mention by name.

Even our public announcer Steve Eicher and his team brought out the excitement at each of the games with pumped up music and cheering on the kids, inspiring them with confidence, motivation, and action. Yes, as always, there were a few distractions of overly engaged parents, but that is to be expected.

I now look forward to the start of the 2025 All-Stars Tournament.

Ernie Lucero
District Administrator
CA District 42

Photos courtesy of California District 42 Little League