Dixie Youth Regional World Series draws 50 teams

Fifty teams from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia gathered in Center last week for the 2023 Dixie Youth Regional World Series hosted by the city of Center.

The four-day-long tournament started Wednesday, July 19 and ended Sunday July 23. The series was opened Wednesday with a banquet at the Windham Civic Center Wednesday and fireworks at Center Baseball Complex Noon Lions Club Field before the games started.

Shelby County’s 11U team finished in second place (runner up) in the championships. Shelby County’s 7U and 6U placed in the final four.

According to Dixie Youth Baseball (DYB) officials, this year’s World Series involved some 800 players and coaches along with families.

Divisions included T-ball (5–6-year-old), 6U Coach Pitch, 7U Coach Pitch, 9U and 11U. Shelby County fielded a host team in each division to represent the city. The teams were Shelby County 6U, 7U, 9U and 11U.

A list of the World Series Champion and Runner up finishers includes:

• 6U T-ball — Champion - Bossier, La. and Runner Up - Shreveport, La.

• 6U Coach Pitch — Champion Montgomery, Ala. and Runner Up Mims, Ala.

• 7U Coach Pitch — Champion Shreveport, La. and Runner Up Luverne, Ala.

• 9U Kid Pitch — Champion Laurel Jones County, Miss. and Runner Up Ellisville, Miss.

• 11U Kid Pitch — Champion - Southeastern, Ala. and Runner Up - Center, Texas.

All Dixie Youth Regional tournament information is at worldseries.centertexas.org.

-------- About Dixie League Baseball from the organization’s website— “DYB, Inc. is a non-discriminatory community- based organization that aims to promote fair play for all participants through the uniform adherence to DYB official rules, policies and regulations. DYB is an all-volunteer organization where all national, state and district directors are unpaid volunteers who are elected by the leagues.” A quote from the DYB website: “Train up a child in the way he should go and, when he is old, he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6