From staff and press reports



The Eupora 12 year old all-star team advanced to the Dizzy Dean World Series with a second place finish in the state tournament.

The tournament was held in Horn Lake at the Latimer Lakes Sports complex.

The World Series will be held in Moody,Alabama beginning July 14,2006. The hometown boys had a great post season run. It all began at the district tournament. Eupora suffered a controversial loss in the first game but battled back through the losers bracket and won the tournament, making them a No. 1 seed for the state tournament.

The winning steak continued through the state tourney with big wins over Tri-County, Clinton, Marshall County and Fulton. While waiting for an opponent to emerge from the losers bracket, rain set in and put things even further behind.

All this waiting appeared to work against Eupora. Fulton made it back to the championship game and despite excellent pitching performances for Eupora, they won the title. The trademark offensive barrage that always carried Eupora in the other games never materialized and the state championship slipped away.

It is still a great accomplishment to do what these young men have done.

In Dizzy Dean Baseball even age groups(i.e. 10,12,14 and 16) must earn a berth with a first or second place finish in their state tourney to play in the World Series.

Odd age groups(i.e. 7,9,11and13) can simply pay the entry fee and go play.

In Eupora baseball history a team has not been found that played in the Dizzy Dean 12 year old World Series. History reflects some senior league teams to go(Kenneth Wade,Milton Davis, Powell Bros,etc and Cliff Davis and Company) as well as Danny Wayne Pittman's teams in the 10 and 11 year olds(Cole Young, Devin Jones, Shane Corder, Jacob Ford, to name a few) but c a 12 year old entry has not been located.

"We hope this team can measure up to the high standard set by these other Eupora teams," said Mark Newman.

Team Members are Billy Glen Salley, Collin Brister, Daulton Newman, Andrew Mckay, Casey Oliver, Cain Young, Corey Richardson, Anfernee Morton, Dee Ford and Justin Newton.