[JefferMC]

To get just a bit off topic, our local league switched to Babe Ruth this year, and my daugther's team played in the SE Regional. In looking at the backgrounds of the teams I noticed that the BR VA state champion was given a WS (also to be held 20 miles away in VA) slot, the second place team was the host team for the SE Regional so the third place team played in the SE Regional as the VA state champion. Well, I thought, having the state champion as the host team for the WS sounds reasonable.

Wrong; the WS had both the VA state champion AND the local VA host team (who was NOT in the top three VA teams). They played in different pools. The VA state champion did pretty well. The SE Regional winner won the whole thing (and didn't lose a game). However, I don't think the local VA team won a game, so I was questioning the value of them even being there. (Okay, yes, I know, home team fans buy more tickets, but...)