Team Profiles
2012 Junior League World Series
Team Rosters and Profiles
As of August 14, 2012
Note: Profiles may be updated periodically. Please email suggestions and corrections to TaylorNews@aol.com.
USA POOL
USA Central Region Champion
North Canton Little League
North Canton, Ohio
1 Zachary McHenry
2 Vincent Serapiglia
3 Austin Habick
4 Cameron Mayle
5 Michael Paumier
6 Jarid Seemann
7 Tyler Drabick
8 Grant Schatz
10 Nicholas Hillyer
12 Janet Rankin
14 Benjamin Kiesling
Manager Jon Lucas
Coach Doug Hamilton
Coach Dave Hillyer
Located about 144 miles (232 kilometers) southeast of Taylor as the crow flies or nearly 200 miles by car. North Canton is located south of Cleveland between Akron and Canton.
How they got here: The Ohio state champions arrived at the Junior League World Series with a 14-1 record. After going 8-0 against other Ohio teams and winning the state tournament, the North Canton Junior Little League all-stars went 6-1 in the 11-team Central regional tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In pool play, they beat the state champions of Michigan and Minnesota, plus the host team, and lost to Iowa. With a fourth seed after pool play, Ohio ousted fifth-seeded Wisconsin, first seeded Indiana in the semifinals and second-seeded Kentucky in the finals, 22-3. this is the second straight year North Canton is playing in Taylor, but all of the players and two-thirds of the coaching staff is new to the World Series. Only Manager Jon Lucas returns from last year’s team, which defeated Texas and lost three games in the USA Pool. This is the seventh time a team from Ohio has played in Taylor.
USA Eastern Region Champion
Franklin Square Little League
Franklin Square, New York
4 Matthew Cinnamo
5 John Cimilluca
6 Robert Kelly
7 Michael Catanese
8 Matthew Cosme
9 Michael Castel
10 Joseph Filardo
11 Kurt Rissland
12 Julio Lizardo Jr.
13 James O’Connell
14 Anthony Lucito
18 Robert Weissheier
21 Anthony Catapano
Manager Jimmy O’Connell
Coach Russ Weissheier
Coach Rich Cinnamo
Located on Long Island, Franklin Square is 508 miles (817 kilometers) east of Taylor as the crow flies or at least 625 miles by car. It takes about 11 hours to drive from Franklin Square to Taylor.
How they got here: Franklin Square arrived in Taylor with a 14-1 record and had to defeat the defending USA East champs from Johnston, Rhode Island, in a winner-takes-all game in the regional finals in Freehold Township, New Jersey. Franklin Square went 10-0 en route to the New York state championship. In the 10-team regional, the all-stars defeated the state champions of Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut in double-elimination play, then waited for Rhode Island to emerge from the losers bracket. Johnston won the first game, 19-9, forcing a second game, which was won by New York, 10-8. This is the fifth time a team from New York is playing in the JLWS, but the first time for a team from Franklin Square.
they ha, but that one loss made life more challenging for the Rhode Island state champions
USA Southeastern Region Champion
Rockledge Little League
Rockledge, Florida
2 Justin Robedau
3 Kevin Clanton
6 Trevor Payne
8 Andrew Parrish
9 Mason Studstill
10 Blake Bayel
13 Brady Martello
14 Michael Hall
19 Gavin Spinneweber
20 Jackson Parker
Manager David Clanton
Coach Tom Hall
Coach Robbie Robedau
Located along the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveril, Rockledge is 922 miles (1,564 kilometers) south of Taylor as the crow flies and about 1,158 miles (more than 19 hours) by car.
How they got here: The Rockledge all-stars arrived in Taylor with a 14-2 record, according to the affidavit presented ot the World Series. They went 9-2 to become Florida state champions and then defeated the state champions of Alabama Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee for the USA Southeast regional title. In all, eight state champs competed for the Southeast crown. Rockledge is attempting to succeed the Palma Ceia/Bayshore Little League in Tampa as the world champion. It was the second time the Palma Ceia/Bayshore league won the Junior League World Series. The first came in 2004, the year of Hurricane Charley. Eight South/Southeast regional champions have gone on to win the JLWS, including three from Florida.
USA Southwestern Region Champion
Oil Belt Little League
Corpus Christi, Texas
1 Juan George
2 Joshua Baltierra
3 Michael Hellums
4 Kalani Ibarra
5 Heath Thomas
6 Hunter Gall
7 Nathan Rabe
8 Reece Barrett
10 Mason Weber
11 Christopher Nuncio
12 Ricardo Arevalo II
Manager Brian Barrett
Coach Gary Durbin
Coach Wade Thomas
Located on the Gulf of Mexico, Corpus Christi is about 1,277 miles (2,055 kilometers) as the crow flies or more than 1,517 miles (about 26 hours) by car.
How they got here: The Texas West state champions from Corpus Christi arrived in Taylor with a 13-1 record. They went 9-1 en route to the state title. (Due to the popularity of baseball, there are two state champions: West and East.) the last four wins came in the USA Southwest regional tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Oil Can boys defeated the host team from Albuquerque and the state champs of Louisiana and New Mexico before taking on the Texas East champs from Brenham in the finals and winning, 14-0. The Texas East champs had played in the World Series the last two years. This is the 15th time a team from Texas is playing in the 32-year history of the JLWS. Teams from Texas have won the world championship three times. It’s the first time in Taylor for Corpus Christi.
USA Western Region Champion
Manhattan Beach Little League
Manhattan Beach, California
2 Rolando Nichols
3 Reese Alexiades
4 Hunter Tiedemann
5 Matthew Beserra
6 Trevor Franklin
7 Ryan May
8 Ian Bothwell
9 Robert White
10 Jackson Michalski
11 Brett Davis
12 Blake Hammerstein
13 William Proctor
16 Zachary Chan
Manager Ira Smith
Coach Jeff Prochtor
Coach Ian Bothwell
Located on the Pacific Ocean south of Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach is 1,982 miles (3,190 kilometers) west of Taylor as the crow flies. If you drove, it would be a 2,300-mile trip to Taylor that would take about 36 hours.
How they got here: Team California arrived in Taylor with a 20-1 record. The Manhattan Beach all-stars went 13-1 en route to the South California state championship. (There are two state champs in California.) In the 12-team USA West regional tournament in Vancouver, Washington, Manhattan Beach was perfect, defeating the host team from Vancouver and the state champs from Montana, Oregon, Nevada (twice), Oregon, Washington and Hawaii – with the championship game decided by a 1-0 score. This is the 16th time in the 32-year JLWS history that California is represented, but it’s the first time for Manhattan Beach. California teams have won four world titles.
INTERNATIONAL POOL
Asia-Pacific Region Champion
Min-De Junior Little League
Tainan, Chinese Taipei
2 Liu Hung Yi
3 Huang Tzu Jung
4 Hsieh Cheng Hsun
5 Chuang Huan Chu
6 Tsai Min Hsiu
7 Lin Hung En
8 Wei Chieh
9 Pan Hsing Yu
10 Lin Yu Yang
11 Wu Cheng Hsien
12 Tu Chien Li
13 Wu Tsung Wei
14 Tsai Kuan Wen
Manager Ching Chun Tsai
Coach Mao Chan Hung
Coach Ching-Hsing Su
Located 7,696 miles (12,384 kilometers) from Taylor, Chinese Taipei is located on the other side of the globe from the home of the Junior League World Series.
How they got here: The Min-De Little League all-stars arrived in Taylor with a record of 12-1, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the six-nation Asia-Pacific regional tournament held in Vietnam. The Chinese Taipei national champions defeated other national champs from the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Vietnam in pool play. They beat Indonesia in the semifinals, 10-1 and took the regional title in the finals vs. Saipan, 5-1. Chinese Taipei – or Taiwan – has the most storied history in Little League baseball with 25 appearances in the Little League World Series for 12-year-olds in Williamsport, Pennsylvania – and 17 world championships. In 2010 – the first year of competition for Chinese Taipei at the 13- and 14-year-old level – the team from Taipei City took the Junior League World Series by storm. After sweeping the Asia-Pacific region, Chinese Taipei went undefeated in the JLWS and won the world title by beating Tyler, Texas, in the finals, 9-1. Last year, Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei, won the International Pool championship before falling short against world champ Tampa, Florida, 2-1. The 2009 World Series championship was the first for a team from the Asia-Pacific region.
Canadian National Champion
Centennial Little League
Calgary Alberta, Canada
1 Jack Palmer
2 Derek Owen
3 Hayden Ursulak
4 Michael Goldade
5 Connor Blake
6 Jarod McAusland
7 Joshua Berze
8 Jared Kennedy
9 Zachary Worden
12 Joshua Wiens
13 Taylor Roberge
Nick Sekida
Manager Steve Blake
Coach Rock Goldade
Coach Blair McAusland
Located 1,571 miles (2,528 kilometers) northwest of Taylor as the crow flies, Calgary is about a 32-hour drive to the Junior League World Series.
How they got here: The Centennial Little all-stars arrived in Taylor with a 10-4 record, including a 6-2 mark in the seven-team Canadian national championship tournament held in Lethbridge, Alberta. Wins came over the provincial champions of Quebec, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan and the host team. Losses came against British Columbia and Ontario. The Calgary boys defeated the host team from Lethridge in the semifinals, 17-15, and then stunned Ontario in the finals, 10-7. This is the 25th year a team from Canada has appeared in the Junior League World Series. This is the second time the provincial champion of Alberta has played in Taylor. Edmonton, Alberta, went 1-2 in the 1989 World Series, which was the second year a Canadian team played in the event. Canada is seeking its first Junior League world championship.
Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) Region Champion
Lazio Little League
Lazio, Italy
1 Michaele Sandro Calisi
2 Andrea Sellaroli
3 Leonardo Ceppari
4 Manuel Ricci
5 Gabriele Vincenti
6 Frederico Pavone
7 Mel Marocchini
8 Marco Capolrale
9 Francesco Novaga
10 Gabriele Orefice
11 Giorgio Bressi
12 Alessandro Castagi
13 Federico Pecci
14 Federico Proietti
Manager Fernando Ricci
Coach Angelo Burla
Coach Mauro Cinti
Located: 4,621 miles (7,437) from Taylor.
How they got here: Italy makes its third appearance in four years in the Junior League World Series after winning the 11-team Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region played in Kutno, Poland. The Lazio teams came here with high hopes after going 7-0 in Poland. Pool play wins came over the national champions of Poland, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Moldova. In the quarterfinals, Italy defeated an American team of military children based in Germany, 11-1. In the semifinals, Italy ousted a native Germany team, 13-1. And in the finals, the Lazio all-stars defeated the Czech Republic, 11-8. The European region has been part of the Junior League World Series since 1990 after the series expanded to include 14-year-olds in addition to 13-year-olds. The region later expanded to include teams from the Middle East and Africa. Most of the visitors to Taylor from this region have been American military base teams, although other national champions have been represented as well. Italy first played in Taylor in 2009 and then again last year.
Latin American Region Champion
Aruba North Little League
Oranjestad, Aruba
1 Albert Pop
2 Endry Brito
3 C-Jay Martha
4 Dwayne Angela
5 Junior Redondo
6 Ryan Oduber
7 Edmar Tromp
8 Emir Escobar
9 Anthony Lacie
10 Jeandrick Oduber
11 Sharif Arends
12 Gillian Wernet
13 Luis Gonzalez
14 Jirvin Penja
Manager Allan Pourier
Coach Glenda Thomasia
Coach Manuel Dos Santos
Located 2,203 miles (3,345 kilometers) southeast of Taylor.
How they got here: Aruba’s national championship team had to win the highly competitive 12-team Latin America regional tournament held in San Jose, Costa Rica. After going 4-0 to win in Aruba, the all-starts from Oranjestad went 6-1 to win the regional crown. In pool play, they defeated the national champions of Costa Rica, Curacao, Nicaragua and Guatemala before falling short against the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the semifinals, Aruba defeated Puerto Rico, 2-0. In a rematch with the Virgin Islands team in the finals, Aruba came out on top, 10-4. Aranjestad is used to being in the spotlight. Last year, the team played in the Little League World Series for 12-year-olds in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This is Oranjestad’s second appearance in Taylor. In 2009, Aruba won the International championship, but lost in the world title game to Scottsdale, Arizona, 9-1.
Mexico National Champion
Las Puentes Little League
San Nicolas de Los Garza, Nuevo Leon
1 Daniel Mendez
2 Angel Contreras
3 Irvin Valenzuela
4 Sergio Fernandez
5 Edwin Villarreal
6 Jose Diaz
7 Jesus Solis
8 Rodrigo Medina
10 Pedro Tovar
11 Jorge Leo
12 Victor Guanajuato
13 Raul Martinez
14 Carlos Iruegas
Manager Rogelio Ibarra
Coach Pablo Cavazos
Coach Miguel Contreras
Located 836 miles (1,349 kilometers) southwest of Taylor.
How they got here: Due to the popularity of baseball in Mexico and Puerto Rico, the national champion of Mexico alternates automatic berths with the national champion of Puerto Rico. Mexico gets the invitation in even-numbered years. This is the 19th year that a team from Mexico is playing in the World Series and the fifth team from Nuevo Leon. It’s the first time for a team from San Nicolas de Los Garza. Both Mexico and Puerto Rico used to receive automatic berths. When the Junior League expanded in 2000 to include 13- and 14-year-olds, it increased the talent pool and allowed the division to expand and grow in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and other Latin America nations. The Latin America region was formed. More countries began entering all-star teams in post-season play. Those that won regional tournaments wanted to be included in the World Series. The series grew to nine teams, including five regions in the United States and four in international locations. Then, in 2004, organizers decided to expand the series to 10 teams with two equal five-team pools. The team that does not receive an automatic berth – Mexico or Puerto Rico – still has a chance to qualify for the World Series by winning the Latin America region.
Note: Profiles may be updated periodically. Please email suggestions and corrections to TaylorNews@aol.com.