The road to Williamsport was filled with more drama than usual for a couple Little League World Series participants this year, including a Venezuelan team that needed visa exemptions to make the trip and an American club that narrowly knocked off a defending champ.

Baseball’s preeminent youth baseball tournament resumes Wednesday in central Pennsylvania.

Cardenales Little League from Barquimesto, Venezuela, will represent Latin America for the second straight year, but this time the team required a special exemption from President Donald Trump’s travel ban. The team only learned of the exemption less than a week before its opening game Wednesday at 1 p.m. against Puerto Rico.

This year’s Cardenales team has a different roster and coaching staff than the 2024 group. Last year’s team surv

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