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It’s that time of year when Little League Baseball is the epicenter of New Jersey youth sports as teams pursue a championship banner and a chance to keep their summers alive.
From neighborhood diamonds to packed tournament fields, communities across the Garden State are rallying behind their hometown teams as they build memories that make Little League’s postseason a cherished summertime tradition.
The road to Williamsport is down to its final four. After weeks of competition involving hundreds of communities, four teams will converge on Bergen County this weekend to battle for New Jersey's Little League state championship and a chance to continue their march toward the Little League World Series.
The 2026 Joe Graziano Little League State Tournament will be hosted by District 4 and Cresskill beginning Friday, July 31.
The event marks a milestone for Bergen County baseball as it will be the first time in 13 years that a league from the county has hosted the state tournament. The last Bergen County host was Wallington Little League, which welcomed the state's final four in 2013.
When: July 31 – Aug. 4
Where: Cresskill Little League - 222 Piermont Road, Cresskill
Teams: Cresskill (Section 1), Bayonne (Section 2), Nottingham (Section 3), Blackwood (Section 4).
Format: Double-elimination bracket.
Parking: Available at Cresskill High School, located at 1 Lincoln Dr., Cresskill, NJ 07626.
Friday, July 31:
Game 1 - Cresskill vs. Blackwood, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Bayonne vs. Blackwood, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1:
Game 3 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 2:
Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3 (championship):
Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4 (championship):
Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 7 p.m. (if necessary)
Cresskill: The Cougars claimed Section 1 by going 4-1 in the four-team tournament at Station Park hosted by Sparta. After dropping its opening game to Wayne American, 6-3, the District 4 champions warded off elimination by winning four in a row. Cresskill defeated host Sparta, 12-0, in Game 3, East Hanover/Florham Park, 3-2 in Game 5 and swept Wayne American, 2-1 and 6-0 for the title.
Bayonne: Bayonne dominated the Section 2 tournament, posting a perfect 3-0 record. The Hudson County squad outscored its opponents 36-4, opening with a 12-1 victory over Palisades Park/Leonia before defeating Rutherford twice, 12-0 and 13-3. Bayonne, out of District 7, ended all three games by the mercy rule, needing just 12 combined innings to capture the sectional title.
Nottingham (Hamilton Square): The Mercer County team stormed to the five-team, Section 3 crown by outscoring all three opponents 32-3, opening with a 13-1 win over North Howell before defeating Clark twice, 12-0 and 7-2.
Blackwood Kiwanis: The Camden County team reached the final four for the second time in the last three years. The District 14 champions went undefeated in the five-team Section 4 tournament with a win over Cherry Hill Atlantic, 9-0, and back-to-back victories over Harriston Township, 2-1 and 6-4.
The winner of the 2026 Joe Graziano Little League State Tournament advances to the Metro Region Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.
Previously known as the Mid-Atlantic Region, the Metro Region was introduced by Little League in 2022 and includes the state champions from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The winner of the Metro Region moves on to the Little League World Series, Aug. 19-30 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Ten U.S. teams and 10 international teams will compete in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Jersey Little League 2026 state tournament: Everything to know
Continue reading...
From neighborhood diamonds to packed tournament fields, communities across the Garden State are rallying behind their hometown teams as they build memories that make Little League’s postseason a cherished summertime tradition.
The road to Williamsport is down to its final four. After weeks of competition involving hundreds of communities, four teams will converge on Bergen County this weekend to battle for New Jersey's Little League state championship and a chance to continue their march toward the Little League World Series.
The 2026 Joe Graziano Little League State Tournament will be hosted by District 4 and Cresskill beginning Friday, July 31.
The event marks a milestone for Bergen County baseball as it will be the first time in 13 years that a league from the county has hosted the state tournament. The last Bergen County host was Wallington Little League, which welcomed the state's final four in 2013.
Joe Graziano Little League State Tournament
When: July 31 – Aug. 4
Where: Cresskill Little League - 222 Piermont Road, Cresskill
Teams: Cresskill (Section 1), Bayonne (Section 2), Nottingham (Section 3), Blackwood (Section 4).
Format: Double-elimination bracket.
Parking: Available at Cresskill High School, located at 1 Lincoln Dr., Cresskill, NJ 07626.
Schedule and scores
Friday, July 31:
Game 1 - Cresskill vs. Blackwood, 5:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Bayonne vs. Blackwood, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1:
Game 3 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 4 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 2:
Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3 (championship):
Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4 (championship):
Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 7 p.m. (if necessary)
How they got here
Cresskill: The Cougars claimed Section 1 by going 4-1 in the four-team tournament at Station Park hosted by Sparta. After dropping its opening game to Wayne American, 6-3, the District 4 champions warded off elimination by winning four in a row. Cresskill defeated host Sparta, 12-0, in Game 3, East Hanover/Florham Park, 3-2 in Game 5 and swept Wayne American, 2-1 and 6-0 for the title.
Bayonne: Bayonne dominated the Section 2 tournament, posting a perfect 3-0 record. The Hudson County squad outscored its opponents 36-4, opening with a 12-1 victory over Palisades Park/Leonia before defeating Rutherford twice, 12-0 and 13-3. Bayonne, out of District 7, ended all three games by the mercy rule, needing just 12 combined innings to capture the sectional title.
Nottingham (Hamilton Square): The Mercer County team stormed to the five-team, Section 3 crown by outscoring all three opponents 32-3, opening with a 13-1 win over North Howell before defeating Clark twice, 12-0 and 7-2.
Blackwood Kiwanis: The Camden County team reached the final four for the second time in the last three years. The District 14 champions went undefeated in the five-team Section 4 tournament with a win over Cherry Hill Atlantic, 9-0, and back-to-back victories over Harriston Township, 2-1 and 6-4.
What's at stake
The winner of the 2026 Joe Graziano Little League State Tournament advances to the Metro Region Tournament in Bristol, Connecticut.
Previously known as the Mid-Atlantic Region, the Metro Region was introduced by Little League in 2022 and includes the state champions from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
The winner of the Metro Region moves on to the Little League World Series, Aug. 19-30 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Ten U.S. teams and 10 international teams will compete in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Jersey Little League 2026 state tournament: Everything to know
Continue reading...
