12U All-Stars headed to World Series

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, July 27, 2016

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Baldwin County 12U All-Star coach Kevin Brown made a promise a couple of weeks ago before his team began play in the Dixie Youth state tournament in Putnam County.

When asked how he felt about his team’s chances in the state tournament, Brown quickly replied, “We’ll see y’all in Mississippi.”

He and his team made good on that promise last weekend when they won the state tournament and earned the trip to Laurel, Miss. to represent Georgia at the Dixie Youth World Series beginning Aug. 5.

The Baldwin team lost 5-3 in its opening game of the double elimination tournament against Putnam County Friday evening, which set up an uphill battle where the team had to win it all from the losers’ bracket.

The boys were determined to finish the drill, as their team motto states, and got back into the win column by defeating Columbia County 9-4, which gave them another shot at the team from Putnam. The Baldwin All-Stars took their revenge by defeating Putnam 13-5 to move on to the championship against Perry, which had yet to lose a game in the tournament. The Baldwin boys won a couple of close games 7-5 and 7-6 to punch the team’s ticket to Mississippi.

Baldwin’s young ballplayers will play their first game of the World Series against the team from Laurel, Miss. at 8 p.m. next Friday.

With a little more than a week until the World Series begins, Brown said the team won’t have time to take part in any traditional fundraising.

“We’re going to have to count on donations by businesses and people of the community,” he said. “Also we’re hoping the county will step up and give some funding to us, seeing that we are representing Baldwin County and Milledgeville. These kids are the future of Baldwin County, and the county needs to support them on this journey.”

Anyone wanting to contribute to help fund the team’s trip to Mississippi is asked to call Kevin Brown at 478-456-9705 or Brian Hopkins at 478-456-6776.