Florida Little League World Series roster: What to know about Southeast Region's players and coaches

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David Suggs
• 7 min read

The future is bright in Lake Mary, Florida.

The 2024 Little League World Series has introduced masses of eager fans to baseball's next generation of talents, including Nevada's Gunnar Gaudin and Russell McGee and Staten Island's"Cologne Kid", Dean Scarangello.

The Southeast region's representative, Florida, is teeming with skillfulness, too, be that on the mound, at the plate or in the field. The Jonathan Anderson-coached outfit has looked a force through four games, sweeping aside all but one of the six teams they've faced thus far.

It's been a dominant showing so far for the Southeast region champions. The squad surrendered no more than four runs in any of their six matchups leading up to the U.S. final, outscoring opponents 28-13 in the process. And in the U.S. final, Florida defeated Texas, 10-7, to earn a place in the overall championship game.

Just who are these young Floridians setting the LLWS alight? The Sporting News takes a closer look at Florida's Little League side, which finds itself on the brink of immortality in Williamsport.

MORE: Breaking down Venezuela's Little League World Series roster

Where is the Florida Little League team from?

Florida's Little League team — Lake Mary Little League — hails from Lake Mary, a small suburb located in Seminole County.

Despite carrying a population of just 16,798 people per the last U.S. census, Lake Mary has produced a handful of professional athletes, including gold medal-winning swimmer Rowdy Gaines, longtime NBA coach and commentator Stan Van Gundy and former MLB All-Star Rickie Weeks.

MORE: Is LLWS standout Gunnar Gaudin related to Chad Gaudin?

Florida Little League World Series roster at 2024 Little League World Series

Florida's Little League World Series team consists of 12 players, the number of players on most teams' roster at the 2024 Little League World Series.

Position

Name

Age

Birthplace

SS/2B/CF

Chase Anderson

12 years, 8 months

Sanford, FL

P/OF

Christopher Chikodroff

11 years, 4 months

Orlando, FL

OF/P/3B

Lathan Norton

12 years, 10 months

Sanford, FL

2B/3B

Hunter Alexander

12 years, 9 months

Sanford, FL

SS/3B/P

JJ Feliciano

12 years, 10 months

Longwood, FL
OF/P Jacob Bibaud 12 years, 8 months Lake Mary, FL

CF/P

Liam Morrisey

12 years, 10 months

Sanford, FL

P/OF

Luis Calo

12 years, 11 months

Sanford, FL

C/P/3B

Landon Bono

12 years, 11 months 

Lake Mary, FL

UTIL

Garrett Rohozen

12 years, 11 months

Sanford, FL

1B

DeMarcos Mieses

11 years, 1 month

Sanford, FL

1B/C/P

Teraj Alexander

12 years, 6 months

Sanford, FL

Here's what you need to know about some of Lake Mary's most prominent names during its 2024 tournament run:

JJ Feliciano

Few players have been as tantalizing in this year's Little League World Series than Lake Mary ace James "JJ" Feliciano. The golden-armed talent has been a marvel on the mound so far, whiffing 11 in his LLWS debut against South Dakota before matching his total with 11 K's when Lake Mary vanquished Pullyalup, Washington earlier in the tournament.

Feliciano is undoubtedly Lake Mary's biggest star. He's expected to scale the bump this weekend, be that in Florida's semifinals clash with Nevada or the LLWS final against the winner of Chinese Tapei vs. Venezuela.

Oh, and did we mention he has two home runs in this year's tournament, too?

Garrett Rohozen

Rohozen was a spectator during last year's LLWS. The then-11-year old missed out on the festivities, with Anderson leaving him off the roster in favor of a glittering collection of older bats and arms. Lake Mary would fall in the Southeast regional final, spelling an end to its hopes of LLWS glory in 2023.

He didn't spend the offseason licking his wounds, however. Rather, Rohozen went back to the lab, adding power, plate discipline and consistency into his approach.

The rewards have been encouraging. In his LLWS debut, Rohozen has been a steady hand, settling into the No. 3 slot in the lineup to plenty of fanfare. He slapped a heater into the cheap seats in Florida's 5-3 win over Texas on Thursday.

Rohozen is also a gifted pitcher, taking the ball in Lake Mary's win over Metro region powerhouses South Shore (NY) on Tuesday.

“He went and took the summer and worked his butt off to be where he is right now,” Anderson said, per Williamsport Sun-Gazette. “He’s the three-hole hitter; the winning pitcher (Tuesday). This is the epitome of what happens when you work as hard as you can to get something you’ve dreamed about forever. He is that guy.”

Rohozen also juggles and solves Rubik's cubes in his free time. In a recent interview with ESPN's Julie Foudy, Rohozen proved he could do both at the same time. Talk about an overachiever.

DeMarcos Mieses

DeMarcos "DJ" Mieses may be the youngest player on this year's Florida team. He doesn't play like it, however, sporting a swing that would look better at Yankee Stadium.

Mieses' legacy as a legendary youth slugger precedes him. A simple internet query of the youngster, who only turned 11 one month ago, reveals a treasure trove of tape-measure shots.

He's wasted little time repeating those feats under the bright Williamsport lights. Mieses turned a hanging curveball into dust against Washington.

Teraj Alexander

Rounding out the list of must-know Floridians in this year's LLWS is Teraj Alexander, who moonlights as both a pitcher and slugger capable of fielding at first base and catcher.

Alexander is one of the LLWS's brightest personalities. He showed as much after strolling onto third base earlier in the tourney, pulling off the "Teraj Tango", as he likes to call it. His inspiration for the move? The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.

The 12-year old is more than just an ebullient firecracker in the dugout, however. He's also a gifted pitcher in his own right, touching the mid-60s with his fastball. Alexander is as capable an option out of the bullpen as any gunslinger in this year's tournament.

Who is Florida Little League’s manager?

Lake Mary Little League is helmed by Jonathan Anderson, father of shortstop/second baseman/center fielder Chase.

Anderson is no newcomer to the LLWS. He led Lake Mary to the cusp of youth baseball's pinnacle this time last year; Anderson's squad fell in the Southeast regional final.

His team has rallied in a big way in the 12 months since, integrating youthful talent like Mieses and Christopher Chikodroff to great acclaim. The returns have been promising thus far; Lake Mary finds itself on the cusp of hardware, just one game away from a U.S. title and two from the LLWS crown.

Anderson is a big reason why. He's helped cultivate quite the stable of pitching threats, with Feliciano, Rohozen, Alexander, Lathan Norton and Luis Calo making up a small but menacing collection of arbalests on the mound.

That pitching, coupled with impressive offensive output from Mieses and Co., has Lake Mary residents dreaming of gold. Anderson very well could be the one who leads them to it.

Author(s)
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David Suggs
David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News.
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