Little League World Series 2026 regionals: Phenix City reaches Southeast final as Lamar falls in Southwest

Regional tournaments for the 2026 Little League World Series reached a decisive stretch on Friday, August 7, with berths in South Williamsport on the line across the United States. In the Southeast, Alabama state champion Phenix City rallied from a four-run deficit to beat Florida and reach the regional final, according to reports, while in the Southwest, Lamar Little League's bid for a return trip to the World Series ended with a close loss to Boerne, reports said. The winners of these regional tournaments advance to the 79th Little League World Series, scheduled for August 19 to 30 at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The tournament will feature ten teams from the United States and ten international teams. Phenix City's reward for its comeback is a Southeast final against Florida's Chaires-Capitola, a team with ten players who won the 2025 Tournament of State Champions. With the World Series less than two weeks away, every remaining regional game now carries elimination stakes. USA Today has published viewing information, including television channels and streaming options, for the qualifying games.

Regionals in full swing as World Series berths go on the line

Regional tournaments across the United States pressed on Friday, August 7, 2026, with teams playing for the berths that would send them to the Little League World Series. The 79th edition of the tournament is scheduled for August 19 to August 30 at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and will feature ten teams from the United States and ten international teams.

For fans following the qualifying games, USA Today published viewing information detailing the television channels and streaming options carrying the regional action.

The schedule had already been busy. According to reports, four regional tournament games were played the previous Sunday, though the exact dates and results of those contests have not been confirmed. On the softball side, twelve regional tournaments held between June 12 and July 28 had already determined qualification for the 2026 Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina.

Phenix City rally sets up Southeast final against experienced Chaires-Capitola

The Southeast Regional produced one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament. According to reports, the Phenix City all-star team, Alabama's state champions, rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat Florida and book a place in the regional final. That win left Phenix City one victory away from qualifying for the Little League World Series in South Williamsport.

Waiting in the final, per reports, was Chaires-Capitola Little League of Florida — a side carrying rare big-game experience at this age level. Ten players on the Chaires-Capitola roster also won the 2025 Tournament of State Champions, giving the Florida club a core already accustomed to high-stakes summer baseball.

The matchup pitted Phenix City's momentum against Chaires-Capitola's pedigree, with a World Series berth at stake. The outcome of the final had not been determined at the time of reporting.

Lamar's return bid ends against Boerne in the Southwest

Lamar Little League's hopes of a return trip to the Little League World Series are over, according to reports. The team was eliminated from the Southwest Region Tournament after a close loss to Boerne, ending its bid for another appearance in South Williamsport.

Boerne pitcher Boone Blalock was central to the result, reportedly recording 11 strikeouts in the game that sent Lamar out of the tournament. The full score and further details of the game have not been confirmed.

Elsewhere in the regional bracket, reports indicated a Mid-Atlantic Region matchup between East Side of Pennsylvania and Naamans of Delaware. The outcome of that game was not yet known. Regional play across the country continued as teams competed for the limited berths available in the World Series field.

What comes next on the road to South Williamsport

The teams still standing in the regionals are playing for a place in the 79th Little League World Series, which runs from August 19 to August 30 at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The tournament will feature ten teams from the United States and ten international teams. For viewers following the qualifying rounds, USA Today published viewing information for the games, including television channels and streaming options.

The baseball regionals are not the only route to a Little League title this summer. A parallel softball pathway has already wrapped up its qualifying stage: twelve regional softball tournaments were held between June 12 and July 28, 2026, to determine the field for the 2026 Little League Softball World Series, which will be played in Greenville, North Carolina.

1. 2025

   Ten players who later competed for Chaires-Capitola in the 2026 regionals won the 2025 Tournament of State Champions.

2. June 12 – July 28, 2026

   Twelve regional softball tournaments were held to determine qualification for the 2026 Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, North Carolina.

3. July 2026

   A Little League Major Baseball state tournament involving 12-year-old players was covered ahead of the regional stage.

4. Sunday (date not given)

   Four regional tournament games were played as part of the 2026 Little League World Series regional schedule.

5. August 7, 2026

   Regional tournaments for the 2026 Little League World Series continued, with teams competing for World Series berths.

6. August 19–30, 2026

   The 79th Little League World Series, featuring ten U.S. and ten international teams, is scheduled at the Little League headquarters complex in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

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