They got the festivities out of the way on Friday, and today, they’ll hit the field for the start of the Dixie Youth Baseball 9-10-year-old World Series.
“We are ready to go,” coach Perry Prather said. “The kids have been ready to get to the field since we have been here. We can’t wait to start.”
The wait is over.
At 7:30 p.m. today, Troup, which is representing Georgia, will play Arkansas in the opening round.
On Friday the team took to the batting cages and practice diamond for one more round of practice.
Later in the day, Troup participated in the home-run derby and an around-the-horn competition.
“These boys are ready to play,” Prather said. “We got some practice in, and we are going to try and get one more in before tonight’s game. We’re good though. We have played enough baseball over the summer, and these kids are just ready to show what they can do.”
One of the team members, Jarred Helton, said that he was ready to step on the field once again once he got a call last week saysaying that the team was going to the World Series.
Originally, the team thought it wasn’t going to go to the World Series after finishing second to Perry in the state tournament.
But Perry was disqualified because it competed in a non-Dixie travel tournament, which is against league rules.
“I am really happy that we got a second chance to go to the World Series,” Helton said. “I got really excited and was ready to play.”
As for the team’s chances in the tournament Helton said, “I really feel good about it. I think that we have a good chance.”
Hudson Graham said that when he was first told that the team would get another shot, he was doubtful.
“I didn’t believe that we were going at first”, Graham said. “Then when I came to practice and found out that we were going I got really excited. I think we are going to do well.”
Seth Prather said that he had the same feelings as his teammates, but now that they are in the World Series, it’s time to show what the team has to offer.
Troup will try to regain the form it showed throughout the district tournament and most of the state tournament.
Troup didn’t lose a game until it faced Perry in the best-of-three championship series.
The pitching was superb, and the defense was terrific as well.
A lineup that includes David Sweat, Ellis Matthews, Helton, John Crawford, Graham, Prather, Luke Hilderbrand, Colson Blackburn, Charles Crawford, John Todd Bohn, Daniel Swann and Matthew Freeman has put up big numbers in tournament play at district and state.
“I am looking forward to playing the games and see how the teams from the other states matchup against us,” Seth Prather said. “I think we will do good. I’m excited.”
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