Youth baseball returns to its roots this week as the 71st Little League World Series begins on Thursday. Hundreds of thousands of fans will flock to Willamsport, Pa., the birthplace of Little League Baseball.
The players on the field are just 11-12 years old, but their dreams are as big as their Major League counterparts. In fact, many of them have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including Cody Bellinger (Chandler, Ariz.), Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) and Jonathan Schoop (Willemstad, Curacao).

In addition to the uppercut swings and knee-buckling curveballs, these kids already have started establishing their baseball personalities, and with millions of eyes watching them on TV over the next week and a half, we're about to get to know the next wave of future stars.
Here's your first look at the 16 teams that hope to play for the world championship on Aug. 27.

REGION 
Great Lakes
League: Grosse Pointe Woods-Shores
Location: Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Calling card: The team chants "Row the Boat" before each game
REGION 
Mid-Atlantic
League: Holbrook
Location: Jackson, N.J.
Calling card: 10 home runs in four regional games

REGION 
Midwest
League: Sioux Falls
Location: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Calling card: Pitching gave up just six runs in four regional games

REGION 
New England
League: Fairfield American
Location: Fairfield, Conn.
Calling card: Most players eat gummies for good luck before each game

REGION 
Northwest
League: Walla Walla Valley
Location: Walla Walla, Wash.
Calling card: 43 hits over five regional games

REGION
Southeast
League: North State
Location: Greenville, N.C.
Calling card: Little Leaguer Joseph Byrne has a personal connection to Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter
REGION
Southwest
League: Lufkin
Location: Lufkin, Texas
Calling card: Player nicknames include Big Cheese and Hollywood; 12 of 13 players on team name hometown hero Brandon Belt as their favorite player

REGION 
West
League: Santa Margarita
Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
Calling card: Team recorded 12 two-out RBIs in four regional games

REGION 
Asia-Pacific
League: West Seoul
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Calling card: Team allowed just two runs in four regional games
REGION
Australia
League: Hills
Location: Sydney
Calling card: Team scored 86 runs in seven regional games, outscoring opponents 86-16
REGION 
Canada
League: White Rock-South Surrey
Location: White Rock, British Columbia
Calling card: Team scored 114 runs over eight regional games

REGION 
Caribbean
League: Los Bravos de Pontezuela
Location: Santiago, Dominican Republic
Calling card: Jesus Chevalier's brother, Rayderson, pitched for two seasons in the Minor Leagues with the Astros' organization
REGION 
Europe-Africa
League: Emilia
Location: Emilia, Italy
Calling card: Team mercy-ruled the United Kingdom, 12-2, in the regional final
REGION 
Japan
League: Tokyo Kitasuna
Location: Tokyo
Calling card: Outscored opponents, 53-6, in regionals

REGION
Latin America
League: Luz-Maracaibo
Location: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Calling card: Team allowed just nine runs in eight regional games, outscoring opponents, 81-9
REGION
Mexico
League: Guadalupe Trevino Kelly
Location: Reynosa
Calling card: Saul Soto's father, Saul, has played 20 seasons in the Mexican League