Each of the 20 teams participating in the 2025 Little League World Series has had to overcome adversity on the way to South Williamsport. Chief among those is El Segundo Perfecto Little League of Chihuahua, Mexico. The Mexican National Little League Tournament, which serves as a direct qualifier to the Little League World Series. They powered through a tournament that involved a mid-tournament location time, dozens of hours of driving back and forth to various locations, and significant controversy to find their way to Williamsport for the first time.

The 2025 Mexico Little League Tournament started off like any other and was hosted,

originally, in Guaymas, Sonoras, Mexico, northwest coastal town. The Tournament, which features 13 teams split in pools of six for pool play action, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to single elimination tournament play. But, things did not go to plan, according to Mexico manager Esteban Gallardo. A protest was filed mid-tournament against the host team, who was set to advance to the elimination round. While a protest regarding roster eligibility isn’t unheard of, what happened after the protest made this tournament one of a kind.

According to Gallardo, local league officials told the players to return to their homes in Mexico for a few days while the eligibility issues were sorted out.

“We traveled 14 hours back home, driving,” Gallardo, who coached El Swing Perfecto to a Mexican runners-up finish last year, said. The tournament eventually was moved to a new location in Mexico, resulting in two more drives of well over 10 hours for El Swing Perfecto, after Little League deemed that a violation of rules did take place resulting in disqualification.

Following a Little League International Tournament Committee decision regarding the use of an ineligible player, which led to the team hosting the event to be removed from the Mexico Region Tournament, the Latin American Region staff and local volunteers in Mexico relocated the resumption of the tournament to provide the best experience for all teams, families, and fans, Little League said in a statement.

That adversity was no match for the kids from El Swing Perfecto. After the league fell just short last year in its second year of existence, they found a way through the bracket and into the championship game. There, they beat storied Matamoros Little League, 4-1, to advance to the Little League World Series.

This is a team that Gallardo believes is battle-tested and ready for whatever the Little League World Series throws at them, given the events that took place on the road to get here.

“They have a strong desire to win based on what happened last year.” he said. “They knew that they had to continue to play and not (give up).”

One player is back from that team that came oh-so-close to Williamsport last year, pitcher/ infielder Gregorio Madrid. And, Gallardo, thinks that if they keep their focus, they could make a deep run in South Williamsport this year.

“This is a team that has used the parable of David and Goliath,” he said. “They always say they are a testament to the gifts God has given them.”