More than 100 dedicated umpires have been selected to volunteer across the seven Little League World Series events in 2024.
“Being named an umpire at one of our seven World Series events is an honor that thousands of Little League umpires strive for each year and has long been known as an opportunity to showcase their hard work and give back by helping to provide a fun and memorable experience for the hundreds of participants from around the world,” said Stu Hartenstein, Little League Director of Umpire Development and Operations. “As we look ahead to yet another exciting summer and continue to find new ways to enhance our umpire development opportunities, we are proud to announce the well-deserving volunteers who have been selected to serve at this year’s events.”
The selection process to become a World Series umpire is lengthy and rigorous and has become an honor that only a select group have gone on to achieve. In order to be eligible to volunteer in a Little League World Series event, an umpire must first have competed in a region tournament event. After that experience is completed, the process for selection to work a World Series begins with an application submitted by each volunteer umpire through the Umpire Registry.
Once received, the District Administrator may also provide comments to the region office for review. Additionally, select umpires may also be invited to participate in a Tournament Umpire Identification Camp, held in person at one of Little League’s five U.S. Region locations to help assess their skills and provide further education. The Little League International selection committee then considers all nominated umpires in coordination with the nine U.S. Region offices before selecting those who most closely meet the selection criteria. Individuals who meet those qualifications are then screened annually by the Little League International selection committee and region staffs for selection to umpire in a Little League World Series tournament.
Appointment as a member of the volunteer umpiring crew for a World Series is the highest honor that Little League can bestow on an umpire. To support their efforts, Little League International provides each of the selected volunteers with a travel stipend to help offset the costs to attend their respective World Series events.
The umpires for the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, N.C. are Dan Anzini (Cameron Park, Calif.), Rodito Banian (Silay City, Philippines), Tiesh Diaz-Crus (Yabucoa, Puerto Rico), Brett Joiner (Buna, Texas), Christopher Lewis (Woolrich Twp. New Jersey), Brad Parker (Gresham, Ore.), Mark Pigg (Arvada, Colo.), Patrick Reed (Luray, V.a), Jeffrey Ross (Rye, N.H.), Kevin Southall (South Point, Ohio), Scott Strache (Chicago Ridge, Ill.), Anthony Thornton (Hobe Sound, Fla.), Wout van Der Horst (Wormer, Netherlands) and Dominic Wright (Tampa, Fla.)
Little League also will bring in three veteran crew chiefs to assist in Greenville in Mitch Lenmponen (Ashtabula, Ohio), Mark Pigg (arvada, Colo.) and Jamie Sims (Portland, Ore). Lemponen was an umpire at the 2021 Softball World Series, Pigg was an umpire at the 2017 Series and Sims at the 2015 Baseball World Series and 2022 Softball World Series.
The Junior Softball World Series umpires in Kirkland, Washington, are Robert Anderson (Davenport, Fla.), Jason Becker (Mukilleo, Wash.), Charles Carpenter (Austin, Texas), Mark Dieringer (Port Lavaca, Texas), Pat Fletcher (Victoria, British Columbia), Jennifer McLeod (Spring Hill, Fla.), Rein Merkx (Rosmalen, Netherlands), Darryl Nobles (Losline, Ore.), Alex Ordanza (La Union, Philippines), Scott Rakowski (Lebanon, Ind.), Mark Saurer (Oaklyn, New Jersey) and Heath Warren (Port Deposit, Md.).
The Senior Softball World Series umpires in Lower Sussex, Delaware, are James Bailey (Gainesville, Va.), David Baker (Plains, Pa.), Gareth Gilson (Langford, British Columbia), James Gleason (Sparta, Mich.), David Hildebrand (Albuquerque, N.M.), Lloyd Jackson Jr. (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands), Benito Pena (San Antonio, Texas), Pambid Reyno (Isabela, Philippines), James Rose (Martinez, Calif.), Stephen Roth (Yorktown, Va.), George Spragens (Lebanon, Ky.), Jay Sullivan (Wethersfield, Conn.)and Emmitt Tucker (Clinton, Mont.)
The umpires set for the World Series in South Williamsport are Victor Andino-Texidor (Carolina, Puerto Rico), Tony Calcagna (Bolingbrook, Ill.), Andrew Downs (Nova Scotia, Canada), Jason Field (Rocklin, Calif.), Jared Grissinger (Palmyra, Pa.), Zachary Gump (Enola, Pa.), Steven Lewis (Tampa, Fla.), Todd Marr (Arlington, Texas), Mario Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.), Jessie Cecil Munar (Laoag City, Philippines), David Noegel (Orlando, Fla.), George Rodriguez (Eastvale, Calif.), DJ Rose (McCordsville, Ind.), Aaron Shier (Woodland Hills, Calif.), Eddie Smith (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Rik van Der Keer (Rijswijk, Netherlands). In addition to the 16 umpires for South Williamsport, Little League also will have four veteran crew chiefs to make a return trip to South Williamsport as monitors for the first-time volunteers.
Those crew chief veterans are Mike Debelak (Torreón, Calif.), Ricci Hall (Spencer, Mass.), Brian Henry (Taccoa, Ga.) and Rob Ruhle (Madison, Wis.). Debelak was at the 2018, 2021 and 2023 World Series, Hall was at the 2017 and 2021 Series, Henry was at the 2016, 2021 and 2023 Series and Ruhle was at the 2011 World Series.
The umpires for the International (50/70) Baseball World Series in Livermore, Calif., are Michael Amotorio Natividad (Tarlac City, Philippines), Harold Brannen (Marietta, Ga.), Matthew Glunt (Fredericksburg, Va.), Mark Harvey (Lexington, Ky.), Mike Kilroy (Macedonia, Ohio), Bill Kosmas (Anacortes, Wash.), Denis Labonte (St.-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec), Richard Ladnier (Missouri City, Texas), Giovanni Martina (Willemstad, Curacao), Keith O’Brien (Holbrook, Mass.), Brian Riley (Davis, Calif.), Stefan Rohrbeck (March, Germany) and Darren Zlasney (Flanders, New Jersey).
Umpires for the Junior Baseball World Series in Taylor, Michigan are Giovanni Alvarez (Bridgeport, Conn.), Tony Bogart (Brea, Calif.), Jose Jude Caliado (Costabato City, Philippines), Chris Ekstrom (Davenport, Iowa), Christopher Kerley (Purcellville, Va.), David Kramer (Bend, Ore.), Tyler Malaka (Lethbridge, Alberta), Julio Molina-Alvarado (Panam City, Panama), Oscar Munoz (Richmond, Texas), Jon Oakley (Sun Prairie, Wisc.), Stephen Reynolds (Jayton, Texas), Vitto Ruggiero (Dunmore, Pa.) and Karl Wacker (Ormond Beach, Fla.).
Umpires for the Senior Baseball World Series in Eastley, S.C. are Edwin Cancel-Garcia (Barcelona, Puerto Rico), Zach Eagly (Midland, Mich.), Jon Gross (Gilbert, Ariz.), David Lewis (Irvine, Calif.), Noel Matalobos Tizado (General Santos City, Philippines), Christopher Dixon (Kathleen, Ga.), Richard Morin (Embrun, Ontario), Darrin Mueller (Windsor England), Jeffrey Quillin (Florsille, Texas), Christopher Reynolds (Titusville, Fla.), Mark Rulli (Hingham, Mass.), Phillip Sapien (Bernalillo, N.M.), Boyd Stevens (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Greg Wright (Indianapolis, Ind.).
