Central Region Sectional Tournament
Little League Baseball Division (Ages 10-12)

Toward the past

1981

Toward the present

Central Region Sectional Tournament
Host - Rushmore (Rapid City, South Dakota) (North/South Dakota District 1)
At Rushmore Field; Roosevelt Park

NOTE: Between 1974 and 1981, Nebraska did not hold a dedicated state tournament, and instead all district champions from Nebraska, Kansas, and North/South Dakota advanced to a sectional tournament, with the winner of that tournament advancing to the Central Region Division 1 tournament.

From the early 1950s through the 1979 international tournament, Little League Baseball did not permit double-elimination formats at any level of tournament play for U.S. teams, and for 1980, this format was allowed only in district tournament competition. During these years, the bracket for this sectional tournament was arranged so that a Nebraska state champion could be determined, as Nebraska teams faced one another in early rounds of the sectional tournament. (The same was true for Kansas' two district champions.)

In 1981, Little League Baseball began allowing double-elimination formats in sectional and state tournament competition. The Nebraska state champion for this year was the highest-placing Nebraska league at the sectional tournament.

Participating Teams
Kansas District 2 Champions	Baxter Springs
Nebraska District 2 Champions	Kearney American
Nebraska District 3 Champions	Blair
North/South Dakota District 1 Champions	Huron (South Dakota)

NOTE: Blair defeated the Nebraska District 1 champion in a bi-district game played in the Omaha area following their district championship win. Kearney American advanced directly to the sectional tournament following their district championship game win.

Baxter Springs defeated Hoisington, two games to one, in the Kansas state tournament that served as an opening round matchup of this tournament. Because Kansas’ state tournament was considered part of the sectional tournament, Baxter Springs carried this loss into the competition in Rapid City.

Tournament Results:

Opening Round (Wednesday, August 5):
Baxter Springs (Kansas) 6, Huron (South Dakota) 2
Blair (Nebraska) 5, Kearney American (Nebraska) 1 (5 innings; rain)

Elimination Bracket Semifinal (four teams remain) (Thursday, August 6):
Kearney American (Nebraska) 4, Huron (South Dakota) 3 (elim.)

Winner's Bracket Final (Thursday, August 6):
Blair (Nebraska) 4, Baxter Springs (Kansas) 3 (second loss; elim.)

Championship Game (Friday, August 7):
Blair (Nebraska) 6, Kearney American (Nebraska) 3 (TITLE)

Blair advances to the Central Region Division 1 tournament hosted by Miami Little League (Oklahoma).