BANGOR, Maine — Steady rain overnight and throughout the morning Thursday has prompted changes in the schedule and location of the final day of pool play at the Senior League World Series.
The games, originally scheduled for Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, have been moved to the artificial surface at Mahaney Diamond on the campus of the University of Maine in Orono.
SLWS executive director Mike Brooker said he was in contact with Little League officials in Williamsport, Pa., throughout the early morning hours in an effort to gain approval for playing Thursday’s games at an alternate site than Mansfield Stadium, which is a natural-grass facility.
That approval came at approximately 9:30 a.m., and the move to the University of Maine became official a half-hour later, Brooker said.
Tournament organizers got the first game of the day, a Pool B game featuring Brevard County, Fla., (2-1) and Emilia, Italy, (1-2) under way at 11:41 a.m.
Brevard County went on to post a 13-2 victory.
Three other games are scheduled to be played Thursday, each starting 20 minutes after the completion of the previous game.
The second game of the day will match U.S. Southwest champion West University Little League of Houston, Texas, (2-1) vs. U.S. West champion Lemon Grove, Calif. (3-0) in a Pool B game. That will be followed by a Pool A game between Montreal, Quebec, (1-2) and Auburn, Mass., (1-2).
The final game under the revised schedule will have Maine District 3 champion Hampden (1-2) against Latin America champion Guatemala City, Guatemala (3-0) in a Pool A match up.
Guatemala City, Guatemala, is the only team in the 10-team field to have clinched a berth in Friday’s semifinals before Thursday’s play. The Latin American champions are 3-0 and have clinched the top seed in Pool A.
We are very excited here in Melbourne, FL, the home of our South Beaches/West Melbourne Team which has on its roster several of the returning players from Mel High’s 2012 varsity, state semi-final team. All of these players on this Florida team have played with and against each other for almost a decade, Many people feel that this fact is what makes this team, a “TEAM”. Each knows one another like brothers, going back till ages of 7and 8 yrs old. There is a bond and fellowship as they have motivated each other, not only on the field but in school and life as well. The boys all work extra hard in school with many of them in advance placement classes and are honor students. Each of them has been
very helpful in and around our community. This class of players, to my understanding is what has kept Mel High’s varsity baseball coach Pete Donovan still manning the 3rd base coaches box. This group has been followed since before they made the transition from the “little field” and has combined to form this Southeastern Champion and with a chance to be Little League Senior Division World Champions. We are all very proud of our boys and their character, class and effort is what makes them a very special team to us.
Your last comment is what really stands out. Sure it’s nice to be a winner, but sports is about far more than that! It really does build character, as well as a strong work ethic and playing (winning and losing) with class, as you said. Congrats to your team….I attended one game but haven’t seen your team play. Good luck and continue to encourage these young men to be leaders in their community so they in turn will become outstanding men as they age and return what has blessed them.
No matter what, we are very proud parents