ST. GEORGE — The Dixie Junior All-Stars, a Little League baseball team made up of St. George-area players aged 13-15, won state and will represent Utah in an upcoming regional tournament.
“They’re a special team,” coach Jeremy Graff told St. George News after the team returned from Cedar City, site of the Utah state tournament last week.
“They lost in the first game at state, then came back and won the next four games in a row to reach the next round,” Graff added. “And they won the last game in the last inning, so it was pretty exciting.”
The junior division of Little League baseball doesn’t get quite so much attention as the annual Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, which is the premier event for 12-year olds and is covered on ESPN.
Dixie’s juniors will represent Utah in the regional tournament in Bend, Oregon, lasting from July 23 to August 1.
If they win there, the World Series venue for the juniors is in Michigan later this summer.
Graff described the Dixie All-Stars as a conglomerate with players from Dixie, Crimson Cliffs and Desert Hills high schools.
“They’ve been playing together for a while in club ball,” Graff said.
“They’ve known each other for a long time and they’re coming together well on this team,” he added.
Graff said this is the first year Dixie’s juniors have ever advanced to the regional round.
Assistant Eric Hansen helps Graff with the coaching duties for Dixie.
Listed on the roster for the Dixie Junior All-Stars are Jaeger Graff, Corbin Hansen, Austin Hastert, Brady Mihoky, Logan Ozaki, Jett Patton, Luke Pinegar, Justin Repp, Seth Risenmay, Levi Smith, Jacob Terry and Nyx Virostko.
In the attached photo gallery is information about how to contribute to the team to help with travel expenses.
2 St. George players go national
Two other local baseball players are moving on to a national stage.
Avrian Tamayo and Buck Bale, club players in St. George, will play at a tournament in Florida next week.
Tamayo will play for the 9U team Giannangelo and Bale will play for 8U Rios in the USSSA All American Games at the Space Coast Complex in Viera, Florida.
The event brings together teams for 8- through 13-year olds from around the country.
While Tamayo and Bale won’t be on the same team, family members said that they are looking forward to the adventure and are excited to play. They said the games can be streamed here.
Both players and their teams will take the diamond for their first games on Wednesday.
Photo Gallery
Buck Bale (left) and Avrian Tamayo (right) will play baseball at a national tournament in Florida next week, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2024 | Photo courtesy the Bale family for St. George News
Buck Bale (left) and Avrian Tamayo (right) will play baseball at a national tournament in Florida next week, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2024 | Photo courtesy the Bale family for St. George News
Buck Bale (left) and Avrian Tamayo (right) will play baseball at a national tournament in Florida next week, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2024 | Photo courtesy the Bale family for St. George News
The Dixie Junior All-Stars won state and will represent Utah in the regional Little League tournament in Bend, Oregon, date of photo not specified | Photo courtesy Jeremy Graff for the St. George News
The Dixie Junior All Stars celebrate victory at state and will represent Utah at the regional Little League tournament in Bend, Oregon, date of photo not specified | Photo courtesy Jeremy Graff for St. George News
The Dixie Junior All-Stars won state and will represent Utah in the regional Little League tournament in Bend, Oregon, date of photo not specified | Image courtesy Jeremy Graff for the St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.