R.I.’s best Little League World Series teams, ranked

It’s the middle of August, so you know one thing is guaranteed: Another team from Rhode Island has qualified for the Little League World Series.

Barrington is the 10th Rhode Island team to make it to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and the fifth in the last six years. The boys begin play today against a team from Virginia.

So who had the best Little League team in state history? Again, this being August, Rhode Map spent more time than you want to know analyzing 40 years of youth baseball. And without further ado, here are our overly researched, but totally unscientific rankings.

10. Lincoln - 2001

All anyone remembers about this World Series was a 14-year-old named Danny Almonte illegally pitching for the team from the Bronx. Lincoln never played those Baby Bombers, but they still went 0-3 in the tournament.

9. Cumberland American - 2011

This was legendary coach Dave Belisle’s first trip to the World Series. The team was shut out in its first two games, but scored a consolation round victory over the Netherlands.

8. Coventry - 2018

Rhode Island has struggled against teams from Iowa, and that trend continued last year. But Coventry battled back to bury Australia in the consolation round 15-0.

7. Lincoln - 2004

Lincoln’s second trip to Williamsport started with an opening game victory against a team from Iowa before it dropped two straight to be eliminated.

6. Cranston Western - 2015

Cranston’s second trip to the World Series resulted in a 1-2 record, with the team ultimately being eliminated by California.

5. Warwick North – 2016

The kids from Warwick had a tough draw, losing to eventual world champion New York in the opening round. But they crushed Oregon before bowing out in a close 3-2 game against Iowa.

4. Barrington - 2019

The boys from Barrington haven’t played a game yet, so they could be atop this list by the end of the month. But they have to take care of business against a tough team from Virginia first. It’s never easy to face a southern team in the opening round, but a victory would give Barrington a very winnable game against either Kentucky or Minnesota. Who knows what will happen from there?

3. Cumberland American - 2014

You probably remember this team because Coach Belisle delivered the best post-game speech ever. The kids from Cumberland lost their first game before eliminating Tennessee. The team lost to Chicago in the next round, but history shows Cumberland actually won that game because Chicago was forced to forfeit for cheating.

2. Darlington American - 1980

The Pawtucket team went 1-2 in Rhode Island’s first ever trip to Williamsport, dropping an opening round game to a team from Tampa, Florida, that included future pros Gary Sheffield and Derek Bell. The team did beat Spain 6-0 in its final game.

1. Cranston Western - 1996

No Rhode Island team has ever advanced further than Cranston Western, but people forget they actually went 1-2 during group play. The Cranston kids then stunned Florida to win the national championship before losing to Taiwan in the finals.

Have a beef with this list? Send an email to dan.mcgowan@globe.com and make your case.

NEED TO KNOW

Rhode Map wants to hear from you. If you’ve got a scoop or a link to an interesting news story in Rhode Island, e-mail us at RInews@globe.com.

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WHAT’S ON TAP TODAY

Each day, Rhode Map offers a cheat sheet breaking down what’s happening in Rhode Island. Have an idea? E-mail us at RInews@globe.com.

Tonight at the Wexford Building, a conversation about the history of innovation in Providence’s jewelry district.

US Senator Jack Reed will be in attendance at a 10 a.m. press conference where the Providence Housing Authority and Crossroads Rhode Island will urge Rhode Island residents to help find homes in the next 100 days for 38 families experiencing homelessness.

Launching in Providence City Hall today: Artists Carla Ricci and Roberta Kaufman unveil their latest exhibit that focuses on the transformation of downtown. The gallery will remain in the building through the middle of October.

Make sure you cheer on the kids from Barrington today at 3 p.m.

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Thanks for reading. Send comments and suggestions to dan.mcgowan@globe.com, or follow me on Twitter @DanMcGowan. See you on Monday.

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