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New Jersey State Tournament Milestones

The structure of Little League Baseball's international tournament in New Jersey has changed several times since the first state tournament was held in 1957. Key events in the evolution of this structure include the following:

Year Milestone
1947 The only one of Little League Baseball's 15 charters located outside of Pennsylvania, Hammonton Little League becomes the first New Jersey league to participate in National Little League tournament, which was renamed the Little League World Series in 1949.
1949 Hammonton Little League defeats Pensacola Optimist Little League (Florida), 5-0, and becomes the first New Jersey league to win the Little League World Series.
1957 The New Jersey state tournament is inaugurated as a four-team, single-elimination tournament. The state is organized into twelve districts numbered 1 through 12 from north to south throughout the state. In previous years, multiple New Jersey leagues had competed alongside teams from other Mid-Atlantic states in the Region 4 tournament structure.

New Jersey's champion advances to a one-game divisional playoff where they face the Connecticut state champion, and the winner of this game advances to the Eastern Region tournament.

1958 The state's district boundaries are re-drawn, and New Jersey's twelve districts are reorganized into a 16-district structure. The districts are numbered 1 through 16 from north to south throughout the state. This structure is the basis for New Jersey's current district alignment.
1963 District 17 (Hunterdon and Somerset Counties) is formed as a split from District 10.
1968 District 18 (Ocean County) is formed as a split from District 11.

Also in 1968, Delaware and Maryland are reassigned from the Southern Region to the Eastern Region. With this change, New Jersey's champion begins competing in a Mid-Atlantic divisional tournament against these two state's champions, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Region tournament.

1970 New Jersey's state champion begins advancing directly to the Eastern Region tournament rather than first competing in a divisional tournament. With the exception of 1975 and 1976, New Jersey's champion has continued to advance directly to regional tournament competition in every year since this time.

Also in 1970, Wayne American Little League defeats Campbell (Northern California) Little League, 2-0, and becomes the second New Jersey league to win the Little League World Series.

1971 District 19 (Western and Northern Monmouth County) is formed as a spin-off from District 11.
1975 Lakewood Little League defeats Belmont Heights Little League (Tampa, Florida), 4-3, and becomes the third New Jersey league to win the Little League World Series.
1981 District 3 is dissolved, and its remaining leagues are placed into District 4.
1985 District 3 is re-formed in Cumberland and Salem Counties as a spin-off from Districts 15 and 16.
1986 The state tournament switches to a double-elimination format.
1989 District 20 (Sussex and Warren Counties) is formed as a spin-off from District 1.
1995 District 21 (interior portions of Gloucester and Franklin Counties) is created as a split from Districts 14 and 15.
1998 Toms River East American Little League defeats Kashima (Japan) Little League, 12-9, and becomes the fourth New Jersey league to win the Little League World Series.
2001 New Jersey is assigned to the Mid-Atlantic Region as part of Little League Baseball's expansion of the World Series from eight to sixteen participants.
2002 The state tournament uses a round-robin format before again returning to a double-elimination format the following year.
2006 District 9 (portions of Essex and Union Counties) is dissolved. The remaining District 9 leagues are placed in adjoining districts, including Districts 1, 7, 8, 10, and 17.
2016 District 17 (Somerset County) is dissolved. The remaining District 17 leagues are merged into District 10.
2022 New Jersey is assigned to the newly created Metro Region as part of Little League Baseball's expansion of the Little League World Series from sixteen to twenty participants.
2023 Following the conclusion of the 2022 international tournament, District 21 is dissolved, and its remaining leagues are placed in District 15.

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