After finishing fifth last year in the Dizzy Dean World Series as 8-year-olds, the Union 9U all-stars came back a year later, taking home the World Series Championship on Friday at Snowden Grove Park in Southaven.
9U head coach Aaron Morris said the boys competed in the World Series against teams from Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi and went undefeated throughout the tournament, outscoring their opponents 47-9 through 4 games on their way to a Championship win on Friday against the Boliver Bad Boys 9U from Cleveland, Miss.
“As coaches, we try to keep it simple and remind them of 3 primary elements of the game: pitching, defense and hitting. We tell them that in order to compete at a high level and give yourself a chance to win every game, you have to do well in at least 2 of the 3 areas, and they were able to do that consistently throughout the tournament,” Morris said.
Morris said this group of boys has been competing together (and against each other in Union’s parks and recreation league) since 4-year-old T-ball. Last year, they won state earning a trip to the Dizzy Dean World Series. They repeated as champions this time in the 9-year-old classification, but instead of finishing fifth, they completed the championship run.
“What makes them so special is their unique bond with one another,” Morris said. “Sometimes you see kids at school and even on ball teams split off into little groups, and if you’re not careful, someone gets left out. Not with these boys. They are like one big family, and it shows with how well they get along and compete as one unit on the field.
“We have a little saying called ‘Hold the Rope.’ It basically means that when you make a mistake or things get tough and you need a lifeline, that every member on the team is willing and ready to grab the other end of the rope, lift you up and keep battling for a victory. And these boys believe it and demonstrate it every day.”
The Union 9U Yellowjackets defeated Hernando 16-1 and then defeated Marietta (Ga.) 8-5. Then in the final two games, they defeated Cleveland (Miss.) 15-1 and again 8-2 in the final game.
