Staff report

SALISBURY — The Rowan Little League 12U softball team gathered at West End Plaza and headed east to Greenville on Thursday morning for the World Series.

It’s the sixth trip for Rowan Little League to the World Series. Rowan won championships in Portland, Oregon, in 2015 and 2019 and was runner-up in the event in 2016 and 2017.

The team members are Remi Hagerty, Cressley Patterson, Megan Linebarger, LeNiyah Ratcliffe, Ansley Jenkins, Tenley Shell, Emma Smith, Makynzie Melchor, Addison Barrier, Bristol Smith, Ashlyn Pfister and CJ Haines.

Tournament play starts on Sunday, Aug. 6. Rowan kicks off the tournament with a 10 a.m. game against the Central Region champs from Ohio.

Rowan is considered the host team for the event as the North Carolina champion.

The 12 teams in the field, including Canada, Italy, Puerto Rico and Philippines, have been placed in two six-team brackets.

The Brackets are identified as Purple and Orange.

Rowan is in the Purple Bracket. That looks like the tougher of the two brackets based on previous years.

Normally, the American teams are stronger than the international teams at the World Series, and Rowan’s bracket includes five American teams.

In that bracket are Rowan, Ohio, Northern California, Texas, Philippines and the Pitt County (Greenville) team that won the Southeast Regional.

Rowan and Pitt County did not meet in the state championship tournament. Pitt County lost early in that tournament to Mallard Creek. Rowan beat Mallard Creek to gain a direct entry to the World Series and was able to bypass regional play.

Pitt County won a rematch with Mallard Creek in the state tournament for the right to represent North Carolina in the Southeast Regional, and then won that regional in Georgia, so Pitt County will have the advantage of playing in its backyard, cheered on by a big fan base.

The Ohio girls Rowan will play in the first round will be traveling down to North Carolina from Austintown, a suburb of Youngstown in northeast Ohio.

Ohio had a tough road in the Central Regional, losing its first game, but then won six straight elimination games. Ohio won the regional championship game 4-0 against Iowa. Ohio pitcher Mila Hamley threw the shutout.

Rowan’s second game in bracket play will depend on the outcome of Rowan’s first outing. If Rowan wins against Ohio, Rowan would play Philippines in a 1 p.m. game on Monday. If Rowan loses to Ohio, Rowan’s next game would be on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.

The tournament lasts a full week, through Sunday,  Aug. 13. Early games are streamed on ESPN+.

Games will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2 starting with Thursday’s bracket semifinals.

The championship game will be on ABC.