Bangor West came excruciatingly close to winning the state Little League tournament last year in Belfast.

This time, with a handful of playoff veterans returning, the District 3 champions will play on their home field and will have the luxury of a first-round bye.

Bangor West hopes to take advantage of all of those factors during the state tournament that begins Saturday at the Bangor West Little League Complex behind 14th Street School.

District 2 titlist Camden-Rockport battles District 6 kingpin Suburban of Cumberland-North Yarmouth in Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. opener. District 5 winner Augusta East and District 4 champion East Biddeford will square off at 3:30 p.m.

Bangor West awaits the winner of the game between Camden-Rockport and Cumberland Suburban for a 3 p.m. contest Monday.

The double-elimination event takes a hiatus Sunday before the action resumes Monday through Thursday, with a game penciled in for Friday if necessary.

Bangor has been sparked by the superb pitching of left-hander Jeremy Karam and righty Barrett Dionne, who have combined for a 5-0 record, allowing only one hit and one run while striking out 63 and walking eight in 28 innings.

Dan Martin, Karam and Dionne have been among the offensive catalysts for Coach Mike Brooker’s team.

Camden-Rockport provides a stark contrast to Bangor West. The District 2 titlists, who are making what Coach Terry Fitzpatrick believes to be their first appearance in the state tournament, came out of the losers’ bracket to beat Knox Suburban twice.

Camden-Rockport has relied more on defense and clutch hits than overpowering pitching and a barrage of base hits.

“They’re a very good defensive team, but we’ve got some sticks, too,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’ve had good pitching from (righthander) Mike McDonald and (lefty) Steve Galkowski. They let the defense do the job and try not to walk people.”

Augusta East has powered its way into the state tourney behind two outstanding pitchers and a heavy hitting lineup. Coach Chuck Hinds’ ballclub features hard-throwing pitcher Jake Castonguay (2-0), who threw two no-hitters in his District 5 appearances and had two home runs and eight RBIs in one playoff game.

Brandon Royce (3-0) has been equally successful, allowing six hits in three outings while utilizing pinpoint control rather than power.

Ben Clemons, who homered in the District 5 championship game, John Chea, and winning pitcher Karl Lagasse are among the key contributors for East Biddeford.

Suburban claimed the District 6 crown behind hard-throwing hurler Ryan Anderson and hits by Chris Devoe, Anderson and Miles Hunt.

East Biddeford joins Bangor West as the lone repeat entries from a year ago, with Bangor West going all the way to the title game. The District 4 champs went 1-2. Defending champion Auburn Suburban was upended by Augusta East in the District 5 playoffs this year.