EASLEY — The countdown for the 2011 Big League World Series has officially began with the unveiling of the newly-designed logo for the series.

The Big League World Series features the best 16-18-year-old baseball teams in the world competing for the ultimate championship for that age group.

Six teams from the United States will be part of the festivities, including the regional champions of the West, Southwest, Southeast, East and Central divisions and the host team, S.C. District One.

In addition, the regional champions of Latin America, Asia/Pacific, Europe/Asia and Canada play. Mexico and Puerto Rico alternate receiving an automatic bid to the tournament. Puerto Rico received the automatic bid last year, and ended up the 2010 BLWS champions. Mexico will receive an automatic bid this year, but Puerto Rico can still qualify by winning the Latin American region.

The new logos was part of a redesign for the image of all eight tournaments sponsored by Little League Baseball and Softball. The logos were disigned by Russell Athletic, a Little League national sponsr, and will be used on merchandise, publications and as part of ESPN and ABC’s coverge of the various Little League International Tournament games.

The logos also will appear on the 2011 Little League Baseball World Series video games to be released by Activision later this year and on the Internet on websites around the world, including Little League’s site: www.LittleLeague.org.

“The logos are the most visible representations of each World Series tournament,” Patrick Pacacha, Little League International Publications Director, said. “It is important they are distinctive and easily recognizable. This year’s World Series logos will represent each World Series and Little League, whether on TV, a t-shirt or a printed publication.”

The first of the eight 2011 Little League World Series, for Big League Baseball (16-18-year-olds) in Easley, begins July 27 at the J.B. “Red” Owens Recreation Complex.