Biloxi 8U baseball captures first state championship

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - It’s no secret Mississippi is a force on the baseball diamond at every level. Even at the eight-year-old level.

Six of our local teams will be competing in the 8U Cal Ripken Regional Tournament next week in Mobile, including Picayune, Long Beach, Ocean Springs, East Central, Vancleave, and the state champions from Biloxi, who captured their first-ever 8U state championship just last week, and sport an 8-1 tournament record heading into regional play.

It’s the latest championship ring in the Magnolia State, and another testament to the level of play on the diamond reaching all the way to the collegiate ranks. But it all starts in youth ball, and while Biloxi and everyone else prepares to win another championship, they kids are enjoying their time playing the sport they love.

“It’s awesome, our team never gives up in the games,” one player, Handley, said. “It’s been a fun baseball season, and it’s still going.”

“He and me have been playing for four years together, all the years we’ve been playing baseball,” another player, Hudson, said.

“These guys are playing hard together, full dedication, they never give up,” head coach Jeff Lechner said. “The weather has been extremely hot, everyone knows the conditions we’ve had to play in, but they’ve kept it together, kept their heads up and came out with both titles, the district and state championship, and I’m very proud of them.”

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