Staff report

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Montreal won the Canadian championship to complete the field for this year’s Little League Softball World Series.

The Little League World Series is for 12U softball players, with a minimum league age of 10.

Two-time World Series champ (2015 and 2019) Rowan Little League has qualified for the seventh time in this age group and will be part of the historic 50th anniversary event for the Little League softball World Series, which debuted in 1974.

Brett Mulkey is the manager of the Rowan team. He is assisted by coaches Jac White Mulkey and Jeff Bernhardt.

The World Series games will be played Aug. 4-11 in Greenville, N.C. although Rowan Little League won’t play its first game until the last game of the day on Aug. 5 — Game 8. Rowan will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Ohio and Mexico.

The 12 teams in the field — eight American and four international — are split into Orange and Purple brackets for pool play. Unlike Little League baseball, the international softball teams generally aren’t as strong as their American counterparts.

Southeast Regional champ Rowan has been placed in the Orange Bracket, which also includes the champions from Mexico and Canada, as well as regional champions from Ohio, Louisiana and Idaho.

Louisiana represents the Southwest Region, which is always tough. Southwest champ Texas won the World Series in 2022, while Oklahoma won it in 2021. Rowan Little League beat a Louisiana team in the 2019 final.

The Purple Bracket includes host Pitt County, Philippines, Italy, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Pitt County won against Rowan Little League in the N.C. state tournament.

The defending champion — Massapequa Park, N.Y., did not make it back to the World Series.

Opening ceremonies are set for the  Town Commons in Greenville on Saturday, Aug. 3, and will be followed by 22 exciting Little League Softball World Series games.

There is no admission charge for World Series games and parking is free.

ESPN+ streams the early games.

Games start at 10 a.m. on Sunday, with Arizona taking on Pennsylvania.

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It’s been quite a year for Rowan Little League, which won state and regional championships in 10U and 11U softball.

Those age groups don’t have a World Series to advance to, but they could supply the players for more 12U World Series teams in the future.

On Saturday, Aug. 10, Dan Wales, who has been a driving force for Rowan Little League for many years, will be inducted into the Salisbury-Rowan Hall of Fame as the Fred Evans Community Service Award winner.

Sunday’s games

Arizona vs. Pennsylvania, 10 a.m.

Idaho vs. Louisiana, 1 p.m.

Mexico vs. Ohio, 4 p.m.

Pitt County vs. Philippines, 7 p.m.

Monday’s games

Canada vs. TBD, 10 a.m.

Rhode Island vs. TBD, 1 p.m.

Italy vs. TBD, 4 p.m.

Rowan Little League vs. Mexico-Ohio winner, 7 p.m.