WHITESTOWN, Ind. — Hamilton West Side Little League won its 23rd Ohio Little League state championship and will compete in the Great Lakes Region tournament in Whitestown, Indiana, beginning Saturday.
Here is a look at the five teams competing in the region:
OHIO — HAMILTON WEST SIDE LITTLE LEAGUE
West Side Little League heads back to Whitestown, Indiana, carrying one of the richest traditions in Ohio Little League baseball.
The Hamilton powerhouse captured its 23rd Ohio state championship this summer, going 4-0 at the state tournament in Boardman and outscoring opponents 39-9. West Side defeated Ironton 13-1 and Olentangy 16-0 before surviving Canfield 6-5 to reach the winner’s bracket championship game. In the title-game rematch, Caiden Trent delivered a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give West Side a 4-3 victory.
Josiah Infante emerged as one of West Side’s biggest offensive threats during the state tournament, homering in each of the team’s first three games. The roster also features Boone Treadway and Bobby Frazier, the only two returning players from West Side’s 2025 Ohio championship team.
Manager Tim Nichting leads an experienced coaching staff that includes longtime West Side fixture Ken Coomer. Nichting managed Hamilton’s 2007 Little League World Series team, while Coomer managed the 2010 and 2021 Williamsport teams.
West Side has made five Little League World Series appearances — 1991, 1993, 2007, 2010 and 2021 — and came within one victory of returning last summer before falling to Illinois in the Great Lakes Region championship game.
MICHIGAN — GREATER BAY LITTLE LEAGUE
Greater Bay Little League of Bay City, Michigan, enters the Great Lakes Region Tournament with a group that has made winning state championships a yearly tradition.
Greater Bay captured Michigan championships at the 10U level in 2024 and 11U in 2025 before completing the progression with the 2026 Major/12U state title, earning its first opportunity to continue down the road toward the Little League World Series.
Greater Bay defeated Northeast Little League 5-0 in the Michigan state semifinals before edging Western Little League of Grand Rapids 5-4 for the championship. The title continued a three-year run for an age group that has grown accustomed to playing meaningful postseason baseball together.
KENTUCKY — NORTH OLDHAM LITTLE LEAGUE
North Oldham Little League returns to the Great Lakes Region Tournament looking to recreate one of the proudest moments in the La Grange, Kentucky, program’s history.
North Oldham captured the 2026 Kentucky championship with a 1-0 victory over Eastern, completing an unbeaten state tournament run that included wins over Corbin, Bowling Green East, Morehead and Marion County. Henry Baker and Tanner Seaman combined on a five-hit shutout in the championship, while Wyatt Husband delivered the go-ahead hit in the sixth inning.
Pitching has been a strength throughout the postseason. North Oldham shut out Morehead 7-0 before beating Marion County 11-1 in the semifinals. Corbin Phillips struck out eight against Marion County, while Baker, Seaman, Easton Craig and Joel McHone have also provided innings during the tournament run.
North Oldham has plenty of offense, too. Lincoln Schleder, Braxton Anderson, Husband and Phillips have delivered key extra-base hits during district and state tournament play. Anderson hit an inside-the-park grand slam in a five-run first inning of North Oldham’s 6-1 District 2 championship victory over South Oldham.
The Kentucky champions are managed by Brandon Berry and carry a 13-player roster of Anderson, Baker, Cooper Berry, Wyatt Burckardt, Craig, Sawyer Dennison, Ethan Hodges, Husband, McHone, Phillips, Schleder, Connor Seaman and Tanner Seaman.
North Oldham is seeking its first trip to the Little League World Series since 2011, when it won the Great Lakes championship and advanced to Williamsport.
INDIANA — JASPER NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE
Jasper National returns to the Great Lakes Region with some unfinished business after coming within one victory of the Little League World Series two years ago.
The Jasper, Indiana, program captured the 2026 Indiana state championship to earn another trip to the Central Region Headquarters in Whitestown. Jasper received an opening-round bye and will face the winner of Saturday’s game between Michigan champion Greater Bay and Ohio champion West Side on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
Jasper is no stranger to making a deep regional run. The program won the Indiana championship in 2024 and responded to an opening loss at the Great Lakes Region by winning three straight elimination games, including a 4-3 victory over West Side. Jasper eventually fell to Hinsdale, Illinois, 8-7 in eight innings in the regional championship, finishing one win shy of Williamsport.
The program has remained among Indiana’s most consistent, with Jasper also winning the state’s 9-11-year-old championship in 2025 before returning to the top of the Major division this summer.
Jasper is attempting to become the first Indiana representative to win the Great Lakes Region and advance to the Little League World Series since Hagerstown accomplished the feat in 2022.
ILLINOIS — BURBANK AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE
Burbank American Little League brings a tradition of postseason success to the Great Lakes Region tournament in Whitestown, Indiana, as the Illinois champion looks to earn a trip to the Little League Baseball World Series.
Based in Burbank, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Burbank American has been part of the community since 1954 and operates out of Rice Park. The league serves roughly 350 players from ages 4 through 16 and has built a strong tournament reputation across multiple age divisions.
Much of Burbank American’s recent success has come at the Senior League level. The program captured four consecutive Central Region championships through 2025 and made repeated trips to the Senior League Baseball World Series. Its younger teams have also produced postseason success, including a 10-year-old team that reached the Illinois state tournament in 2025.
This summer, Burbank American’s Major Division team added another chapter by winning the Illinois championship and advancing to the Great Lakes Region tournament.
Great Lakes Region Schedule
At Whitestown, Ind.
Saturday, Aug. 8
Game 1 — Ohio vs. Michigan, 10 a.m., ESPN+
Game 2 — Illinois vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Sunday, Aug. 9
Game 3 — Indiana vs. Game 1 Winner, 4:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 4 — Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Monday, Aug. 10
Game 5 — Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Game 6 — Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Tuesday, Aug. 11
Game 7 — Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Championship Game — Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 7 p.m., ESPN2
