By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The road to the World Series goes through Cochran and Swainsboro for a pair of Troup County all-star baseball teams.

The Dixie Youth Baseball 9-10-year-old state tournament is in Cochran, while the 11-12-year-old state tournament will be held in Swainsboro.

The winners of the state tournaments will qualify for the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series in August.

The Troup National number one team won the 9-10-year-old district tournament in Thomaston to advance to state.

There are eight teams in the state tournament, and they’re divided into two four-team pools.

The top two teams from each pool will return to Cochran next week for a four-team double-elimination tournament to determine a state champion.

Troup National will play one game on Friday, and two games on Saturday.

First up for Troup National will be Friday’s game against Swainsboro at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, Troup plays Greene County at 9 a.m., and North Macon at 2 p.m.

The four teams in the other pool are Perry, Columbia County National, Putnam County and Thomaston-Upson.

Troup National beat Thomaston to win the district title.

The Troup 11-12-year-old all-star team, meanwhile, didn’t have a district tournament, so the team’s first games will be this weekend.

The team has been hard at work for about a month since the Troup County Parks and Recreation Commission regular season ended.

“It’s been a really good group,” Troup coach Ron Wilson said. “They’re pumped. They know how to work hard, but they still realize it’s a game, and that’s the way I want to keep it with them.”

There are three teams in the 11-12-year-old state tournament, and they’ll each play two games on Saturday.

Troup will play Wrens at noon, and Swainsboro at 6 p.m.

Saturday’s games will be used to determine the seeding, and the three teams will return to Swainsboro the following Saturday to decide a state champion.

The World Series for both age groups will be held in Ruston, La. from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8.