Tournament field completed N.J., Michigan, B.C. teams earn titles with Thursday wins

A former Senior League World Series champion, a team that was in the series in 2004, and a first-timer have earned trips to Bangor’s Mansfield Stadium for this year’s SLWS.

Freehold Township, N.J., the Whalley Little League of Surrey, British Columbia, and the Greater Niles Little League from Niles, Mich., won regional championships Thursday to complete the 10-team Senior League World Series field.

The series gets under way with opening ceremonies on Saturday. Five days of pool play will begin on Sunday followed by the semifinals and championship game.

Freehold Township, N.J., the 2004 champion, beat Dubois, Pa., 4-0 in the Eastern Regional final Thursday to earn a return trip to Bangor.

Freehold Township is one of three former champs in the field.

Whalley Little League of Surrey, British Columbia, which came to Bangor three years ago, won the Canadian regional in Vancouver.

Greater Niles Little League will make its first trip to Bangor after winning the Central Regional.

They will join a field made up of Maine District 3 champion Brewer; Asia-Pacific champ Saipan LL of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Europe-Middle East-Africa winner Vilnius, Lithuania; defending champ Paraguana LL of Falcon, Venezuela; 2003 SLWS titlist Hilo American/National Little League of Hawaii, the U.S. West champion; U.S. South winner Cartersville, Ga., and U.S. Southwest champ Tyler, Texas.

In the Eastern Regional, Freehold Township had beaten Dubois 14-8 earlier in the regional before beating Fishkill, N.Y., 11-1 and Auburn, Mass., 11-2 to earn its berth in the championship game.

The Central Regional, which was held in Peru, Ill., saw Niles go 6-0 en route to its title. Niles beat Carroll County, Mo., 12-0; host LaSalle Little League 12-0; New Philadelphia, Ohio, 7-3, and Germantown, Wis., 6-3 in round-robin play.

Niles went on to beat New Philadelphia, Ohio, 9-4 in its semifinal before blanking previously undefeated Ankeny, Iowa, 3-0 in the final.

In the Canadian regional, Whalley beat previously undefeated Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, which had beaten Whalley twice, 5-0 in the championship game.

Whalley opened the tourney with a 13-2 win over Edmonton, Alberta, a 9-2 win over Orleans, Ontario, and a 7-2 triumph over Prince George, British Columbia, before dropping a 7-6 game to Glace Bay.

They beat Quebec representative Montreal 5-1 and moved into the semifinals.

They lost to Glace Bay 4-3 in one of three semifinal games but earned a berth in the final with a 7-6 win over Prince George.

Glace Bay entered the championship game 6-0.

Niles will play its Senior League World Series opener against Venezuela on Sunday at 8 p.m. and Freehold Township will play its first game against Niles on Monday at 1 p.m.

Surrey, British Columbia, will face Brewer in the tourney opener on Sunday at noon.