WEST DEPTFORD, NJ - Ten of the 11 teams are in place as the 2008 Senior Little League Eastern Regional Tournament is set to get underway on Friday at Union Field.

A total of eight teams – regardless of who wins the lone remaining bid from Connecticut – will make their first appearance in West Deptford this season. Only DuBois, PA, Barrington, RI and Suncook, NY will be making repeat appearances at the 18-year-old West Deptford regional.

There will be a new regional champion this year as Freehold Township did not win the New Jersey state title. That honor belongs to North Cumberland, which will make its first appearance in 18 years of regional play at West Deptford. New Jersey state champs have won 20 straight games and 31 of their last 32 in West Deptford on their way to six straight regional titles and World Series bids.

North Cumberland will open regional play on Friday night at 8 pm against another first-timer in West Deptford, the Massachusetts champions hailing from Gloucester, MA. Gloucester came out of the elimination bracket to win its sectional title and then swept two-time defending state champ Auburn for the state crown.

Tournament play opens when Suncook, NH takes on Barrington, RI at 2 pm. Suncook is making its second straight appearance, going 0-2 last year, while Barrington returns for the first time since 2003 when it went 0-2.

Wappinger, NY will face Glassboro, NJ, the local host District champion, at 5 pm on Friday. Wappinger makes its first trip to West Deptford. Glassboro, which defeated West Deptford in the District 15 title game, 4-1, at Union Field, will also be making its first regional appearance.

On Saturday, DuBois, PA will face the Connecticut state champion at 10 am. Connecticut’s state tourney has been delayed by rain this week. That state’s final will feature Jack Berry LL from Meriden, CT and Killingsly/Brooklyn LL in a winner-take-all game on Thursday at 5:30 pm in Tolland. DuBois, the regional runner-up last year after battling its way through five consecutive elimination games, blasted its way through the Pennsylvania tournament by a combined score of 52-10.

West Salisbury, MD makes its first appearance in West Deptford at 1 pm Saturday when it faces the Suncook, NH-Barrington, RI winner. Naamans LL of Wilmington, DE makes its initial West Deptford appearance on Saturday, as well, when it faces the Wappinger, NY-Glassboro, NJ winner at 5 pm.
Ellsworth, ME closes out the first day of play at 8 pm Saturday when it faces the winner of the North Cumberland, NJ-Gloucester, MA game.

The schedule continues with three elimination games on Sunday, four games on Monday, three games on Tuesday and two games on Wednesday before Thursday’s championship round.

This year’s regional champion will open World Series play on Sunday, August 10 against Vilnius, Lithuania, the EMEA Regional champ. That game at Bangor, ME’s Mansfield Stadium will be played at 5:30 pm.

2007 Regional Schedule
Friday, August 1
G4 - Suncook, NH vs. Barrington, RI, 2 pm
G1 - Wappinger, NY vs. Glassboro, NJ-15, 5 pm
G3 - Gloucester, MA vs. North Cumberland, NJ, 8 pm

Saturday, August 2
G6 - Connecticut (either Kilingsly or Meriden) vs. DuBois, PA, 10 am
G8 - West Salisbury, MD vs. G4 winner, 1 pm
G5 - Naamans LL - Wilmington, DE vs. G1 winner, 5 pm
G7 - Ellsworth, ME vs. G3 winner, 8 pm

Sunday, August 3
G10 - Loser G4 vs. Loser G6, 12 noon*
G9 - Loser G3 vs. Loser G5, 3 pm*
G11 - Loser G1 vs. Loser G7, 6 pm*

Monday, August 4
G13 - Winner G9 vs. Winner G10, 10 am*
G14 - Winner G11 vs. Loser G8, 1 pm*
G15 - Winner G5 vs. Winner G6, 5 pm
G16 - Winner G7 vs. Winner G8, 8 pm

Tuesday, August 5
G17 - Winner G14 vs. Loser G15, 1:30 pm*
G18 - Winner G13 vs. Loser G16, 4:30 pm*
G19 - Winner G15 vs. Winner G16, 7:30 pm

Wednesday, August 6
G20 - Winner G17 vs. Winner G18, 5 pm*
G21 - Winner G20 vs. Loser G19, 8 pm*

Thursday, August 7 -- Championship Round
G22 - Winner G19 vs. Winner G21, 5 pm
G23 - Winner G22 vs. Loser G22, 30 min. after G22 (if necessary)
* elimination bracket game (G2 and G12 have been eliminated to account for Vermont)

NOTE: Schedule subject to change in case of adverse weather conditions. All games scheduled for Union Field. Bob Oldt Field will be used in the case of adverse weather conditions.

Distances travelled by teams (as crow flies) to West Deptford
Glassboro, NJ 11 miles
Naamans, DE 19 miles
North Cumberland, NJ 35 miles
West Salisbury, MD 104 miles
Wappinger, NY 139 miles
DuBois, PA 207 miles
Barrington, RI 242 miles
Suncook, NH 299 miles
Gloucester, MA 304 miles
Ellsworth, ME 474 miles

Annual Regional Champions Since 1991:
2007 - Freehold Twp. Little League, Freehold, NJ
2006 - Bloomfield Little League, Bloomfield, NJ
2005 - Freehold Twp. Little League, Freehold, NJ
2004 - Freehold Twp. Little League, Freehold, NJ
2003 - South Vineland Little League, South Vineland, NJ
2002 - South Vineland Little League, South Vineland, NJ       
2001 - South Vineland Little League, South Vineland, NJ
2000 - Newark National Little League, Newark, DE        
1999 - Franklin Little League, Franklin, PA
1998 - Brandywine Little League, Brandywine, DE       
1997 - Lewisburg Little League, Lewisburg, PA
1996 - Midway Little League, Midway, DE       
1995 - Haverstraw Little League, Haverstraw, NY
1994 - Ringwood Little League, Ringwood, NJ       
1993 - Shippensburg Little League, Shippensburg, PA
1992 - Howell Central Little League, Howell, NJ
1991 - Roberto Clemente Little League, Newark, NJ

Directions to Union Field
The West Deptford Little League is located in Thorofare, New Jersey adjacent to Interstate 295 close to the Delaware River. Please note that I-295 is under construction in the area of the complex. Directions below have been modified accordingly. Please allow extra travel time.

From Northern NJ, New York and the New England states: Take the New Jersey Turnpike (for travellers from New York and New England, the NJ Turnpike starts at the George Washington Bridge and can also be reached from the Garden State Parkway) to Exit 3 (Rt. 168 - Camden/Philadelphia). Take route 168 North for 1 mile. Get on I-295 South. Get off at Exit 21, which is before the West Deptford Water Tower.(Large Eagle on Tower) Make left at the end of the exit onto Route 44. Go through the next light and make a right on River Lane which leads to Union Field. (At light, a right leads to remainder of complex and practice fields.)

From Delaware and Maryland: Cross Delaware Memorial Bridge and take I- 295 North. Exit I-295 at exit 21. At end of ramp, make a left and go back under I-295. At first light, make a left onto Rt. 44. Go through the next two lights and make a right on River Lane which leads to Union Field. (At second light, a right leads to remainder of complex and practice fields.)

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and points west using the Walt Whitman Bridge (North of fields): Follow I-76 to I-295. Get on I-295 South. Exit 21 before the West Deptford Water Tower.(Large Eagle on Tower) Make left at the end of the exit onto Route 44. Go through the next light and make a right on River Lane which leads to Union Field. (At light, a right leads to remainder of complex and practice fields.)

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and points west using the Commodore Barry Bridge (South of the fields): Exit I-295 at exit 21. At end of ramp, make a left and go back under I-295. At first light, make a left onto Rt. 44. Go through the next two lights and make a right on River Lane which leads to Union Field. (At second light a right leads to remainder of complex and practice fields.)

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