LLWS Final Four Set: Japan, Curaçao, Ohio and Nevada One Step From Williamsport Glory

Championship weekend has arrived at the 2026 Little League World Series, with two highly anticipated rematches set to determine who plays for the world championship.

The journey that began with 20 teams in Williamsport has reached its final weekend.

After more than a week of dramatic finishes, dominant pitching performances, breakout stars and elimination-game pressure, only four teams remain in contention for the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series championship: Curaçao, Japan, Nevada and Ohio.

Saturday at Howard J. Lamade Stadium will decide the International and United States champions before those two winners meet Sunday for the Little League World Series title. And fittingly, both championship games feature rematches from earlier in the tournament.

Ohio Completes a Remarkable Run Through Elimination Games

Perhaps no team enters championship weekend carrying more momentum than West Side Little League of Hamilton, Ohio, representing the Great Lakes Region.

Ohio punched its ticket to the U.S. Championship on Thursday morning with a convincing 7-1 victory over Davenport Northwest Little League of Iowa. Bob Frazier delivered the game's biggest offensive blow with a bases-loaded triple during a four-run first inning, while pitcher Walker Osborne controlled the game from the mound.

Osborne worked all six innings, throwing 86 pitches while allowing just one run on four hits. The performance was especially significant considering Ohio had played the previous night before returning to Lamade Stadium for a weather-adjusted 9 a.m. start.

Ohio's path has been anything but easy.

After losing 6-5 to Nevada earlier in the tournament, Hamilton was pushed into the elimination side of the bracket. Since then, Ohio has simply refused to go home. The Great Lakes champions have put together five consecutive elimination-game victories while outscoring opponents 39-6 during that stretch.

Now comes an opportunity for revenge.

Nevada Has Been Waiting

While Ohio battled its way through elimination games, Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nevada, representing the Mountain Region, took the more direct route.

Nevada reached the U.S. Championship with a wild 14-6 victory over Iowa on Wednesday, scoring nine times in the sixth inning to turn what had been a competitive game into a runaway victory. Michael Guerrero drove in four runs on two hits as Nevada secured its place on Championship Saturday.

The Mountain champions have been one of the tournament's most complete offensive teams despite taking an unusual route to scoring runs. Nevada reached this stage without relying heavily on home runs, instead using contact, baserunning and timely two-out hitting.

Nevada already knows it can beat Ohio. The teams met earlier in Williamsport, with Henderson pulling out a 6-5 walk-off victory on a Hudson Cowley single.

Saturday's U.S. Championship therefore becomes more than a matchup between the final two American teams.

For Nevada, it is an opportunity to prove the first victory was no accident.

For Ohio, it is a chance to complete one of the tournament's great comeback runs.

Japan Fights All the Way Back

The International side of the bracket features a similar redemption story.

Joto Little League of Tokyo entered Thursday facing Nicaragua with its season once again on the line. Japan responded with a 4-1 victory, earning a place in the International Championship.

Shinnosuke Ijima delivered when Japan needed him most, pitching all six innings after having worked only four combined innings over his previous tournament appearances. Rui Tobata continued his strong tournament as well, delivering a go-ahead two-run double.

Japan's current run is even more impressive considering how its tournament began.

On August 21, Japan was completely shut down by Curaçao in a 6-0 loss. Jaymiëll Martina and Giendry Ryan combined to throw a no-hitter as Curaçao overwhelmed Japan in their first meeting.

Since that defeat, Japan has fought through the elimination bracket, defeating the Caribbean Region, Europe-Africa, Mexico, Canada and Nicaragua to earn another shot at the team that sent it into survival mode.

Now Japan gets exactly what it wanted: Curaçao again.

Curaçao Has Looked Like a Championship Favorite

If there has been one International team that has consistently looked capable of winning the entire tournament, Pariba Little League of Willemstad, Curaçao, deserves to be in that conversation.

Curaçao has reached Championship Saturday without a loss.

Its pitching has been exceptional. Curaçao blanked Japan 6-0 behind the combined no-hitter and followed that performance by defeating South Korea 1-0, with Juriënsly De Windt and Giendry Ryan combining for another shutout and 10 strikeouts.

Then the offense exploded.

Facing Nicaragua on Wednesday with a direct spot in the International Championship available, Curaçao erupted for 10 runs in the second inning on the way to a 12-3 victory.

Martina has emerged as one of the tournament's most dominant pitchers, allowing no runs and only one hit over six combined innings entering the championship round.

Japan will have to find an answer it did not have the first time around.

Bayonne's Memorable Run Comes to an End

For those following the tournament from the New York-New Jersey area, one of Williamsport's best stories came from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Bayonne opened its first Little League World Series appearance with victories over Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and carried a 15-game winning streak before running into a dominant Iowa team.

The run ultimately ended Tuesday when Ohio defeated Bayonne 5-2, but reaching the final stages of the U.S. bracket made this an unforgettable summer for a program making its first trip to Williamsport.

Championship Saturday

The International Championship will open Saturday's title-game doubleheader at Lamade Stadium.

International Championship — Saturday, August 29, 12:30 p.m. ET
Curaçao vs. Japan

Then comes the American championship:

United States Championship — Saturday, August 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
Nevada vs. Ohio

The winners advance to Sunday's Little League World Series Championship, with the world title game scheduled for August 30 at Lamade Stadium.

One Weekend Left in Williamsport

The beauty of the Little League World Series has once again been on full display.

Iowa gave the tournament one of its greatest pitching performances when Cooper Thissen struck out 15 while helping complete a combined no-hitter. Alabama's Kinley Rasmus made history by setting the Little League World Series record for most hits by a girl. Bayonne delivered an unforgettable run for New Jersey. Japan survived elimination game after elimination game. Ohio did the same on the American side. Curaçao has looked dominant, while Nevada continues to find ways to manufacture runs without depending on the long ball.

Now there are four.

By Saturday night, there will be two.

And by Sunday afternoon in Williamsport, one group of Little Leaguers will have accomplished something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

A world championship.

CrossTalk Media will continue following the 2026 Little League World Series through Championship Weekend.