Clinton 12U Little League All Stars headed to Southwest Regionals

By Danny C. Davis

The Clinton Baseball Association Little League All Star team beat Starkville to win the Mississippi State Championship, and then advanced to the Little League Southwest Regional tournament in Waco, Texas. The team begins regional tournament play on August 1, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN Plus. Pictured (l to r) are Coach Daniel Tackett, Thomas Cole, Noah Davis, Brody Cox, Ayden Johnson, Kellan Langdon, Case Peterson, Harrison Cooley, Coach Anthony Stanford, Vaughan Stanford, Luke Rives, Luke Walker, Brayden Tackett, Coach Dan Rives and Jax Boswell.

Clinton Baseball Association’s 12U, or under twelve, All Stars have won the Mississippi Little League Baseball state 12U championship.

On July 18, Clinton defeated the Starkville 12U All Stars 1-0 at the Mississippi State 12 U tournament at Hattiesburg with a walk-off single by Thomas Cole. Kellan Langdon pitched a complete game, six-inning shutout, seven strikeouts, while throwing only seventy-three pitches, fifty-eight of which were strikes.

Now, the Clinton team has a chance of a lifetime by advancing to the Southwest Little League Regionals in Waco, Texas. It is believed that this is the first time a Clinton team has ever advanced this far in a youth baseball tournament.

If Clinton wins in Texas, it will be one of twenty teams worldwide and ten in the United States to advance to the prestigious Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, set for August 14 through August 25.

“We have twelve kids on the team, and we are so proud of how hard they have practiced and played,” said Clinton 12U manager Anthony Stanford. 

The team is also coached by Dan Reeves and Daniel Tackett.

All of the 12 U players live in the Clinton area and are either eleven or twelve years old. Ten players attend Clinton Public schools, with one player from Central Hinds Academy and the other from Tri-County Academy. 

Players include Thomas Cole, Noah Davis, Brody Cox, Ayden Johnson, Kellan Langdon, Case Peterson, Harrison Cooley, Vaughan Stanford, Luke Rives, Luke Walker, Brayden Tackett and Jax Boswell.

Clinton will be in a seven-team tournament with teams from Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, East Texas, West Texas and New Mexico in the double elimination tournament.

The Southwest Little League tournament will be held at Marvin Norcross Stadium, at 3700 South Parks Drive in Waco.

“We are very excited about going to Waco and playing in a big tournament,” said Stanford.

Clinton will meet Texas East on Thursday, August 1, at 4 p.m. A win in that game would pit Clinton against the winner of Oklahoma and Louisiana on Friday, August 2, at 1 p.m. A loss will put the Clinton All-Stars playing the loser of Oklahoma and Louisiana on Friday at 4 p.m.

The Texas East team is from Richmond, Texas, a suburb on the southwest side of Houston. The Richmond Lamar Little League team earned a trip to the Little League World Series twenty years ago in 2004.

“Our pitching has been a strength for our team,” said Stanford. “We have three or four players with very good arms on the team.”

“These kids have played together since T-ball and are playing very good right now,” said Stanford. “I think we have a good chance to win it and advance.” 

Clinton’s first game on Thursday will be broadcast nationally on ESPN Plus.  Friday and Saturday quarterfinals will also be broadcast on ESPN Plus.  Sunday and Monday semi-finals and final games will be broadcast on the regular ESPN network.