The Little League World Series returns with a 20-team field that will compete for the international title.
The Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond, Maine, Little League team lost decidedly in its first game of the Little League World Series on Thursday afternoon.
They played Seattle, Washington, at 3 p.m. in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It's the first time Maine has been part of the tournament since 2005.
The Maine team lost Thursday's game 10-0.
"[I can’t wait] just to see all the fans in the crowd, the cheers from the crowd, just everybody getting fired up," Gage Rioux told News Center Maine earlier.
Manager Brad Shelley said just being in Williamsport has been an incredible experience for his team.
"The sky is the limit," he said. "You know, they earned their way here, they weren’t given this opportunity, they earned their way here. And to go out here and play their baseball, they can compete with any team here and leave it all out there."
The Smithfield, Rhode Island, team won 3-1 in their first game on Wednesday and will play their next game on Friday.
The tournament runs from Aug. 16-27. In all, there are 20 teams -- 10 from the U.S. and 10 international teams.
Click here for our full guide to the 2023 Little League World Series.
