Every year, the Little League World Series is an event where hundreds of young athletes play for a world championship. With regional qualification tournaments across the country, teams from every state compete for a chance to make it to the international tournament in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. As the biggest sporting event in youth baseball, 64 former Little League baseball players have reached the MLB later in their career.

The 75th Annual Little League World Series concluded on Aug. 28, as the team from Honolulu, Hawaii, emerged as this year’s champion. Marking the fourth time a team from Hawaii has won, tying for the second-most of any state. This was the second World Series win from a Honolulu team, the first in 2018. After losing for one inning in the entire tournament, this dominant Hawaii team put up a fantastic performance throughout the tournament, recording a staggering 61-5 run differential over six games played.

However, this year’s tournament was a year to remember. Having been without international representatives since 2019 due to the Covid pandemic, the international teams made a name for themselves, placing second (Curacao) and third (Taiwan). The team from Nicaragua received support in large numbers as fans and members of the Nicaraguan-American community attended games in support, as only one team parent was able to attend the tournament due to visa issues. “The fact that they [Nicaragua] were able to come after so long and have their five games broadcasted for the world is what matters now,” said Carlos R. Pagan, Director of Little League in Latin America.

The most inspiring story of the tournament, however, was that of Easton Oliverson, a player for the Snow Canyon team of Utah, who fell from his bunk bed during the regional tournament and suffered severe injury. The fall fractured his skull, and caused him to be airlifted to a local hospital, where he was placed in a coma. After going through emergency surgery, Oliverson has been taken back to his home in Utah, and has begun walking, speaking, and writing. While ahead there still lies a road of recovery, the admirable story of Easton Oliverson has come to symbolize the memorable and inspiring tradition of the Little League World Series.