Cooper WorthDes Moines Register
Aug. 21, 2026, 5:07 a.m. CT
The Little League World Series is here for Iowa’s representatives from Davenport after a Thursday postponement.
Davenport Northwest Little League is one of 20 teams competing in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It marks Iowa’s 16th appearance in Williamsport and first since 2022, with the state still seeking its first Little League World Series title.
The 2026 Little League World Series runs from Aug. 19 to Aug. 30. Here’s what to know about Davenport’s path through the 2026 Little League World Series.
Who does Iowa play in the 2026 LLWS?
Representing the Midwest, Davenport opens tournament play Friday, Aug. 21 against West Region champion Sweetwater Valley Little League of Bonita, California. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday, but inclement weather forced a postponement.
How to watch Midwest in the 2026 LLWS
Get to know Iowa’s Little League World Series team
Davenport Northwest Little League went 4-0 in the Midwest Region tournament to earn a berth in the Little League World Series for the first time in more than two decades
Davenport can brag about having one of the more dramatic ways to clinch a Little League World Series ticket. With Iowa trailing 6-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Kannon Kane had a two-run single to tie the game. Teammate Anthony Johnson Jr., who had an incredible relief effort, would eventually come home from third on a wild pitch to beat an attempted tag for a 7-6 win. The star of the game was Iowa’s Cooper Thissen, who had an impressive pitching line: 4 2/3IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 4BB, 13K. He will be a player to watch in Williamsport for both his arm and his bat.
The manager for the Davenport team is Mark Erwin with assistant coaches Anthony Johnson Sr. and Alan Rasso.
Little League World Series teams
United States
- Great Lakes − West Side Little League (Hamilton, Ohio)
- Metro − Bayonne Central Little League (Bayonne, New Jersey)
- Mid-Atlantic − East Side Little League (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
- Midwest − Davenport Northwest Little League (Davenport, Iowa)
- Mountain − Paseo Verde Little League (Henderson, Nevada)
- New England − Bridgewater Joe Lazaro Little League (Bridgewater, Massachusetts)
- Northwest − SoundView Little League (Tacoma, Washington)
- Southeast − Phenix City Youth Baseball Little League (Phenix City, Alabama)
- Southwest − Boerne Little League (Boerne, Texas)
- West − Sweetwater Valley Little League (Bonita, California)
International
- Asia−Pacific − West Seoul (B) Little League (Seoul, South Korea)
- Australia − Ryde Little League (Sydney, New South Wales)
- Canada − Little Mountain Little League (Vancouver, British Columbia)
- Caribbean − Los Nacionales Little League (Santiago, Dominican Republic)
- Curaçao − Pariba Little League (Willemstad, Curaçao)
- Europe & Africa − South Czech Republic Little League (Brno, Czechia)
- Japan − Joto Little League (Tokyo, Japan)
- Latin America − Ministerio Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila Little League (Leon, Nicaragua)
- Mexico − Municipal De Tijuana Little League (Tijuana, Baja California)
- Panama− David Doleguita Little League (Chiriquí, Panama)
USA TODAY Network reporters Sherlon Christie and Emilee Smarr contributed to this report
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
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