SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Kuei-Shan Little League is ready for another try at the Little League World Series, only this time they’re hoping for a happier ending.

The team from Taoyuan, Taiwan, that came to South Williamsport last year with the hardest-throwing pitcher and left the tournament in third place, is back, once again led by manager Lee Cheng-Ta, but the roster has changed drastically.

There are no players back – none. But that is no cause for concern for Cheng-Ta. “There is not a single top player in the team and everyone is doing their part,” Cheng-Ta said through an interpreter.

Taiwan is looking to follow in the footsteps of last year’s team and has been training hard to be back in contention for the tournament, which begins on Wednesday. There are four matches scheduled on the international side of the tournament, including Taiwan vs. Canada.

Last year, Taiwan outscored its three opponents 25-1 before the finals weekend, thanks in large part to pitching ace Fan Chen-Jun. But Taiwan managed just one hit in a 2-0 loss to Curacao in the semifinals, ending the country’s hopes of winning its first LLWS title since 1996.

Before 2023, Kuei-Shan made it to South Williamsport two more times: in 2009, when the team lost in the title game to Chula Vista of California, and in 2012. Cheng-Ta has been part of the team the whole time, but this current squad is the smartest team he has ever coached, he said.

“Because of their intelligence, they are able to overcome many weaknesses that their physical strength cannot compensate for,” he said.

In the Asia-Pacific tournament, Kuei-Shan achieved a score of 5:1. Eight teams fought for a week for a place in the LLWS tournament.

Kuei-Shan lost to South Korea 13-3, but met the Koreans again in the regional final, which Taiwan won 3-0 in early July.

“This team is very good defensively, (mistakes) are very rare,” Cheng-Ta said. “As long as they can maintain their defensive play, they usually do pretty well.”

The team also put up strong offensive numbers. All other regional tournament victories were won by at least 10 runs and up to 20 runs.

There is no indoor arena in Taoyuan for the Little League team to practice in, and July is a time of heavy rain, which limited the team’s preparations before traveling to the United States.

The winner of Wednesday’s Taiwan-Canada match will face Australia, which received a bye in the first round. The loser will go into the elimination round.

“Because it’s a different team, it’s so difficult to come here,” Cheng-Ta said. “Whether we win or lose, enjoy the trip to Williamsport and hope the kids have the best memory of Williamsport.”

On the international side, Cuba, represented by the Santa Clara Little League from Villa Clara, is also participating in the tournament for the second time. In its first appearance last year, Cuba quickly lost two games and an assistant coach disappeared from the team.

Is the West still the best?

A team from the West Region has won the Little League World Series three times since 2018. There was no tournament in 2020 and only U.S. teams participated in 2021, but the region has dominated nonetheless.

Hawaii won the title in 2018 and 2022. Last year, El Segundo defeated Curaçao to secure the West Region lead.

Hawaii is participating for the 16th time, with the Central East Maui Little League from Wailuku representing the West.

It’s a different team than the one from Honolulu that took home the title, but in 2019 the team made it to the U.S. final before losing and then falling to Japan in the consolation match.