By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

They’ve got the talent and the experience.

Now it’s a matter of making it happen on the baseball field.

The Troup County National 11-12 all-star team will take the field Saturday morning for the opening round of the Dixie Youth Baseball District 1 tournament at the George F. Harris Baseball Complex.

Two of the five teams will advance to the state tournament, and Troup National is hoping to be one of those teams.

Troup’s first-round game is against Pike County on Saturday at 10 a.m.

“Our focus right now is on getting that first win,” said Huey Hood, the head coach of the National team.

Hope is high for a team loaded with big-game experience.

Four of the team’s 12 players participated in the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series last summer.

C.J. Tatum, Logan Moody and Jonathan Foster each played for the Troup National 11-12 team that went 2-2 in the World Series.

Jake Howard was a standout on the 9-10 National team that made it all the way to the World Series championship game before losing.

Four other players, Logan Hood, Peter Alford, Perry Keith and Cody Mimbs, played on the Troup American 11-12 all-star team that made it to the Dixie state tournament last year.

“Everyone of them’s been an all-star, and a few of them were in the World Series last year,” Hood said. “All these guys have that (big-game) experience.”

That experience can be seen in the coaching staff as well.

All three of Hood’s assistant coaches were involved in the World Series last year, including Robert Foster, who was the head coach of the 11-12 National team.

Leon Moody was Foster’s assistant coach last year.

Kevin Howard, LaGrange College’s head baseball coach, was an assistant coach on the 9-10 National team last summer.

“He forgets more about baseball than we know,” Hood said of Howard.

Hood, who said his team is “stacked,” admits to having a few butterflies as the tournament draws closer, although he believes his team has a chance to go a long way.

He thinks being at home will be a major benefit for the team.

“Anytime we play out here, it’s always a crowd,” Hood said. “The community’s real good about backing us up. (The players) love being here, and as coaches, you love it being here at home.”

Hood doesn’t expect the road to state to be an easy one.

Pike County always poses a tough threat, and Hood believes the Troup American team will be strong as well, despite a roster filled mostly with 11-year-olds.

“They’re a little younger, but they’re very talented,” Hood said.