12U All-Stars from Hudson, Texas Are Heading to the World Series
The summer break is drawing to a close across East Texas. Back-to-school preparations are underway. A few schools across the Pineywoods will welcome their students back this week, while most of the other school districts will have their first day of classes over the next couple of weeks.
However, for a group of twelve young men in Hudson, Texas, their summer has really not included much of a break. They've been working hard as they have earned the right to represent the state of Texas as Dixie League Champions for the 12U division. This summer has been comprised of qualifying tournaments and numerous practices.
The Hudson 12U All-Stars started their baseball season back in March with regular league play, then coaches selected the top 12 players from that league to play as the all-star team. These stand-out ball players have gone undefeated in district, regional, and state tournaments. So, now these Texas State Champs will be heading to Lumberton, North Carolina on August 5 to play for the Dixie Youth World Series. They will be competing against 9 other states.
Last year, in the 11U division, most of these same boys advanced to the World Series in Arkansas, finishing 3rd in that competition. These players from Hudson are hoping to win it all in North Carolina this year. Of course, it takes funds to travel halfway across the U.S., so there have been numerous fundraisers taking place. The group is currently hosting its final fundraiser of the year which is a raffle for a Glock 9mm pistol that will be given away on August 2. To purchase tickets you can contact Kelly Johnson 936-676-8965, Misti Lowe 936-414-2285, or Clint Powers at 936-635-3127.
Here are the members of the teams, as well as their favorite pro player
Caleb Smith - Shohei Ohtani
Cayne Powers - Freddie Freeman
Case Roberts - Albert Pujols
Kullen Fountain - Mike Trout
Marcus Johnson - Jose Altuve
Max Lowe - Pete Alonso
Oakley Campbell - Cody Bellinger
Parker Johnson - Freddie Freeman
Ragan Mays - Jordan Alvarez
Buddy Mendez - Giancarlo Stanton
Trent Gentry - Alex Bregman
Ty Riggs - Derek Jeter
Coach Clint Powers
Coach Darren Roberts
Coach Adrian Fountain