1997 Little League World Series

The 1997 Little League World Series was the 51st Little League World Series. There were 8 teams: Surrey, BC, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Dhahran, Mission Viejo, CA, Bradenton, FL, Dyer, IN and Pottsville, PA. Future major leaguer Lastings Milledge played for Bradenton. Ashton White of Mission Viejo set records for steals in a game (3, tying the mark) and Series (4) while his team set records with 7 steals in a game and 11 in the Series. Meanwhile, Adrian Luna of Guadalupe tossed two six-inning shutouts and his club had a record four whitewashes.

Mission Viejo met Guadalupe in the finale. The Californians carried a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the 6th and last inning, with Gavin Fabian working on a no-hitter. He walked the first two batters and went 2-0 on RF Gabriel Alvarez. Adam Sorgi relieved Fabian and threw two strikes but Alvarez then smacked a 3-run homer to tie it. Sorgi walked the next two hitters. Ryan O'Donovan relieved. P Pablo Torres singled and an error on the play by CF White let Javier De Isla score the winning run. Guadalupe became the first Mexican team to win since 1958; through 2014, no Mexican team has won after them.

Sources: 1998 LLWS Media Guide, AP coverage of 1998 LLWS finale

Participants[edit]

United States Teams			International Teams
Region	City	League	Region	City	League
Central	Dyer, IN	Dyer Little League	Canada	Surrey, BC
East	Pottsville, PA	Railway Park Little League	Europe	Dhahran	Arabian American Little League
South	Bradenton, FL	Manatee G.T. Bray East Little League	Far East	Yokohama	Seya Little League
West	Mission Viejo, CA	South Mission Viejo Little League	Latin America	Guadalupe, Nuevo León	Linda Vista Little League